HTTP Video Streaming - Day 1 Part 1

Base: Snow Leopard + MacPort

Installing lighttpd

1. # port install lighttpd
2. configure lighttpd @ /opt/local/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf (make a copy from default)
   
3. # launchctl load (to start automatically)
   # launchctl list to verify
   # launchctl start/stop org.macports.lighttpd to START or STOP the server
4. Install PHP with fastcgi -- port install php5 +fastcgi (otherwise php-cgi is not compiled)
   look under the lighttpd.conf for instruction to activate PHP for lighttpd.
   ps. make sure mod_fastcgi is loaded (uncomment it!)
   
5. good time to add additional PHP5 ports, i.e. php5-mysql.
   

H.264 Streaming -- Step 1 .. 2 .. 3

Step 1. A Rich Media Video Player: current Flash based (JW Player or Flowplayer)
Step 2. Accessibility -- okay .. there are options for both (completed)
Step 3. HTTP Streaming -- Pseudo (completed) .. 'real mode' (working if possible?)

hmmm.. does not seem too bad!

YouTube -- HTML5 -- Video

Google announced again on YouTube HTML5 video player:
http://tinyurl.com/yjmarzt

More information on YouTube video player:
http://tinyurl.com/yergmjr

This is one of the reasons why I have been sticking on H.264/mp4 -- the standard -- under the pressure of flv! I do not think HTML5 - Video is ready ready ready yet, but it will be. For me, Flash video player is a transition .. html5 to be expected! The turn key is the streaming technology -- RTSP/RTMP vs. HTTP -- back to the basic!

Explaining Adobe Support on H.264

Some interesting information:
Flash Player 10.1 http://tinyurl.com/4st2va
Flash Player 9 -- H.264 support http://tinyurl.com/ytgt47

Some quickies:

Q: Which audio and video standards does Flash Player 9 Update 3 implement?
A: Flash Player 9 will support subsets of the MPEG-4 standards defined by ISO/IEC 14496-12, ISO/IEC 14496-10, ISO/IEC 14496-3, and the 3GPP timed text format standard. Specifically, Flash Player will support the following standards:
ISO/IEC 14496-3: (Audio AAC) AAC Main; AAC LC; SBR
ISO/IEC 14496-10: (Video AVC) Base (BP); Main (MP); High (HiP). All levels are supported.
ISO/IEC 14496-12: (Container) 1 Audio track; 1 Video track 3GPP TS 26.245: (Timed text format)

Q: Will Flash Player 9 Update 3 support non-FLV files?
A: Yes, with this update, Flash Player will also support files derived from the standard MPEG-4 container format such as MP4, M4A, MOV, MP4V, 3GP, 3G2 if they contain H.264 video and/or HE-AAC encoded audio.

Q: Will I be able to put On2 VP6 streams into the new MPEG-4-based file format?
A: The Flash Player 9 beta will not play back On2 VP6 encoded video in the new file format.

... much more information -- read it yourself!
By the way, you can follow my updates on this at http://twitter.com/httpstreaming/

Back to Business ..

After a couple months, yes, I am back and figure out something cool to work on -- Http streaming. From Progressive to Adaptive and from complex rtsp/rtmp back to basic http! All device ready .. built on H.264 technology! follow updates on http://twitter.com/httpstreaming