1. Streaming Video in iOS
Nirbhay K
http://above-inc.com
CocoaHeads - Cocoa on the Brain

2. Streaming Apps Overview
CNBC Pro Netflix Hulu +
Twitch.tvUstream.tvJustin.tv

3. Technology
• HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) - [Apple Inc.]
• Progressive Download
• Streaming on Other Platforms
– Smooth Streaming -[Microsoft]
– HDS (HTTP Dynamic Streaming) - [Adobe]
– RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol) – [Adobe]
– RTP (Real Time Transport Protocol)
– RTCP (RTP Control Protocol)
– RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) = RTP+RTCP

4. MPEG–DASH
HTTP Streaming Standard
DASH - Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP .
Courtesy - http://xkcd.com/927/

5. Problems with streaming on iOS
• Network
• Do’s/Don’ts [Apple restrictions]

6. MEH.. !!
How do I get my streaming app
working??

7. Todays menu
• Streaming Live v/s Streaming On Demand
• How HLS works
• Setting up HLS on Server
• Streaming HLS in iOS
• Using Wowza Server to deliver multi device
streaming

8. HLS Architecture
• Server components
• Distribution components
• Client components

9. HLS Architecture
• Server Components
– Media Encoder
– Stream Segmenter
• Media Segment File
• Index Files (m3u8 playlists)
– File Segmenter

10. HLS Architecture
• Distribution Components
File Ext. Mime Type
.m3u8 application/x-mpegURL or vnd.apple.mpegURL
.ts Video/MP2T

11. HLS Architecture
• Client components
– End user media player software
– Custom player
– HTML5 Browser

12. HLS Architecture
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:10
#EXT-X-VERSION:3
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0
#EXT-X-PLAYLIST-TYPE:VOD
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence0.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence1.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
[…]
#EXT-X-ENDLIST
• Simple Index File (m3u8)

13. HLS Architecture
• Simple Index File (m3u8)
M3U8 fomat,
Just a list of files to
play
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:10
#EXT-X-VERSION:3
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0
#EXT-X-PLAYLIST-TYPE:VOD
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence0.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence1.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
[…]
#EXT-X-ENDLIST

14. HLS Architecture
• Simple Index File (m3u8)
M3U8 fomat,
Just a list of files to
play
Metadata tags
describing the
content
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:10
#EXT-X-VERSION:3
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0
#EXT-X-PLAYLIST-TYPE:VOD
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence0.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence1.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
[…]
#EXT-X-ENDLIST

15. Each segment file
preceded by
metadata eg.
#EXTINF:10
(depicts segment
duration)
HLS Architecture
• Simple Index File (m3u8)
M3U8 fomat,
Just a list of files to
play
Metadata tags
describing the
content
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:10
#EXT-X-VERSION:3
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0
#EXT-X-PLAYLIST-TYPE:VOD
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence0.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence1.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
[…]
#EXT-X-ENDLIST

16. If there is no end
tag client will treat
this as live stream
Each segment file
preceded by
metadata eg.
#EXTINF:10
(depicts segment
duration)
HLS Architecture
• Simple Index File (m3u8)
M3U8 fomat,
Just a list of files to
play
Metadata tags
describing the
content
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:10
#EXT-X-VERSION:3
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0
#EXT-X-PLAYLIST-TYPE:VOD
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence0.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
fileSequence1.ts
#EXTINF:10.00000,
[…]
#EXT-X-ENDLIST

17. HLS Architecture
Basic Configuration Diagram
Courtesy - http://apple.com/

18. HLS Specification
HTTP Live Streaming Specification

19. TOOLS
• Media segmenter
– File Segmenter
– Stream segmenter (Will not cover it today)
• Streaming Tools – Download link
mediafilesegmenter -f <foldername> <source file>.mp4
mediastreamsegmenter -s 3 -D -f <foldername> <live encoder url>

20. Setting up HLS with Tools

21. File Segmenter
{ Demo }

22. Distributing HLS with Webservers
• Apache
• Nginx
• Any webserver/CDN
{ Demo }

23. What is Wowza Server
Wowza Media Systems® provides the next
generation of media streaming software which
simplifies the highest quality live and on-
demand video streaming to any Internet-
connected device.

24. Why Wowza
• Integrated Live Transcoder
• Multi protocol nDVR
• Multi Platform DRM
• Streaming to multiple devices including IPTV devices
• Restreaming of IP cameras or other sources
• Encoder for SHOUTcast / ICEcast restreaming
• Supports all major server OS
• Recording of live streams
• Multiparty video conferencing
• 10GBps per server performance

25. Life Before Wowza
Courtesy - http://www.telestream.net/

26. Wowza Live Stream delivery Diagram
Courtesy - http://www.wowza.com/

27. Setting up Wowza Server
{ Demo }

28. Live cam publishing on Wowza
{ Demo }

29. Consume Wowza stream
{ Demo }

30. Code Links
• iOS HLS Client
– https://github.com/NirbhayK/Streamingplayer
• Factime camera broadcast using VLC (script)
– https://github.com/NirbhayK/vlcbroadcastscript

31. Q&A