Streaming Live Video

You can stream live video with Roksbox using HTTP Live Streaming (also known as HLS). HLS consists of segmented TS files which are played consecutively from a M3U8 playlist file. If you are creating your own live stream, your live streaming environment must be able to create these segmented TS files, and the continuously updated M3U8 file. For more information about HTTP Live Streaming, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_Live_Streaming.

There are several ways to use HLS in Roksbox, depending on whether you are using an XML file, or the directory structure method.

XML File

If you are using an XML file to display your video information and play your videos, you can include a reference to a M3U8 file within your XML file. Simply include the M3U8 reference within the <path></path> labels in the XML file. For example, to play the NASA live stream, you could include a section in your XML file as follows:

<movie>
<num>0</num>
<title>NASA Live</title>
<origtitle>NASA Live</origtitle>
<aka></aka>
<year>0</year>
<genre>Live</genre>
<mpaa>G</mpaa>
<description>NASA live video feed.</description>
<path>http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/NTV-Public-IPS.m3u8</path>
<poster>images/NASA Live.jpg</poster>
</movie>

The path reference can also be a M3U8 file on your local network, with an address such as <path>http://192.168.1.120:8000/Media/Videos/Live/out.m3u8</path>.

By using a Genre of "Live" in your XML file, Roksbox will display the poster art in landscape format.

Directory Structure Method

If you are using the directory structure method, create an XML file as follows with the extension ".pxml".

Using the NASA live example, you could have a file called "NASA Live.pxml" as follows:

<video>
<title>NASA Live</title>
<year>2010</year>
<genre>Science</genre>
<mpaa>G</mpaa>
<director></director>
<actors></actors>
<description>NASA live video feed.</description>
<length></length>
<videoURL>http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/NTV-Public-IPS.m3u8</videoURL>
</video>

Place this file in a folder called "Live" under your videos folder. This will place this live event under a category called "Live" in Roksbox. Also place your poster art called "NASA Live.jpg" in the same folder. All poster art under the "Live" category will be displayed in landscape format.

Another way to use HLS is to simply put a M3U8 file in a folder under your videos folder. It is recommended to place it in a folder called "Live" directly under your videos folder. Any poster art in this folder will be displayed in landscape format. For example, you could place a file called "out.m3u8" in a folder called "Live" under your videos folder.

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