• Quick Start Guide

    This tutorial will help you to get started using Wowza Media Server® 3.6.

    Contents


    Introduction

    Installation and configuration

    Administration

    Appendix: Streaming concepts

    Introduction


    Wowza Media Server is a high-performance streaming media server for delivering content to the following player technologies and devices:

    • Adobe® HTTP Dynamic Streaming (Adobe HDS). Adobe Flash® Player
    • Apple® HTTP Live Streaming (Apple HLS). iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch®, Safari® browser, QuickTime® player
    • Microsoft® Smooth Streaming. Microsoft Silverlight®
    • *MPEG-DASH streaming. DASH clients.
    • Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP/RTP). QuickTime player, VideoLAN VLC, and many mobile devices
    • MPEG-2 Transport Streams (MPEG-TS). Set-top boxes and IPTV solutions

    * Wowza Media Server 3.6 includes a preview version of MPEG-DASH technology with basic support for streaming live and on-demand video over HTTP to select DASH clients. For more information, see the MPEG-DASH Overview.

    Wowza Media Server includes the following AddOn features:

    • Wowza Transcoder AddOn
    • Wowza nDVR AddOn
    • Wowza DRM AddOn

    For more information about these features and to get the Wowza Media Server User's Guide, go to our Documentation page.

    Wowza Media Server includes some great examples to help you get started. After the server is installed, the examples are located at [install-dir]/examples. For more information about how to install and use the examples, see the [install-dir]/examples/README.html file.

    Note: [install-dir] is the folder to which Wowza Media Server is installed. The installation folder differs based on platform:

    • Windows: %PROGRAMFILES%\Wowza Media Systems\Wowza Media Server [version]
    • Mac OS X: /Library/WowzaMediaServer
    • Linux/Unix: /usr/local/WowzaMediaServer

    For the latest guides, tutorials, and code samples to help you configure and use Wowza Media Server and to get help from Wowza Media Server experts around the world, see the Wowza Media Server Articles and Forums.

    To get free support, either visit the Wowza Media Server Forums or send an email to support@wowza.com. When emailing our Support team, be sure to provide the following information:

    • Wowza Media Server version and build number
    • Last four digits of license key
    • Platform, operating system, and Java version on which Wowza Media Server is running
    • Detailed problem description that includes:
      1. URL of tutorial or instructions being used
      2. Player technology being used (Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, iOS device, set-top box, etc.)
      3. Live encoder/IP camera manufacturer/version and exact encoding settings (live streaming only)
    • We also recommend that you send a compressed (zipped) folder that includes the [install-dir]/logs, [install-dir]/conf, and [install-dir]/transcoder folders from your Wowza Media Server installation. See How to create a compressed zip file in Windows, Mac OS and Linux for instructions to create a ZIP file.

    This guide refers to third-party software that's not licensed, sold, distributed, or otherwise endorsed by Wowza®. You must ensure that any and all use of Wowza software and third-party software is properly licensed.

    Installation and configuration


    Installing Java


    Wowza Media Server is a Java™ 6 (aka 1.6) and Java 7 (aka 1.7) application and requires the installation of Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 6 or later in order to run. To develop server-side applications, Java Development Kit (JDK) version 6 or later is required. The server also implements a Java Management Extensions (JMX) interface that can be used to manage and monitor the server. One of the more popular JMX consoles is JConsole, which is included in the JDK.

    So what does this all mean? If you want to develop server-side applications or monitor a local or remote Wowza Media Server, you must install JDK version 6 (aka 1.6) or later. If you're just deploying Wowza Media Server for production use, then you only need to install JRE version 6 (aka 1.6) or later. We recommend installing the most recent version of the Java JDK or JRE for your platform. Be sure to select the 64-bit Java installer if running on a 64-bit operating system. Java can be downloaded from the Oracle® website.

    To verify that Java 6 (aka 1.6) or Java 7 (aka 1.7) is installed and running properly, open a command prompt and enter the following command:
    Code:
    java -version
    If Java is correctly installed and configured, a version number that's equal to or greater than 1.6 will be returned.

    Installing Wowza Media Server


    Download the software from the Wowza Media Store.

    Windows
    To install Wowza Media Server on Windows® operating systems, double-click the installer file and follow the instructions on the screen. (To find the installer file on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 operating systems, press WIN key + F and then search for WowzaMediaServer-3.6.2.)

    Note: To run Wowza Transcoder AddOn on 64-bit versions of the Windows Server operating system, the following server features must be installed:
    • .NET Framework 3.5.1
    • Desktop Experience

    Mac OS X:
    To install Wowza Media Server on Mac OS X, mount the disk image (double-click .dmg) file, double-click the installer package (.pkg) file, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

    Linux

    On Linux systems, you'll be asked to agree to the Wowza Media Software End User License Agreement ("Wowza Media Software EULA"). The package manager will extract and install the files in the /usr/local/WowzaMediaServer-3.6.2 directory and the server will be installed as the root user.

    Red Hat Package Manager (RPM):
    Open a command shell and enter the following commands:
    Code:
    sudo chmod +x WowzaMediaServer-3.6.2.rpm.bin
sudo ./WowzaMediaServer-3.6.2.rpm.bin
    Debian Package Manager (DEB):
    Open a command shell and enter the following commands:
    Code:
    sudo chmod +x WowzaMediaServer-3.6.2.deb.bin
sudo ./WowzaMediaServer-3.6.2.deb.bin
    TAR Installer (TAR):
    Open a command shell and enter the following commands:
    Code:
    sudo chmod +x WowzaMediaServer-3.6.2.tar.bin
sudo ./WowzaMediaServer-3.6.2.tar.bin

    Starting and stopping the server (standalone)


    Windows

    To start/stop Wowza Media Server on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 operating systems, choose Wowza Startup/Shutdown from the Start menu (Start > All Programs > Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 > Wowza Startup/Shutdown).

    To start/stop Wowza Media Server on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 operating systems, choose Wowza Startup/Shutdown from the Start screen (Start > All Apps > Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 > Wowza Startup/Shutdown).

    The server can also be started from a command prompt. To do this, open a Command Prompt window (press WIN key + R, type cmd in the Run dialog box, and then click OK) and enter the following commands:
    Code:
    cd %WMSAPP_HOME%\bin
startup.bat
    To stop the server, open another Command Prompt window and enter the following commands:
    Code:
    cd %WMSAPP_HOME%\bin
shutdown.bat
    Note: When you start Wowza Media Server in standalone mode on Windows operating systems, a Getting Started webpage is automatically displayed. The webpage can help you to get up-and-running quickly by playing a sample video file from your local Wowza Media Server installation. It also provides links to tutorials and documentation. If you installed Wowza Media Server with a Trial or Developer license, this page will also tell you when your license will expire.

    If you don't want this webpage to be displayed, you can turn it off. See Turning off the Windows Getting Started webpage.

    Mac OS X

    On Mac OS X, the server can be started in standalone mode either by invoking it from the Server Startup script in /Applications/Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 or by opening a terminal window and entering the following commands:
    Code:
    cd /Library/WowzaMediaServer/bin
./startup.sh
    To stop the server, invoke the Server Shutdown script in /Applications/Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 or open another terminal window and enter the following commands:
    Code:
    cd /Library/WowzaMediaServer/bin
./shutdown.sh
    Note: When you start the server in standalone mode for the first time, you'll be asked to enter your license key from your approval email in a terminal window. After you enter your license key in the terminal window, it will be stored in the /Library/WowzaMediaServer/conf/Server.license file.

    Linux

    To start the server in standalone mode on Linux, open a command shell and then enter the following commands:
    Code:
    cd /usr/local/WowzaMediaServer/bin
./startup.sh
    To stop the server, open a command shell and enter:
    Code:
    cd /usr/local/WowzaMediaServer/bin
./shutdown.sh
    Note: When you start the server in standalone mode for the first time, you'll be asked to enter your license key from your approval email in a terminal window. After you enter your license key in the terminal window, it will be stored in the /usr/local/WowzaMediaServer/conf/Server.license file.

    Note: When Wowza Media Server is running in standalone mode, the server won't return to the command prompt and will log informational, warning, and error messages to the console window. Wowza Media Server will log the statement INFO server comment - Wowza Media Server is started! when it's ready to accept streaming connections.

    Starting and stopping the server (system service)


    Windows

    To start the server as a Windows service:
    1. Open the Services MMC snap-in (press WIN key + R, type services.msc in the Run dialog box, and then click OK).
    2. In the Services MMC snap-in, right-click Wowza Media Server 3.6.2, and then click Start.

    To stop the Wowza Media Server service:
    1. Open the Services MMC snap-in (press WIN key + R, type services.msc in the Run dialog box, and then click OK).
    2. In the Services MMC snap-in, right-click Wowza Media Server 3.6.2, and then click Stop.


    Mac OS X

    To start the server as a Mac OS X launchd service, open a terminal window and enter the following command:
    Code:
    sudo launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.wowza.WowzaMediaServer.plist
    To stop the service, open a terminal window and enter:
    Code:
    sudo launchctl unload -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.wowza.WowzaMediaServer.plist
    Linux

    To start the server as a Linux service, open a command prompt and then enter one of the following commands (the commands differ based on your Linux distribution):
    Code:
    /sbin/service WowzaMediaServer start
    -or-
    Code:
    /etc/init.d/WowzaMediaServer start
    To stop the service, open a command prompt and then enter one of the following commands:
    Code:
    /sbin/service WowzaMediaServer stop
    -or-
    Code:
    /etc/init.d/WowzaMediaServer stop
    Note: To configure the service to start on reboot (Fedora and RedHat), ppen a command prompt and enter the following command:
    Code:
    chkconfig --level 345 WowzaMediaServer on
    If your platform doesn't support chkconfig, see your Linux distro documentation.

    Ports used for streaming


    By default, Wowza Media Server uses the following ports for streaming. You must open the following ports in your firewall to enable streaming.
    • TCP 1935: RTMP (all variants), RTSP, WOWZ™
    • TCP 8084-8085: JMX/JConsole monitoring and administration
    • TCP 8086: HTTP administration
    • UDP 6970-9999: RTP UDP Streaming

    By default, Wowza Media Server binds to TCP port 1935 for all forms of streaming. To configure additional ports for streaming, use a text editor to add additional port numbers to the HostPortList/HostPort/Port comma-separated list of ports in the [install-dir]/conf/VHost.xml file. Make sure that there are no other applications or software running on your server that also use the ports that you want to open. The following list shows some of the common ports used for streaming:
    • TCP 80: Apple HTTP Live Streaming (Apple HLS), Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming (Adobe HDS), Microsoft Smooth Streaming, MPEG-DASH streaming, RTMPT
    • TCP 443: RTMPS, HTTPS
    • TCP 554: RTSP

    Note: Wowza Media Server can't share the same TCP ports with other applications.

    How to verify Wowza Media Server is running


    To verify that Wowza Media Server is running, open a web browser and enter the following URL:

    http://[wowza-ip-address]:1935

    Where [wowza-ip-address] is the IP address of the Wowza Media Server. It should return the Wowza Media Server version number. If not, make sure that the server is running and that TCP port 1935 is open on your router, firewall, and/or software firewall (iptables on Linux).

    A quick streaming test


    By default, the installer creates a simple video on demand (VOD) application that enables you to quickly test to see if Wowza Media Server is running properly and can serve content.

    Play using Adobe Flash Player (RTMP)

    1. Double-click [install-dir]/examples/VideoOnDemandStreaming/FlashRTMPPlayer/player.html.
    2. In Server, enter rtmp://[wowza-ip-address]/vod.
    3. In Stream, enter mp4:sample.mp4.
    4. Click the Connect button.

    The player will start playing the sample.mp4 sample video file.

    Installing examples


    After you have installed Wowza Media Server, you can install the example streaming applications by using the following instructions:

    Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008

    Select: Start > All Programs > Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 > Examples
    Double-click: installall.bat.

    Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012

    Select: Start > All Apps > Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 > Examples
    Double-click: installall.bat.

    Mac OS X

    Open folder: /Library/WowzaMediaServer/example
    Double-click: installall.command.

    Linux

    Open a command shell and enter the following commands:
    Code:
    cd /usr/local/WowzaMediaServer/examples
./installall.sh
    Note: See the README.html file in the examples root folder ([install-dir]/examples/README.html) for detailed information.

    Entering a new license key


    License keys for all Wowza products, including Wowza Media Server and AddOns, are stored in the [install-dir]/conf/Server.license file.
    • %WMSCONFIG_HOME%\conf\Server.license
      - Windows
    • /Library/WowzaMediaServer/conf/Server.license
      - Mac OS X
    • /usr/local/WowzaMediaServer/conf/Server.license
      - Linux/Unix

    Trial, Daily, and Monthly Edition subscribers will have a single license key while Perpetual Edition users may have more than one key to enable purchased AddOns.

    To add a license key, open the Server.license file in a text editor and enter each new license key on a new line. When the standalone server is restarted, the new license will be in effect. The licenses are additive, so when adding additional licenses, be sure to retain the original license information in the file and add each new license key on its own new line. The order in which the keys are listed isn't important. The first and last five digits of the license key are displayed in the console window.

    The following is an example Server.license file for a Perpetual Edition user with a Wowza Media Server license key, two Wowza Transcoder AddOn license keys, and one Wowza nDVR AddOn license key:

    SVRP3-LaGpC-ZrTD9-F4Y3S-a9bR2-h5t3C
    TRN23-Ry6qe-4mT8J-yKj2W-4N5sH-2Td3a
    TRN13-y9Gj2-kneqT-2zjHp-GadzB-N6fwa
    DVRA3-k3r3R-nzxCB-ypjs5-Sk3y9-ahFdF

    Turning off the Windows Getting Started webpage


    When you start Wowza Media Server in standalone mode on Window operating systems, a Getting Started webpage is automatically displayed. The webpage can help you to get up-and-running quickly by playing a sample video file from your local Wowza Media Server installation. It also provides links to tutorials and documentation. If you installed Wowza Media Server with a Trial or Developer license, this page will also tell you when your license will expire.

    If you don't want this page to be displayed, do the following (this procedure requires administrative permissions):

    1. Shutdown Wowza Media Server.
      • Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 (Start > All Apps > Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 > Wowza Shutdown)
      • Windows 7 / Windows Server 2008 (Start > All Programs > Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 > Wowza Shutdown)

    2. Make a copy of [install-dir]/bin/startup.bat and rename this file to [install-dir]/bin/startup.bak. The startup.bak file retains a copy of the original batch file settings.

    3. In a text editor, open startup.bat and comment-out or delete the following lines:
      rem display trial page with sample clients
      WowzaInfo.exe

    4. Save the updated startup.bat file. If permissions prevent you from saving directly to [install-dir]/bin, copy the file to another location (such as your desktop) and then copy the file from that location to [install-dir]/bin.


    If you have problems, you can restore startup.bat to its original state by using the content in startup.bak.

    Administration


    Logging


    Wowza Media Server log files are written to [install-dir]/logs. The default logging level (INFO) enables monitoring and aids in troubleshooting most issues while adding minimal load to the server. When working with Wowza Media Systems to troubleshoot an issue, you may be asked to temporarily turn on debug logging (increase the amount of information written to the logs). To do this, open [install-dir]/conf/log4j.properties in a text editor and change the log level on the first line from INFO to DEBUG. Debug logging shouldn't be used in a production environment due to its increased load on the server.

    Server tuning


    Wowza Media Server is tuned for development by default. If Wowza Media Server will be used in a production environment, you must tune the server. For up-to-date tuning instructions, see Performance Tuning.

    Management and monitoring (JMX and JConsole)


    Wowza Media Server uses Java Management Extensions (JMX) and JConsole for server management and monitoring. JMX is a protocol used for managing a Java-based server. JConsole is an application that ships with the Sun Java Development Kit (JDK) and uses the JMX protocol to manage a Java-based server.

    Enable JMX in Wowza Media Server

    To enable the JMX interface, you must modify settings in the [install-dir]/conf/Server.xml configuration file. Open Server.xml in a text editor and find the following lines:
    Code:
    <Root>
    <Server>
        <JMXRemoteConfiguration>
            <Enable>false</Enable>
            <IpAddress>localhost</IpAddress>
            <RMIServerHostName>localhost</RMIServerHostName>
    Change the Enable setting to true.

    Change the IpAddress and RMIServerHostName settings to the IP address of the Wowza Media Server. If you're running Wowza Media Server locally, leave it as localhost, but if it's a remote server, change it to that server's IP address. You can use a domain name.
    Code:
    <Root>
    <Server>
        <JMXRemoteConfiguration>
            <Enable>true</Enable>
            <IpAddress>[server-ip-address]</IpAddress>
            <RMIServerHostName>[server-ip-address]</RMIServerHostName>
    If the server is behind a NAT (network address translation) firewall, then IpAddress should be set to the internal IP address (or localhost) and RMIServerHostName should be set to the external IP address, as shown below:
    Code:
    <Root>
    <Server>
        <JMXRemoteConfiguration>
            <Enable>true</Enable>
            <IpAddress>[internal-ip-address]</IpAddress> <!-- set to localhost or internal ip address if behind NAT -->
            <RMIServerHostName>[external-ip-address]</RMIServerHostName> <!-- set to external ip address or domain name if behind NAT -->
    Restart Wowza Media Server, open the access log ([install-dir]/logs/wowzamediaserver_access.log), and check the startup lines. Look for a JMX bind attempt followed by a service URL. For example:
    Code:
    service:jmx:rmi://localhost:8084/jndi/rmi://localhost:8085/jmxrmi
    -or-
    Code:
    service:jmx:rmi://[wowza-ip-address]:8084/jndi/rmi://[wowza-ip-address]:8085/jmxrmi
    Connecting to Wowza Media Server using JConsole

    JConsole is included with the Sun JDK. Install the latest JDK, if you don't already have it, and then find JConsole in the JDK installation directory: [java-install-dir]/bin/JConsole.exe

    If Wowza Media Server is installed on your Windows or Mac OS X computer, you can start JConsole with the JConsole Startup item in the Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 menu group.

    With JConsole open, click Remote Process, enter the Service URL into the box, enter username admin and password admin, and then click the Connect button.

    When first connected, you'll see graphs for memory and CPU usage. On the MBean tab, expand the WowzaMediaServerPro node to view all of the attributes and operations that are available through JConsole and the JMX interface.

    Not all Wowza objects are included by default. In the [install-dir]/conf/Server.xml file, take a look at /AdminInterface /ObjectList, and the comment above it. The ObjectList defines what can be monitored in JConsole and the comment above it shows all of the available objects.
    Code:
    <AdminInterface>
	<!-- Objects exposed through JMX interface: Server, VHost, VHostItem, Application, ApplicationInstance, MediaCaster, Module, Client, MediaStream, SharedObject, Acceptor, IdleWorker -->
	<ObjectList>Server,VHost,VHostItem,Application,ApplicationInstance,MediaCaster,Module,IdleWorker</ObjectList>
</AdminInterface>
    You can add Client and MediaStream objects, for example, if you want to look at that level of detail in JConsole. You must restart Wowza Media Server after changes to Server.xml.

    Appendix: Streaming concepts


    Application configuration


    To begin using Wowza Media Server, first create an application. An application is defined simply by creating a folder in the [install-dir]/applications folder. For example, to create a new application named myapplication, create the following folder:

    [install-dir]/applications/myapplication

    The application is now ready to use for simple video on demand streaming. It will use the following default configuration file that's located in the [install-dir]/conf folder:

    [install-dir]/conf/Application.xml (default configuration file)

    To give an application its own Application.xml file instead of using the default configuration file, create a folder with the same name in the [install-dir]/conf folder and copy the default configuration file to the new folder:

    [install-dir]/conf/myapplication/Application.xml (configuration file for myapplication)

    Note: It's a common mistake to put the Application.xml file in the [install-dir]/applications/[application] folder. All configuration files for Wowza Media Server and its applications are in the [install-dir]/conf folder.

    A single application can be configured to deliver a live or video on demand stream to Adobe Flash Player; Microsoft Silverlight; an Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch device; and an RTSP/RTP-based player at the same time.

    For more information about the configuration items defined in Application.xml, see the Wowza Media Server User's Guide.

    Stream types


    In Wowza Media Server, MediaStreams represent an incoming or outgoing stream of video, audio, or metadata. Wowza Media Server provides a mechanism for defining custom server-side MediaStream implementations or stream types. These stream types are configured using the Streams/StreamType property in the Application.xml file. The following list shows the more commonly used stream types and their intended use (for a complete list, see the Wowza Media Server User's Guide):
    • default: Video on demand streaming of static Flash media, H.264/AAC, and MP3 content
    • record: Video recording
    • live: Publish and play live video content (best for one-to-many streaming of live events)
    • live-lowlatency: Publish and play live video content (best for one-to-one or one-to-few video/audio chat applications)
    • live-record: Same as live, plus content is recorded
    • shoutcast: Audio re-streaming of a SHOUTcast/Icecast MP3 or AAC+ audio stream
    • shoutcast-record: Same as shoutcast, plus content is recorded
    • liverepeater-origin: Origin stream type used by live stream repeater to deliver a single stream in an origin/edge configuration
    • liverepeater-edge: Edge stream type used by live stream repeater to deliver a single stream in origin/edge configuration
    • rtp-live: Re-streaming of an RTSP/RTP, native RTP, or MPEG-TS stream
    • rtp-live-record: Same as rtp-live, plus content is recorded


    Supported media


    Wowza Media Server supports the following media file formats: FLV (Flash Video), MP4 (QuickTime container), and MP3. (See the list below for common file extensions.) To play video on demand content, the proper prefix must be prepended to the file name to create a stream name. For example, to play the MP4 file mycoolvideo.mov, use the stream name mp4:mycoolvideo.mov. The following list shows the more common file type prefixes (for a complete list, see the Wowza Media Server User's Guide):
    • flv: FLV (Flash Video) This is the default media type so the file name prefix and extension can be omitted.
      Example: "flv:mycoolvideo.flv"

    • mp4: MP4 (QuickTime container) .mp4, .f4v, .mov, .m4v, .mp4a, .3gp, and .3g2).
      Example: "mp4:mycoolvideo.mov"

    • mp3: MP3 (.mp3)
      Example: "mp3:mycoolsong.mp3"

    • smil: SMIL (XML file used to configure adaptive bitrate streams - .smil).


    Content storage


    Wowza Media Server is configured by default to use a single content directory that's located at [install-dir]/content. You can change the default content location for an application by changing the Streams/StorageDir property in Application.xml to the desired content path.

    Wowza Media Server for Amazon EC2


    Wowza Media Systems has teamed with Amazon Web Services to make billing quick, easy, and secure for the combination of Wowza Media Server machine time with various Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances and bandwidth. For more information, see:


    Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP - Adobe Flash Player)


    Wowza Media Server can stream adaptive bitrate live and video on demand content to Adobe Flash Player over RTMP. Wowza Media Server is a great alternative to Adobe Media Server. It supports media streaming and other features such as shared objects, video recording, video chat, remote procedure calls, and more. Wowza Media Server supports all video and audio formats that Adobe Flash Player supports:
    Video
    • H.264
    • On2 VP6
    • Sorenson Spark
    • Screen video and Screen video 2

    Audio
    • AAC, AAC Low Complexity (AAC LC), AAC High Efficiency (HE-AAC) v1 and v2
    • MP3
    • Speex
    • Nellymoser Asao

    Adobe Flash Player is a cross-browser, cross-platform technology that exists on many personal computing and mobile devices. The Adobe Flash plugin runs SWF files that are generated by Flash authoring tools such as the Adobe Flash authoring tool and Adobe Flex. ActionScript® is the most common Flash programming language. Using ActionScript, an SWF file can be programmed to do many things within a webpage including playback of streaming media.

    Wowza Media Server and Adobe Flash Player communicate using a NetConnection object and media is streamed using a NetStream object. The NetConnection.connect method is used to establish a connection between Wowza Media Server and Adobe Flash Player. It takes an RTMP URL in the following form:

    [protocol-method]://[wowza-ip-address]/[application]/[application-instance]

    where:

    • [protocol-method]: rtmp, rtmpe (encryption), rtmpt (tunneling), rtmpte (encryption and tunneling), or rtmps (tunneling over SSL)
    • [wowza-ip-address]: IP address or domain name and port of Wowza Media Server (default port 1935)
    • [application]: Application name
    • [application-instance]: Application instance name (if omitted, defaults to _definst_)

    For example, to connect to a Wowza Media Server at the address mycompany.com, using the application name myapplication, the URL to use in the NetConnection.connect method is:

    rtmp://mycompany.com/myapplication

    The NetStream.play method is used to start streaming. It takes as its first argument a stream name. For example, to play the media file mycoolvideo.mov, you would use the stream name mp4:mycoolvideo.mov. Some pre-built players combine the server connection URL used in the NetConnection.connect method and the stream name used in the NetStream.play method into a single URL. This URL takes the form:

    [protocol-method]://[wowza-ip-address]/[application]/[application-instance]/[stream-name]

    For example, to connect to a Wowza Media Server at the address mycompany.com, using the application name myapplication to play the video on-demand file named mycoolvideo.mov, the URL is:

    rtmp://mycompany.com/myapplication/mp4:mycoolvideo.mov

    For more information about Flash streaming, including secure streaming using SecureToken and RTMPE and adaptive bitrate streaming, see the Wowza Media Server User's Guide.

    Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS - Adobe Flash Player)


    Wowza Media Server can stream adaptive bitrate live and video on-demand content to Flash Player 10.1 or later using the Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS) protocol. Adobe HDS is a chunk-based streaming protocol that uses HTTP for delivery. All media-chunking and packaging necessary to deliver a stream using this protocol is performed by Wowza Media Server. Adobe HDS is referred to as "San Jose" streaming in Wowza Media Server configuration files. When streaming video on demand content, Wowza Media Server supports MP4 files (QuickTime container) and MP3 files. FLV files aren't supported.

    Adobe HDS streaming leverages an XML manifest file to describe the list of chunks available for streaming. An Adobe HDS streaming playlist URL has the following form:

    http://[wowza-ip-address]/[application]/[application-instance]/[stream-name]/manifest.f4m

    where:

    • [wowza-ip-address]: IP address or domain name and port of the Wowza Media Server (default port 1935)
    • [application]: Application name
    • [application-instance]: Application instance name (if omitted, defaults to _definst_)
    • [stream-name]: Stream name with stream prefix


    For example, to play the video on demand file mycoolvideo.mov located on the Wowza Media Server at the address mycompany.com, using the application name myapplication, the URL is:

    http://mycompany.com:1935/myapplication/mp4:mycoolvideo.mov/manifest.f4m

    Wowza Media Server currently supports the following video and audio codecs when using this streaming protocol:
    Video
    • H.264
    • On2 VP6 (live only)
    • Screen video and Screen video 2 (live only)
    • Sorenson Spark (live only)

    Audio
    • AAC, AAC Low Complexity (AAC LC), AAC High Efficiency (HE-AAC) v1 and v2
    • MP3
    • Nellymoser Asao (live only)
    • Speex (live only)

    Adobe HDS streaming requires a Flash-based player that's built using the Open Source Media Framework (OSMF). Wowza Media Server ships with several OSMF-based players in the examples folder:
    • [install-dir]/examples/VideoOnDemandStreaming/FlashHTTPPlayer/player.html
    • [install-dir]/examples/LiveVideoStreaming/FlashHTTPPlayer/player.html


    Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS - iPhone, iPad, iPod touch)


    Wowza Media Server can stream adaptive bitrate live and video on demand H.264, AAC, and MP3 content to iOS based devices (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch iOS version 3.0 or greater), QuickTime player (version 10 or greater), Safari browser (version 4.0 or greater), and other devices such as the Roku® and Amino set-top boxes and some brands of smart TVs using the Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol. Apple HLS is a chunk-based streaming protocol that uses HTTP for delivery. All media-chunking and packaging necessary to deliver a stream using this protocol is performed by Wowza Media Server. Apple HLS is referred to as "Cupertino" streaming in Wowza Media Server configuration files.

    Apple HLS streaming leverages a playlist wrapper to describe the list of chunks available for streaming. An Apple HLS streaming playlist URL has the following form:

    http://[wowza-ip-address]/[application]/[application-instance]/[stream-name]/playlist.m3u8

    where:

    • [wowza-ip-address]: IP address or domain name and port of the Wowza Media Server (default port 1935)
    • [application]: Application name
    • [application-instance]: Application instance name (if omitted, defaults to _definst_)
    • [stream-name]: Stream name with stream prefix

    For example, to play the video on demand file mycoolvideo.mov located on the Wowza Media Server at the address mycompany.com, using the application name myapplication, the URL is:

    http://mycompany.com:1935/myapplication/mp4:mycoolvideo.mov/playlist.m3u8

    The iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (iOS devices) and Apple TV® digital media extender support the following media formats:
    Video
    • H.264

    Audio
    • AAC, AAC Low Complexity (AAC LC), High Efficiency AAC (HE-AAC) v1
    • Dolby® Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (AC-3) and Dolby Digital Plus (Enhanced AC-3 or E-AC-3)
    • MP3

    The iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch don't support HE-AAC v2.

    For more information about Apple HLS streaming, including secure streaming using AES-128 encryption and adaptive bitrate streaming, see the Wowza Media Server User's Guide.

    Microsoft Smooth Streaming (Microsoft Silverlight)


    Wowza Media Server can stream adaptive bitrate live and video on demand H.264, AAC, and MP3 content to Microsoft Silverlight, Windows Phone devices, and other devices using the Microsoft Smooth Streaming protocol. Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform technology that exists on many personal computing devices. Smooth Streaming is a chunk-based streaming protocol that uses HTTP for delivery. All media chunking and packaging necessary to deliver a stream using this protocol is performed by Wowza Media Server so there's no need for an IIS web server.

    Smooth Streaming leverages a playlist wrapper (called a manifest) to describe the list of chunks that are available for streaming. A Smooth Streaming manifest URL has the following form:

    http://[wowza-ip-address]/[application]/[application-instance]/[stream-name]/Manifest

    where:

    • [wowza-ip-address]: IP address or domain name and port of the Wowza Media Server (default port 1935)
    • [application]: Application name
    • [application-instance]: Application instance name (if omitted, defaults to _definst_)
    • [stream-name]: Stream name with stream prefix

    For example, to play the video on-demand file mycoolvideo.mov, located on the Wowza Media Server at the address mycompany.com, using the application name myapplication, the URL is:

    http://mycompany.com:1935/myapplication/mp4:mycoolvideo.mov/Manifest

    The following media formats can be used when streaming to Silverlight using Wowza Media Server:
    Video
    • H.264

    Audio
    • AAC, AAC Low Complexity (AAC LC), AAC High Efficiency (HE-AAC) v1 and v2
    • Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (AC-3) and Dolby Digital Plus (Enhanced AC-3 or E-AC-3)
    • MP3

    For more information about Smooth Streaming, including adaptive bitrate streaming, see the Wowza Media Server User's Guide.

    RTSP/RTP/MPEG-TS (QuickTime, VLC, mobile devices, set-top boxes, encoders)


    Wowza Media Server can stream live H.264, AAC, and MP3 content to players and devices that support the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), and MPEG-2 Transport Stream protocol (MPEG-2 TS). This includes players and devices such as QuickTime player (version 10 or greater), VideoLAN VLC player, set-top boxes, and 3GPP devices. Wowza Media Server can also accept incoming streams from encoding devices that use these protocols. Wowza Media Server supports RTP and MPEG-2 TS input and output over UDP as well as multicast. In addition, Wowza Media Server supports interleaved RTSP/RTP (RTP over the RTSP TCP connection) and RTSP/RTP tunneling (RTSP/RTP over HTTP), which enables RTSP/RTP to be delivered in network environments that don't allow UDP transmission.

    An RTSP/RTP URL in Wowza Media Server has the following form:

    rtsp://[wowza-ip-address]/[application]/[application-instance]/[stream-name]

    where:

    • [wowza-ip-address]: IP address or domain name and port of the Wowza Media Server (default port 1935)
    • [application]: Application name
    • [application-instance]: Application instance name (if omitted, defaults to _definst_)
    • [stream-name]: Stream name with stream prefix


    For example, to play the live stream with the stream name mylivestream, located on the Wowza Media Server at the address mycompany.com, using the application name myapplication, the URL is:

    rtsp://mycompany.com:1935/myapplication/mylivestream

    For more information about Real Time Streaming Protocol streaming, including support for RTSP/RTP/MPEG-TS encoders, see the Wowza Media Server User's Guide.

    MPEG-DASH streaming (DASH clients)


    Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH), also known as MPEG-DASH, is a new international standard for adaptive streaming that's being adopted by the streaming industry. Wowza Media Server 3.6 includes a preview version of MPEG-DASH technology with basic support for streaming live and on-demand video over HTTP to select DASH clients. The preview version of MPEG-DASH technology in Wowza Media Server 3.6 doesn't support all of the features that are defined in the MPEG-DASH standard. It currently supports a subset of the available chunk-addressing schemes, container formats, and content-encoding formats for live and on-demand streaming. Wowza will continue to develop MPEG-DASH streaming features in subsequent releases of Wowza Media Server to meet industry needs. For more information, see the MPEG-DASH Overview.

    Wowza Transcoder AddOn


    Wowza Transcoder AddOn is a real time video transcoding and transrating solution in Wowza Media Server. It can decode and re-encode audio and video in multiple formats with properly aligned key frames for adaptive bitrate delivery. The following are some common scenarios:
    • Transcode: Ingests a non-H.264 video and non-AAC/MP3 audio media stream and converts it to a set of H.263 or H.264 AAC adaptive bitrate media streams with properly aligned key frames.
    • Transrate: Ingests an H.264 video and AAC/MP3 audio stream and creates a full set of bitrate renditions that are key frame aligned to the source stream for adaptive bitrate delivery.
    • Audio-only: Ingests an H.264 video and Speex audio stream from Adobe Flash Player and converts the Speex audio format to AAC to make the stream compatible with additional player technologies.

    Wowza Transcoder AddOn supports the following video and audio formats:
    Video (decoding)
    • H.264
    • MPEG-2
    • MPEG-4 Part 2

    Video (encoding)
    • H.263v2
    • H.264

    Audio (decoding)
    • AAC
    • G.711 (µ-law and A-law)
    • MPEG-1 Layer 1/2
    • MPEG-3
    • Speex

    Audio (encoding)
    • AAC

    For more information about Wowza Transcoder AddOn, see the Wowza Transcoder AddOn User's Guide and the Wowza Transcoder Forum.

    Wowza nDVR AddOn


    Wowza nDVR AddOn provides the ability to record a live stream with Wowza Media Server while simultaneously allowing users to play, pause, resume, and rewind the recorded stream. Custom configuration allows control over the archive strategy and availability of your recorded streams. Setup for client playback of recorded streams is similar to playback of live streams from Wowza Media Server.

    For more information about Wowza nDVR AddOn, see the Wowza nDVR AddOn User's Guide and the Wowza nDVR Forum.

    Wowza DRM AddOn


    Wowza DRM AddOn provides integration with third party Digital Rights Management (DRM) Key Management Systems (KMS) to add on-the-fly encryption for live and video on demand workflows. For live workflows, per-stream encryption is available with the ability to rotate keys. For on-demand workflows, per-asset and per-session encryption is available with the ability to rotate keys. Both live and video on demand key rotation support is available for Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS).

    For more information about Wowza DRM AddOn, see the Wowza DRM online tutorials and the Wowza DRM Forum.

    Updated: For Wowza Media Server 3.6.2 on 06-10-2013