Requirements for source streams and files¶
This page describes the requirements and recommendations to input streams and files. Below you will see a list of streaming protocols, media containers and codecs supported by Flussonic Media Server for input streams from sources.
Features of input streams and sources¶
Stream format is defined by the source, but sometimes the format can be selected in the source settings, like for a hardware encoder or a video camera. When the stream format cannot be selected, transcoding is required (see more below).
Flussonic supports a limited set of codecs and containers. If an input stream has unsupported codecs or containers, Flussonic throws an error. Playing back such streams can cause issues, for example, with DVR playback.
Flussonic distinguishes between stream (live) and file (VOD) formats.
Input stream formats¶
The table below shows a list of streaming protocols and their corresponding containers, video, and audio codecs supported by Flussonic Media Server for incoming streams. Find the list of currently supported codecs for the input streams in the Flussonic Media Server API Reference.
| Streaming protocol | Media container | Video codec | Audio codec |
|---|---|---|---|
| HLS | MPEG-TS | H.264, H.265 (HEVC), AV1 | AAC, EAC3, MP3, AC-3 |
| WebRTC | - | H.264, VP8, VP9, AV1 | Opus, PCMA (G.711 A-law), PCMU (G.711 µ-law) |
| RTMP | FLV | H.264 | AAC, MP3, PCMU (G.711 µ-law) |
| RTSP | - | H.264, H.265 (HEVC) | AAC, PCMA (G.711 A-law), PCMU (G.711 µ-law) |
| RTP | - | H.264, H.265 (HEVC) | - |
| HTTP/UDP | MPEG-TS | H.264, H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-2 video | AAC, EAC3, MP3, MPEG-2 audio |
| SRT | container-agnostic | H.264, H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-2 video, VP8, VP9, AV1 | AAC, EAC3, MP3, AC-3, Opus, MPEG-2 audio, PCMU (G.711 µ-law), PCMA (G.711 A-law) |
| Shoutcast/ICEcast | - | - | AAC, MP3 |
| H323 | - | H.264, H.265 (HEVC) | PCMA (G.711 A-law), PCMU (G.711 µ-law) |
Read more about publishing video from a browser to Flussonic via WebRTC in the WebRTC Publishing.
Source file formats¶
The table below shows containers, video, and audio codecs supported by Flussonic Media Server for source files.
| Media container | Video codec | Audio codec |
|---|---|---|
| MP4 (.mp4, .f4v, .mov, .m4v, .mp4a, .3gp, .3g2) | H.264, H.265 (HEVC) | MP3, AAC (all profiles) |
Learn about VOD files in the VOD Files.
Frame rate per second (FPS)¶
If an incoming stream has a frame rate less than 10 FPS, Flussonic considers the source inactive. We recommend to stream at 15 FPS or higher.
Some CCTV security cameras output streams in fragments of a couple of seconds long because of the low frame rate settings of the camera. In this case, you need to increase the FPS in the camera settings.
Warning
Growing FPS affects the security camera performance. So some cameras may overheat, freeze, being unable to output a stable stream. It is crucial to balance the video quality and performance for such cameras. One way to do this is to reduce the number of simultaneous connections to the camera to 1 so that only Flussonic Media Server receives the stream.
How to get the necessary format¶
Sometimes the format of the incoming stream cannot be selected in the source settings (like for a stream from a satellite). In this case, it is necessary to use transcoding.
Flussonic has a built-in transcoder, which can convert streams from various formats to H.264/AAC and more.
To learn more about transcoding and how to configure it in Flussonic, see Transcoding and Transcoder.
Thus, Flussonic can receive an input stream without transcoding, if:
- The stream format is supported.
- Stream is tt least at 10 FPS or preferably 15 (and higher) FPS.
If your stream does not meet the above requirements, you can use the built-in transcoder to convert the input stream to the necessary format.