1. Media Server and Player.
After you have downloaded and run the installation program for
Unreal Media Server
, the service named UMediaServer should be running and listening on TCP port
5119.
The installation program sets up a sample video clip by creating a virtual
folder called MediaRoot, mapping this folder to the program installation
directory ("Program Files\Unreal Streaming\MediaRoot" by default) and placing
file "test.avi" in latter directory.
Streaming Media Player needs to be
installed to play streaming media.
Start the player and enter IP address or machine name of the Media Server
computer. If you choose TCP as a transport protocol, make sure there are no
firewalls between client and server machines that block port 5119. If this
particular port is blocked, use Media Server Configuration tool, which is a
part of Media Server installation, to change this port number. If all TCP
traffic is blocked, your only choice is to connect via HTTP(s). Once the client
computer can reach the server computer, you should be able to stream the test
file.
You can also play using any player that supports MMS, such as Windows Media
Player. Assuming the server IP address is 192.168.0.100, you need to enter the
following into "Open URL" line: mms://192.168.0.100:5119/mediaroot/test.avi
Using Media Server Configuration tool, you can create virtual folders and map
them to the different physical locations on the server machine.
Alternatively, the physical location can be anywhere in the server machine's
LAN. To make this work, several steps should be done.
-
Win 2000: You will need to map network drive, such that the remote folder will
be treated as a local folder.
Win XP: Browse to network folder.
-
The security should be setup such that the account, under which UMediaServer
runs, has access to this network drive. By default, UMediaServer runs under
local system account. You will need to have an account that can access this
network drive, and make UMediaServer service run under this account. Use
"control panel - services - UMediaServer properties" to change the account.
Once virtual folder is accessible by MediaServer, the files in this folder can
be streamed to the clients. Users will need to specify this folder in Streaming
Media Player. Virtual folder can be configured to require internal or
session-based authentication. Refer to the architecture
page to learn more.
Virtual folder can be configured to allow or prohibit playlist behavior. If
playlist behavior is allowed, clients will be able to play all the files within
virtual folder in a non-stop mode. Configuration program allows to multicast
the content of virtual folder. Clients then can receive media in RTP Multicast
mode. Refer to the architecture page to learn about
multicast.
Configuration program also allows creating so called "Live Broadcasts". These
are logical links to live Audio/Video sources, previously configured with Live
Server. Live broadcasts can be static (In this case the Media Server initiates
connection to Live Server on TCP port 5120), dynamic (Live Server initiates
connection to Media Server on configurable TCP port) or delegate (this is a
link to another live broadcast configured on another Media Server). The
choice between static and dynamic live broadcasts depends on your network
infrastructure. For example, if Live Server runs behind NAT firewall, on the
computer with periodically changing IP address, then outside Media Server may
not always be able to initiate a connection to Live Server. Use dynamic live
broadcast in this case. Use delegate live broadcasts to minimize unicast
traffic over low-bandwidth segments of your network.
If you have Microsoft IIS running on the Media Server computer, then it is
recommended to install IIS extension for streaming (UHTTPProxy). During the
installation please do not change the name of the virtual folder. After the
installation make sure that the IIS virtual folder UHTTPProxy allows anonymous
access. When you have installed IIS extension for streaming, the Media Server
will be able to stream media content over HTTP. With additional
installation of SSL certificate on your IIS you will be able to
stream over HTTPS.
2. Live Server
Live source server should be installed on the computer that has live media
sources attached to it. Live media sources include: digital cameras,
microphones, analog video sources (analog camera or TV) connected to Video card
or to Video Capture card that supports DirectShow interface. There
can be multiple live sources attached to a single computer. Hardware encoding
appliances with DirectShow support are also supported.
Download and run the installation program for Unreal
Live Server . The service named ULiveServer should be running and
listening on TCP port 5120. Use Live Server configuration tool to add and
configure a source for your live media content, such as
camera/microphone/other. You can also configure access restrictions based on
Media Server IP addresses.
It's very important to understand that requests to Live Server will be coming
from Media Server computer, not from the client computers. Media Server will
send requests to Live Server based on "Live Broadcast" settings, configured
with Media Server. In case of static live broadcast, the Media Server will
first initiate a TCP (port 5120) connection to Live Server. Once a connection
is established, the Media Server will send request for live media. In case of
dynamic live broadcast, the Media Server will expect the Live Server to
initiate a connection. Live Server configuration tool allows initiating a
connection to Media Server on configurable TCP port.
The clients should be able to playback the live source, provided they know the
alias of the live source (or IP address of Live Server machine, and live source
ID) and Media Server IP address.
Live Server also allows recording of Audio/Video sources to ASF files, based on
scheduler or motion/beat detection, independently of streaming.
3. Creating a link to media resource
The most comfortable way for the users to access remote media is to click on a
link in the Web browser. Setup of Streaming Media Player registers a custom URL
protocol on user's machine. This is a UMS protocol, allowing launching
Streaming Media Player directly from the hyperlink on the Web page. The person,
who configures the Media Server, is responsible for creation of these links and
putting them to the web pages.
The link can refer only to File, Playlist or Alias of the live
source. Direct access to the live source is not allowed in the link.
Link should consist of 4 parts:
-
"ums:\\" or "ums://".
-
Transport protocol followed by semicolon - TCP,
HTTP, HTTPS, RTP.
-
Media Server IP address followed by backslash. If no port is specified, default
port corresponding to the transport protocol will be used for the connection.
Default TCP port is 5119, default
HTTP port is 80 and default HTTPS port is
443. In case of RTP delivery,
TCP port needs to be specified.
-
Actual media name. In no slash or backslash is found in the name, the name will
be treated as the Alias of the live broadcast. Otherwise: If
the word "playlist\" is found in the name, the name will be treated as a
playlist. Otherwise the name will be treated as filename.
The hyperlink for playing a file might look like this:
<A HREF="ums:\\TCP:207.68.171.244:5127\Media\File.avi">File.avi</A>.
The hyperlink for playing a live broadcast might look like this:
<A HREF="ums:\\HTTP:207.68.171.244\WebCam">WebCam</A>
or like this, if playing on LAN:
<A HREF="ums:\\RTP:207.68.171.244:5127\WebCam">WebCam</A>.
The hyperlink for playing a playlist might look like this:
<A HREF="ums:\\TCP:207.68.171.244:5127\playlist\Media">Media
virtual folder</A>
For previewing local live sources, specify ums:\\localpreview:ID,
where ID is local live source ID.
The part shown in brown is the actual UMS link.
This link can alternatively be used on the local user's machine in two
ways:
Passing it as a parameter to Streaming media player:
StreamingMediaPlayer.exe ums:\\TCP:207.68.171.244:5127\Media\File.avi
Running the link alone:
ums:\\TCP:207.68.171.244:5127\Media\File.avi
In all the described cases Streaming media player will launch and play remote
media.
4. Creating MMS links
MMS links are a lot like UMS links, with the exception of not specifying the
network protocol right before IP address. Media Server Configuration program
allows creating MMS playlists containing MMS links for any virtual folder. Use
MMS links for "Open URL" option in any MMS-capable player.
It is recommended to use forward slashes in MMS links.
Assuming Media Server's port for client connections was changed from default
5119 to 5127,
MMS link for playing a file named "File.avi", residing in virtual fiolder
named "Media", looks like this:
mms://207.68.171.244:5127/media/File.avi
MMS link for playing a live broadcast named "Webcam" looks
like this:
mms://207.68.171.244:5127/WebCam
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