Roku Direct Publisher

[fortscan]

Hello,

Considering the JSON feed type, does the video object (content -> videos -> ) support live streams as long as videoType is set to a protocol that supports it (HLS/SMOOTH/DASH)? Are there any additional/undocumented properties required (i.e. type->live?) or can this object reference a valid live feed (i.e. m3u8 URL for a live event) at the url field?

Are you planning to also include support for additional content types that would reflect an actual live stream? Currently they seem limited to movie, series, shortFormVideo and tvSpecial only, with no item to reflect a realtime/live stream on a channel app.

Thanks!

[RokuChrisT]

Hi Fortscan,

Thanks for the feedback - we'll add it to our feature request list.
So good to remember that Live streams passed through Feed URLs will work - note that for V1 the Channel UI is not currently optimized around a live experience.

Any type of media that Roku's video player can handle will work in the feed - see the full list here: https://github.com/rokudev/docs/blob/master/develop/specifications/audio-video-support.md

[upggr]

Hi,
I am trying to create a feed with LIVE streams (hls).
I understand you said that the experience is not optimised yet for live streams, but hls link should work.
So I am building my json object but I see that you have some required items for "movies" like movie length. As the streams are live there is no length. How do we handle this?

[purvin]

Hi

I am also trying to test a live stream (using Smooth and HLS). I found that the stream plays but it plays from the beginning of the DVR period rather than the live point. Is there any special config required to set the player to play from the live point?

Thanks.

[kane2931]

Here's a little sample JSON file that i'm working on.   It's for a live tv hls m3u8 stream.  Work great on 7.5 on my Roku Stick 3600.  If it can help you guys.


        }
     }
  ]
}

[dtv]

thanks for example - we too have a very simple channel, a single 24/7 live stream we'd like to switch over to direct publisher. we're completely new to the JSON file, is it as simple as taking your example, creating a txt file and hosting it on our aws S3 bucket? that's the url we would use? thanks much, sorry for basic question, any help greatly appreciated.

[Streaming_Maria]

Hello Sorry, I have to create through DIRECT PUBLISHER, A channel in live streaming. A CHANNEL IN LIVE 24/24 h.
I do not understand the JSON file.
I take the above code will add on my own page on the site with my parameters and connect to roku ???


I have provided these formats:
rtmp: //live.mariatvcdn.com/.............sdp

and

http://live.mariatvcdn.com/..........sdp/index.m3u8

What should I do to create a direct channel for roku ??
I now use http://instanttvchannel.com/
you have other visual sites, where you do not need to know html codes. ??

Thanks Very much!!

[RokuTomC]

If I'm understanding you correctly, your channel will only have one stream/one piece of content. If that's the case, then you can pretty easily take a plug-and-play approach with our sample feed.

1. Copy and paste this feed into a text editor like Sublime.
2. Determine which content type makes sense for you. It sounds like tvSpecial might be the way to go.
3. Replace the video URL, thumbnail URL, and all other metadata with your own content's information.
4. Remove the additional sample objects

[unconfirmed]

I was able to get a live stream from a series of Nest Cams working on a Roku channel.

Here are the steps I took: 
1) Downloaded the new version of the videoplayer-channel sample channel from the developer site.
2)  Customized the sources/VideoScene.brs file by changing the url= field on line 22 to point to a categories.xml file on a webserver of mine. 
3)  Then I altered the cover images a bit.  Then, zip up the modified code, and side-load into your roku.
4)  Set NestCam to be public, and browse to the public view of the camera (given in the settings page).
5)  Find the url of the public stream

• right click on the camera video, and choose "Inspect Element" (I'm using Firefox...not sure of the exact nomenclature on other browsers)


• The Document Inspector will take you to the part of the page that looks something like this:
  
  

  <video class="nexustalk-player" preload="auto" autoplay="" data-poster="model.posterImage" src="blob:https://video.nest.com/<long_hex_code_here>" width="100%" height="100%"></video>

  
  


• Right click on the link that starts with "blob:https://video.net.com..." and select COPY->Inner HTML.  The result will look like this.  I pasted it to a text doc for easy use.
  
  

  <source src="https://stream-alfa.dropcam.com:443/nexus_aac/<LONG_HEX_CODE_HERE>/playlist.m3u8" type="application/x-mpegURL">    <source src="rtmps://stream-alfa.dropcam.com/nexus/<LONG_HEX_CODE_HERE" type="rtmp/mp4">
  

  
  
  The server may be slightly different for each cam.  So far, I've seen 'alfa' and 'delta'.


• Copy the full url that ends in "/playlist.m3u8"


• In your XML file on the webserver for whichever category you want to show this video in, use this URL as the stream source.


• MAKE SURE TO CHANGE THE <streamFormat> tag to "hls".   THIS TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO FIGURE OUT, and was the key.   My XML item for this looks like this:
     
  

  <item sdImg="http://www.<MYSERVER>.com/rokudev/examples/videoplayer/images/nest_sd.png" hdImg="http://www.<MYSERVER>.com/rokudev/examples/videoplayer/images/nest_hd.png">        
  <title> Cam #1</title>        
   <contentId>11001</contentId>        
   <contentType>Live</contentType>        
   <contentQuality>HD</contentQuality>        
   <streamFormat>hls</streamFormat>        
   <media>
              <streamQuality>HD</streamQuality>
              <streamBitrate>1500</streamBitrate>
              <streamUrl>https://stream-alfa.dropcam.com:443/nexus_aac/<LONG_HEX_CODE_HERE>/playlist.m3u8</streamUrl>
   </media>        
   <synopsis>CAMERA #1</synopsis>        
   <genres>Security</genres>        
   <runtime></runtime>    
  </item>

  
  

I think that's pretty much it.  I developed the initial channel under the old SDK, so I'm still trying to get up to speed on the newer stuff, so the XML file may not be up in the current format, but it is working. 

[37mediagroup]

I know it gets brought up now & then, but has anyone ever been ableto get a livestream going at all on a DP channel? 

I just tried playing with various settings on YT Live & with my json feed. Wasn't able to see it work, the thumbnail for the vid was there, but when I clicked on it it immediately took me back to my channels home screen. I tried a demo of Vimeo Live too, streamed live there but not to my Roku, did the same thing. I refreshed my Roku thru System > Settings but never got it to work. Vimeo only gives a 10 minute demo so after over an hour total with YT I had to stop for a while.

Seems like it should work, I know YT's general urls don't work with Roku (redirects) and Vimeo has a hardcoded url which at the time during my 10 minutes I didn't navigate into the Settings area but in hindsight should have looked for it.

Anyone else have luck or ever give it a shot?