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23.11 Media Server
Flussonic Media Server 23.11 introduces a number of significant enhancements to improve user experience. This update presents support for MP3 metadata from SHOUTcast, providing improved content navigation, as well as support for closed captions to make content available to a diverse audience. Key improvements to the DVR player and its storage optimization significantly improve performance. Push metrics add advanced monitoring capabilities including Kubernetes clusters, and Source Specific Multicast support optimizes network efficiency. In addition, our demo repository on GitHub provides an opportunity to understand how our API schemas work. See how these innovations can help you meet your challenges and expand your business potential!
LL-HLS
For optimized resource usage, enhanced user experience, saving on costs, we added the support of the ‘?filter.tracks’ parameter with LL-HLS playback URLs (/index.ll.m3u8) on a Flussonic Media Server. With this improvement customers avoid sending high-resolution content to devices that cannot fully utilize it, which conserves bandwidth and server processing power and receive content that matches their device capabilities, resulting in smoother playback and reduced buffering. As well this update reduces unnecessary data transmission, ensures device compatibility (from TVs to mobile devices).
23.11 brought an essential update for Flussonic Media Server with the necessary infrastructure improvements required to handle HTTP/2, which is particularly crucial for enabling the correct operation of Low-Latency HTTP Live Streaming (LL-HLS). Flussonic Media Server has undergone a significant refactoring process to modernize and align its codebase with the latest version (2.x) of the Cowboy web server.
Integration with Axinom DRM
To ensure that video streaming content remains protected and help prevent unauthorized access or piracy, ultimately safeguarding valuable media assets, we added integration with Axinom DRM.
Push metrics
For enhanced monitoring capabilities (including those depolying Kubernetes clusters in their infrastructure), efficient resource management and system reliability, we added the feature of returning push metrics (in a format compatible with Prometheus) in the multiplexer pushes.stats and stream statistics.
For improving content navigation, supporting MP3 metadata (song titles, artist names, album names, and other information about the content) from a SHOUTcast source was added in 23.11. With this metadata passing through Flussonic Media Server, our customers receive displaying all the information about the currently playing track, enhancing their listening experience for end-users.
Source Specific Multicast
To meet the requirements of a content provider, Flussonic Media Server now supports Source Specific Multicast (SSM) for ingesting MPTS sources.
Closed caption
To provide accessible and inclusive video content and improve the overall viewing experience for a diverse audience, Flussonic Media Server now has the capability to process Supplemental Enhanced Information (SEI) data with user_data_registered_itu_t_t35 parameters, specifically related to Closed Captions (CC), and convert it into the WebVTT format. This feature is essential for handling Closed Captions data provided by DirecTV and similar sources when using the H.264/HEVC video codecs.
Ad insertion
To educate our customers on how to receive content monetization through ad insertion technologies, we added an overview article about monetizing content using SSAI (Server-Side Ad Insertion). Read more about these technologies in the [Ad insertion technologies].
To receive more control over ad scheduling, Flussonic Media Server now allows SSAI midroll files to be played in the order specified by the authorization backend. Additionally, the update enables the insertion of a “stub clip” at the end of the ad sequence, ensuring that the entire ad slot is covered, even when there are no ads to play.
Demo with API schemas
For our customer to understand and work with the APIs, facilitating integration, development, and customization, we made a demo repository with API schemas available at our GitHub account here to demonstrate how we use OpenAPI and an API-first approach in Flussonic, Watcher, Vision, Client Area, and Sigur access control integration.
DVR Player
For enhanced usability and visual quality of the DVR Player when accessed through the Watcher Client UI PWA (Progressive Web App), providing a more user-friendly experience for those viewing archived videos, we fixed an issue related to a gray layer appearing over the player during archive playback, which could obscure the video content.
With improved mobility and functionality of Flussonic Media Server and Flussonic Watcher, users can conveniently export and share controls for the DVR player from their mobile devices.
To make it easier and more intuitive for users to interact with the timeline when users click “Back to live”, they can quickly and easily use the timeline slider to navigate to a specific moment in the live broadcast.
To make it easier for users to precisely choose the desired section of the archive, the markers used for making that selection will now be displayed within the visible area of the timeline when users click the “scissors” control.
DVR storage
With the improvement of DVR storage, the management of calls was optimized. Users can expect smoother and more reliable performance when using Flussonic RAID for their video recording and storage needs
Bugs fixed
ID detection with several GPUs:
Flussonic Media Server can now accurately detect and utilize the device IDs of NVIDIA GPUs, ensuring that transcoding tasks are performed correctly and efficiently, even when multiple GPUs are present.
Flussonic API
Customers with view_auth credentials can now use these GET methods, specifically config_stats_get and opened_files_list, without encountering the HTTP 403 error.
Retroview
Users no longer experience the problem of seeing the same server hostname listed twice with conflicting data in their personal account server list.
MP4 file export
Users no longer have an issue of missing audio tracks when using the filter.tracks feature in scenarios where there are more than one audio track in the source stream and the filtered audio track is not the first one (for example, v1a2).
DVR Player
Users will no longer have to wait for an extended period before the DVR Player can navigate to a playable content, even when attempting to play a damaged or corrupted archive fragment.
DVR Player is improved with the playback reliability. Even when the RTSP source is temporarily unavailable, the DVR Player will still be able to access and play archived content associated with that stream.
When users are watching content from the DVR archive, the ‘LIVE’ label, indicating live streaming, will no longer be displayed. This correction ensures that users have a more accurate visual representation of whether they are viewing live content or archived content.
With the correction in 23.11, when users click on a specific day in the calendar, the displayed date and time will accurately reflect the start of that selected day at 00:00:00. This ensures that users can easily navigate and access content based on specific dates without any confusion regarding the timing of their selections.
Users can now effectively use player controls, that are now visible and functional within the embedded player (/vsaas/embed) of the Flussonic Watcher application, providing a more seamless and user-friendly surveillance viewing experience.
Users can now watch recorded camera content (instead of the black screen) of the DVR player in the Watcher as intended, improving the effectiveness of surveillance monitoring and video playback.
Fixing the issue, when streams with only one video track are played correctly when accessed through the vsaas/embed URL or in the Watcher UI. The fix ensures that such streams are handled properly, allowing users to view video content without any issues, even if there is no accompanying audio track.
Users can now edit and modify the start/end date and time fields when exporting video segments, making it easier to tailor the export to their needs.
When an error occurs during the dvr_save operation, the system will generate an error message that adheres to the JSON format standards. This makes it easier to parse and process error messages consistently, leading to more effective error handling and debugging.
The exported segment selection markers will no longer disappear when tapped on iOS 16 devices. This ensures that users can properly interact with and select segments within the content.
DVR clean-up
The 23.11 update resolved this issue with the logging of events when archive segments were deleted during the archive clean-up process, ensuring that the logs now provide clear information about the reasons behind archive segment deletions during the clean-up process.
In Flussonic, users can set expiration times for both the entire archive and individual episodes within that archive. Since 23.11 when episodes have their own expiration time defined, they are not deleted prematurely if that time is shorter than the expiration time set for the entire archive.
Since 23.11 if Flussonic cannot reach the config_external service for expiration updates, it will rely on cached expiration values to perform archive clean-up. This ensures that archived content will still be deleted according to the specified expiration rules, even if there are temporary communication issues with the config_external service.
When the system detects a damaged or corrupted blob, it handles the cleanup and recovery process correctly, ensuring that the DVR data remains in a consistent and functional state. This is important for maintaining the integrity of recorded video content and preventing data loss in DVR systems.
The problem with navigating the timeline on mobile devices when selecting archive segments in Watcher was fixed.
JPEG thumbnails
The generation of JPEG thumbnails functions correctly even if the “thumbnails” option is not enabled for the stream.
Ad insertion
The ‘ad_injected event’ will now accurately reflect only those files that were passed through the auth backend for ad insertion.
VOD location listing
The problem with listing VOD content locations, specifically when the playback module encountered improperly initialized media files, has been resolved.
RTSP reader
When data arrives before the RTSP handshake is fully completed, the server now initiates a reconnection process to establish a proper RTSP session. This correction ensures that the RTSP communication proceeds as expected, even in cases where data arrives prematurely, preventing the occurrence of the “rtsp_reader, error: case_clause” error.
DASH stream
The fix ensures that the streaming of live DASH content is now functioning correctly, without HTTP 500 server errors, providing a more reliable and seamless streaming experience for customers and end-users.
Watcher
With 23.11 update, the issue causing the HTTP 500 error when adding a person to Watcher was resolved.
Users are now able to open and configure HLS input options without encountering errors or issues, ensuring smoother and more reliable handling of HLS input streams.
The Watcher proxy correctly maintains the “Host” header value, ensuring proper request routing and functionality when forwarding client requests.
Watcher Web UI
Users now see the appropriate protocol labels on the Output tab even when certain protocols are disabled (Except). This improvement enhances the user experience, making it easier for users to understand the status of streaming protocols within the UI.
The archive section markers are now correctly positioned and displayed in Watcher Client PWA, ensuring that users can accurately select and navigate to the desired sections within archived content.
Transcoder overload
Users can now rely on the transcoder_overloaded parameter to accurately indicate whether the transcoder operation is in an overloaded state or has returned to normal. Additionally, Prometheus can be used to track transcoder overload specifically on certain streams, providing users with more comprehensive monitoring capabilities.
DTS/PTS calculation algorithm
By fixing the DTS/PTS calculation algorithm on PCR rollover, we ensure that the timing of video and audio frames remains accurate, preventing synchronization problems during playback.
Stream playback
Users can access and use the “embed.html” resource and play streams without encountering HTTP/2 protocol errors in the Media Server Admin UI.
Number of sessions
The server will now correctly count and track the number of sessions, including those that end in abnormal ways. This improvement ensures more accurate session management and reporting.
*How to create your own IPTV channel:*To help Flussonic Media Server users to understand how to create their own channels for different applications, whether it is traditional IPTV or modern OTT streaming and leverage the platform more effectively, we revised the article titled “How to Create Your Own IPTV Channel” and added it to the menu for the Multiplexer section. Additionally, it has been included in the IPTV/OTT section of the documentation.
GeoIP2: The note about the GeoIP2 databaseincluded with Flussonic was added, signifying that it is a snapshot of the database at the time of publication, with that our users should consider updating the database if they require the most up-to-date location information for IP addresses in their applications or services.
Publishing video to the server: The article about publishing video to Flussonic in the Flussonic Media Server documentation was revised to provide comprehensive information on all available publication protocols. This update includes details on how to publish video using different protocols or methods. Additionally, any irrelevant or outdated information that may have been present in the previous version of the documentation has been removed, ensuring that users have accurate and up-to-date guidance on video publishing methods with Flussonic Media Server.
Streams layout: We added an [article]that provides insights into the allocation process and offers instructions on how users can customize or optimize the layout of their streams for their specific needs or scenarios. It serves as a valuable reference for users looking to gain a deeper understanding of stream management in Flussonic Central.
Restreaming VOD files:
The documentation on restreaming VOD files was corrected, providing an example of configuration that accurately reflects the correct settings and procedures for restreaming VOD content using Flussonic Media Server.
How to configure LL-HLS:
To provide users with instructions and insights into managing and customizing the tracks played during LL-HLS streaming to enhance their experience and meet their specific requirements, a note about filtering tracks was added when playing LL-HLS.
HTTP auth backend examples:
The explanation of ad injection examples was updated in the Flussonic Media Server documentation.
Authorization of sessions:
The page about [authorization of sessions] was added in a cluster of servers managed by Central.