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HOW CAN I VERIFY THAT AN RTMP STREAM URL IS WORKING?

HOW CAN I VERIFY THAT AN RTMP STREAM URL IS WORKING?

What’s an rtmp url?

Server URL or RTMP URL Every time you broadcast, a different URL address carries your live video stream. Websites have individual addresses to make it easier for users to find them, just like residences and structures have street addresses. These addresses are URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) on the Internet.

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator), also referred to as a “web address,” indicates where on the Internet a resource (such as a web page) is located. The “protocol,” also known as the method for retrieving the resource, such as HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, etc., is also specified in the URL.

A URL is a string of text that humans can read and was created to replace the IP addresses that computers use to connect to servers. They also describe the website’s file organization. A URL has the following fundamental structure and consists of a protocol, domain name, and path (which includes the particular subdirectory structure where a page is located):

 protocol://domain-name.top-level-domain/path

The steps below can be taken to check if an RTMP stream URL is functional:

Step 1: Select a testing tool

The most important step is the first one. Pick a testing gear to produce precise, thorough, and conclusive test findings. An RTMP player is employed in this scenario to check whether an RTMP URL is operational. Some popular RTMP players are FFmpeg, OBS Studio, and VLC media player. You can enter the rtmp url into this tool to see if the stream is streaming properly.

Step 2: Verify the connection is secure

Using a tool for network analysis. A piece of software, specialized hardware, or feature set built into a network component is used to improve security against criminal activities on a company network or troubleshoot network performance. When attempting to connect to the RTMP stream URL to keep track of the network activity. If the RTMP server URL is reachable, this will indicate such.

 Step 3: Keep an eye on the server logs

A server log file is a straightforward text document that records a particular server’s operations over a certain period. It is established and maintained by the server automatically, and it can give you a thorough understanding of how, when, and who viewed your RTMP URL. These logs can offer information about the stream’s condition and aid in finding any potential server-side issues.

Step 4: Test with various players and gadgets

The RTMP URL can then be checked for compatibility with several players and gadgets. It must be tested on various mobile devices, operating systems, and web browsers. This will assist in determining whether the RTMP URL is operational and reachable on various devices.

Step 5: Ask the streaming service for assistance

Contact their support staff if you need help with a third-party streaming service or platform. They may offer advice on how to check the operation of the RTMP stream URL and assist in troubleshooting any problems that may arise.

These methods will help you check the functionality of an RTMP stream URL and ensure your audience can view the stream without any problems.

The best 3 ways to make an RTMP server

The best 3 ways to make an RTMP server

First, what is an RTMP server, and even before that, what is RTMP?

RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) is an application-level protocol owned by Adobe. It was originally designed for delivering on-demand media and live media (i.e live audio, video, and data) over the Internet between a Flash player and an RTMP Media Server. For example, we have the HTMP protocol, which is the sites that you can see on the browser, so the HTMP protocol is for the website. While the RTMP is for media, it allows media files, like video, audio, images, to be easily transferred or streamed by other users.

So an rtmp server is a normal server, or a vps, which has an rtmp software which can then be used to transfer this media files.

Now the important thing on all this is what is this software? And the main softwares that create the RTMP are

1- Flash Media Server, now changed to Adobe Media Server.

2- Red5

3- Wowza, now called, Live Streaming Engine.

And these are the 3 main RTMP servers or software, there are others like Nginx, but not so well known and not really used for production purposes.

How it all started, the RTMP?

It started with Adobe, they the ones who created this software with flash media server, it is a high quality software and it is very expensive, $4500 for the license.

But we must explain the issues with the RTMP, it is very popular some years ago, 2010 and about, every one wanted to make video chats, the problem is that flash is going to be disabled at the end of this year 2020 and video chats with flash will stop working.

But the RTMP has one incredible advantage, it is very fast between servers, a delay of 1 or 2 seconds of latency.

So RTMP will not go out soon because we can use it for live streaming from the broadcaster to the server, using the RTMP and then on the server it is distributed on any device using instead of RTMP using HLS, which means HTTP Live Streaming.

The latency now is 20-25 seconds, so it cannot be used for video chats but is perfectly alright for live streaming and on-demand video streaming.

Then we have Red5, which now has two versions. The paid version is called Red5 Pro, and it is also expensive, difficult to manage, but it can be used for live streaming and for video chats.

Hosting Marketers uses the free open-source software on all our servers, and it was the first shared hosting offering this service.

It is still used on some video chats but not sure what will happen after 2020….

You can read more about red5 on our old blog post “What is the use of Red5

Then we have Wowza, which is the one we mostly use on our RTMP servers, it is very stable, easy to manage and very high quality.

There are many reasons for using Wowza to provide HLS streaming services compared to a generic web server. You’ve essentially listed them yourself, though to provide a few specifics; Wowza’s HLS implementation includes robust DRM functionality, timed data events via ID3 tags, alternative audio tracks. More are listed here.

I would recommend reading our Quick Start Guide which covers the concepts involved. For more detail around the HLS capabilities, I’d suggest you try our rtmp free trial account, on our site.

Church Live Streaming

We also use it for live streaming on sports and Church services with live streaming, we adjust the server to reduce the latency, we can reduce it to 5-6 seconds by making some adjustments.

RTMP Server in the era of HTTP video streaming

RTMP Server in the era of HTTP video streaming

Given the growing popularity and support of HTTP video streaming, it may be tempting to consider Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) streaming obsolete. But in many cases, working with RTMP server is still very meaningful. As soon as Macromedia first pronounced RTMP with Flash Player 6 in 2002, the brand new Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX (FCS) required to stream the evolving Flash Video (FLV) format, stream was live or VOD.

However, for FCS, licensing costs were high (up to $5,000 per server), and as a result, CDN costs were high than other proprietary streaming formats. Some manufacturers in the industry have called RTMP streaming costs a “Flash tax”. But Flash Player has been a ubiquitous introduction to desktop browsers for well over a decade, much larger than other plug-ins. Though, streaming server technology has traditionally been harder for web developers to implement, and simpler HTTP delivery has mostly been easier and more cost-effective. In 2003, Macromedia enabled Flash Player 7 to support HTTP delivery of FLV files, allowing integrators to use standard web server technology to deploy online video.

So in many ways, RTMP as a VOD transport delivery has not been a requirement for web video for more than a decade. As a video solution architect, I think of business requirements as the leader in most audio video decisions. And still, in 2014, RTMP is the de facto standard for the following use cases:

Publishing live streams from software/hardware encoders: Almost all streaming devices support RTMP to publish to CDN providers and streaming servers. Some native mobile applications also use RTMP libraries to publish live video from their mobile camera.

Near-instant search/playback: One of the benefits of RTMP streaming is its enhanced search capability. With real-time streaming, the player can search anywhere in the video with less buffering than HTTP delivery. However, to enjoy this feature, you need a Flash Player on your desktop and as such, it is not possible in mobile browsers. HTML5 browsers use HTTP domain requests to facilitate faster searching of VOD files.

Content Protection: RTMP Server can facilitate different levels of content protection, from obfuscation to true DRM. RTMP streams are not stored for playback on a desktop browser.

Adaptive Streaming: One of the preferred uses of RTMP is adaptive streaming playback, where we provide the video player with more bitrates and content resolutions, providing the best resolution at the current network speed. Some HTTP adaptive streaming technologies, such as HLS and MPEG-DASH, allow similar delivery, but RTMP may be more responsive to switching one bitrate to another. Unfortunately, there is no standard for HTTP adaptive streaming between HTML5 video-enabled browsers. As such, the Flash-based display of adaptive streaming is still a requirement for adaptive streaming.

Live Streaming Playback: While live streams do not need to be adaptive, compressed video segments apply the same principle to all live streaming playback. For desktop playback within the browser, virtually every live streaming event requires a video player that supports Flash-based rendering and RTMP playback. Apple Safari on iOS natively supports HLS, and luckily, all modern streaming servers, including the Wowza Streaming Engine, support RTMP and HLS compression.

The requirement for a Live Streaming Flash Player will only change if MPEG-DASH appears everywhere as Flash currently. If Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 support is required to install live streaming, then RTMP streaming is still required. Also, if you need a delay close to zero in a live stream, then HTTP streaming will almost certainly not meet your needs while RTMP is capable; HTTP mechanisms require that multiple packets be collected on the server before being sent to the video player.

In summary, if your video workflow involves live streaming or any kind of packaged video installation, RTMP is the key to a successful video experience. HTTP delivery has already replaced most Flash VOD installs on video, but HTTP video can’t handle all RTMP video use cases.

rtmp hosting

Another important setup on Red5 Server is the Python Hosting offered to all hosting customers, with python cpanel hosting the advantage is cheaper and easier to install and run python scripts on a normal hosting. With Python Hosting and rtmp server the customer can really start a webmasters and increase a number of usages to host python scripts or even video chat or live streaming.

As my university professor used to say the computers language for the next 50 years will be python, fast, easier with multiple modules which allow any developer to start an application running python is a few short hours.

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rtmp to android? not possible

Android can not play RTMP directly using the default Chrome mobile browser, as Flash plugin is required to play RTMP in browser (available only on PC).

There are 2 solutions:

  1. Build an app that plays RTMP stream.
  2. Transcode and deliver stream using a format that plays in Chrome mobile browser, like MPEG DASH or WebRTC.

RTMP is still used quite a bit by broadcasting application and hardware, such as Wirecast and OBS.

It’s not widely used for end delivery anymore, though. As viewing RTMP streams pretty much requires a flash plugin, and most modern browsers have (or are) dropping support for it, other solutions are the norm today.

HTTP live streaming is widely used because it uses existing CDN:s for delivery, and plays natively on smartphones – which is a huge selling point today. In 2018 52% of all web traffic was through mobile phones.

Transcoding and MPEG DASH, WebRTC delivery is possible with Broadcast Live Video solution.

RTMP stream can be published with an external encoder (including mobile apps like Wowza GoCoder) and played back over MPEG DASH or WebRTC in Android 

Web Site Management

Hosting Marketers is offering new services to their customers,

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They also offering web design at very affordable  prices, starting at $60 for a 5 page wordpress site.

They offering also SEO expertize starting at $50 for On-page Analysis.

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Media servers red5 and wowza

Red5 is a media server created with Java language. It is a free open source software but recently a new version Red5 Pro came out developed by the same people, this new version supports streaming to mobiles, Android or iOS, which red5 does not. The Red5 Pro is commercial product and costs $55 per server.

A media server allows Flash based applications connect to it using Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP). The server can send and receive data to and from the connected users who have a flash player installed. The server also allows users to receive and publish streams. This permits video chat applications, live streaming and even ondemand video streaming.

Most common Video chat software’s are:
1- Avchat
2- Videowhisper
3- Prochatrooms
4- Gchats

For live streaming the necessary tool if you already have a server with red5 installed is an encoder, an encoder is the software that will connect your computer to the red5 server using the RTMP, which your server provider will give you.
1- FMLE, it is an free Adobe product and does a good job.
2- Wirecast, it is an expensive commercial product of very high quality, absolutely necessary if you starting a TV station.

Although red5 is a free product many people prefer to use Wowza Streaming Engine or Adobe Flash Media Server which are commercial software’s and can be quite expensive, the FMS costs $4500 per server. The reason is that the developers of red5 although have created a wonderful system did not spend much time with tutorials and instructions on how to install and manage a red5 server, for this reason if you searching for a red5 server we suggest you pick a web host which specializes on red5 servers and red5 shared hosting.

1- Red5 Servers relatively cheap red5 servers starting at $15 a month.
2- Red5 Hosting, Hosting Marketers, a web host for experienced webmasters, it is the oldest hosting company specialized on Video and media servers, they also offer Wowza Streaming Engine on its shared plans. They have a very experienced customer support and a reputation for going out of their way to help customers. They starting plan with Red5 enabled costs $9.95 a month. Most other red5 hosting companies are resellers of Hosting Marketers.

Red5 is a formidable media server, extremely flexible and has the advantage of being a free product with with many people working on developing it, for now the main version does not yet work with mobiles, if that is what you need we suggest that instead of using the Red5 Pro version to use the Wowza instead. Hosting Marketers also offers Wowza, in fact they even offer a 3 days free trial.

how to re-broadcast a RTSP using wowza

Recently we had to setup a re-broadcast a live Darshan from Shree Ranchhodraiji Maharaj Temple, Dakor, Gujarat, India. They gave us a RTSP, something like this:

rtsp://username:password@xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:554/axis-media/media.amp

this rtsp included a username and password, the rtsp was from IP camera, from this we had to re-broadcast using wowza media server.

On the application.xml for StreamType we used live, other then that we didnt change anything. We created a file camera.stream which we upload to the /wowza-installation/content/

On this file we entered the rtsp:

rtsp://username:password@xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:554/axis-media/media.amp

The file must have a .stream filename extension.

we created another file admin.password which we uploaded to /wowza-installation/conf/

on this file we entered:

# Admin password file (format [username][space][password])
# username password
admin 123456

this will be used to start and stop the publishing of the camera.

We restarted the wowza.

To start the stream we now followed he below steps:

Enter the following URL in a web browser:

  1. URL: http://[wowza-ip-address]:8086/streammanager
  2. In the Security dialog box, enter your admin username and password from above.
  3. In the Stream Manager webpage, click the [start-receiving-stream] link just below the live application folder.
  4. In the Start Receiving Stream dialog box, select the following MediaCaster Type option: rtp
  5. In the Stream Name field, enter camera.stream.
  6. Click OK.

That was it.