An example of stream convertion to HLS and playing it in browser using VideoJS

The player

Table of Contents

Overview

The example shows how to convert stream published on WCS server to HLS and play it in browser using VideoJS library. HLS stream cut starts automatically when strea is requested by HLS URL, for example example `https://demotest1.flashphoner.com:8445/test/test.m3u8` on the screenshot below.

The example allows to choose VideoJS version to play. VideoJS 8 supports Low Latency HLS if server allows to play this format

Image Added

Since build 2.0.244, the example supports the following parameters:

version - VideoJS version to use: videojs7 or videojs8
src - stream full HLS URL to play, should be encoded with URI, for example https%3A%2F%2Ftest1.

...

flashphoner.com%3A8445%2Ftest%2Ftest.m3u8
autoplay - automatically play the HLS URL, in this case all the input fields and buttons are hidden: false (by default) or true

The player URL example with parameters as displayed on the screenshot above (the link is available in Permalink field)

Code Block

theme	RDark

https://test1.flashphoner.com:8444/client2/examples/demo/streaming/hls-player/hls-player.html?version=videojs7&src=https%3A%2F%2Ftest1.flashphoner.com%3A8445%2Ftest%2Ftest.m3u8

The player URL example with autoplay enabled

Code Block

theme	RDark

https://test1.flashphoner.com:8444/client2/examples/demo/streaming/hls-player/hls-player.html?version=videojs7&src=https%3A%2F%2Ftest1.flashphoner.com%3A8445%2Ftest%2Ftest.m3u8&autoplay=true

In this case the stream should be played automatically with audio muted. A viewer should use a loud slider in the player interface to unmute audio.

The code of the example

The source code can be accessed on server by the following path:

...

hls-player.css - player page styles file
video-js.css - HLS player styles file
hls-player.html - player page
hls-player.js - player launch script
player-page.html - common player page elements for three HLS playback examples

The videojs7 and videojs8 subfolders contain two VideoJS versions respectively:

video.js - the player library script (http://videojs.com/, Apache License Version 2.0)
videojs-hlsvideo.min.js - the player library script (minimized)
video-js.css - the player library styles file

The example can be tested using the fiollowing URL:

https://host:88888444/client2/examples/demo/streaming/hls-player/hls-player.html

Where host is WCS server address

Analyzing the code

...

Toanalize To analyze the code get hls-player.js file version with hash 51703a21703e13, which is available available here and can be downloaded in build build 2.0.5.28.2753.141.

1. A server HLS URL detection

getHLSUrl() .244.

1. Loading the player page

code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const loadPlayerPage = function() {
    if (videojsVersion) {
        hideItem("videojsInputForm");
        loadVideoJS("videojs" + videojsVersion);
    } else {
        let videojsInput = document.getElementById("videojsInput");
        for (videojsType in VIDEOJS_VERSION_TYPE) {
            let option = document.createElement("option");
            let videojsFolder = "";
            switch (videojsType) {
                case 'VIDEOJS7':
                    videojsFolder = VIDEOJS_VERSION_TYPE.VIDEOJS7;
                    break;
                case 'VIDEOJS8':
                    videojsFolder = VIDEOJS_VERSION_TYPE.VIDEOJS8;
                    break;
            }
            option.text = videojsFolder;
            option.value = videojsFolder;
            videojsInput.appendChild(option);
        }

        setHandler("videojsBtn", "click", onVideojsBtnClick);
    }
}

2. Loading the VideoJS chosen version

code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

function initPage(const loadVideoJS = function (version) {
    if (version) {
    $    let playerPage = document.getElementById("#headerplayerPage");
        loadFile(version + "/video.js", "text/javascript").then( data  => {
            console.log("HLS VideoJSlibrary Playerloaded Minimalsuccessfully", data);
           $("#urlServer").val(getHLSUrl());
    ...
}

2. Player initialization

videojs() code

...

 loadFile(version + "/video-js.css", "stylesheet").then ( data => {
                console.log("HLS library stylesheet loaded successfully", data);
                hideItem("videojsInputForm");
                loadPage("player-page.html", "playerPage", initPage );
            }).catch( err => {
                playerPage.innerHTML = "Can't load VideoJS library stylesheet";
                playerPage.setAttribute("class", "text-danger");
                console.error(err);
            })
        }).catch( err => {
            setText("videojsError", "Can't load VideoJS library");
            console.error(err);
        });
    }
}

3. The player HTML page initializing

code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const initPage = function initPage(() {
    if (playSrc) {
        setValue("fullLink", decodeURIComponent(playSrc));
    } else if (autoplay) {
    ...    console.warn("No HLS URL set, autoplay disabled");
        autoplay = false;
    }
    varlet remoteVideo = document.getElementById('remoteVideo');
    if (autoplay) {
      remoteVideo.className = "video-js vjs-default-skin";
    player = videojs(remoteVideo);
}

3. Stream name detection (the stream should be published to server

...

  // There should not be any visible item on the page unless player
        hideAllToAutoplay();
        // The player should use all available page width
        setUpPlayerItem(true);
        // The player should be muted to automatically start playback
        player = initVideoJsPlayer(remoteVideo, true);
        playBtnClick();
    } else {
        // No autoplay, all the forms and buttons should be visible
        setText("header", "HLS VideoJS Player Minimal");
        displayCommonItems();
        setUpButtons();
        enablePlaybackStats();
        // The player should have a maximum fixed size
        setUpPlayerItem(false);
        // The player can be unmuted because user should click Play button
        player = initVideoJsPlayer(remoteVideo, false);
    }
}

4. Player initializing

videojs() code

The following parameters are passed to the player:

video - div tag to play the stream on the page
playsinline: true - play a video on the page without automatic full screen switching (ignored in iOS Safari)
playbackRates - playback rates list
liveui: true - enables rewind (DVR) interface
liveTracker - live playback thresholds setup
fill: true - scale the player to div tag dimensions

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const initVideoJsPlayer = function playBtnClick() {
    if (validateForm(video, muted) {
    let videoJsPlayer = null;
    if (video) {
        video.className = "video-js vjs-default-skin";
        videoJsPlayer = videojs(video, {
            playsinline: true,
            playbackRates: [0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2],
            liveui: true,
            liveTracker: {
                trackingThreshold: LIVE_THRESHOLD,
                liveTolerance: LIVE_TOLERANCE
            },
            fill: true,
            muted: muted
        });
        console.log("Using VideoJs " + videojs.VERSION);
        if (Browser.isSafariWebRTC() && Browser.isiOS()) {
            //  var streamNameiOS hack when using standard controls to leave fullscreen mode
            let videoTag = $getActualVideoTag('#playStream').val(););
            if(videoTag) {
        streamName = encodeURIComponent(streamName);        setWebkitFullscreenHandlers(videoTag, false);
            }
        ...}
    }
    return videoJsPlayer;
}

45. HLS stream URL forming and player launchingplayer.play

encodeURIComponent() code

If authentication key and token are set, they will be inclueded included to stream URL

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

function playBtnClick(const getVideoSrc = function(src) {
    let videoSrc = src;
    if (validateForm()) {
        let  ...
streamName = getValue('playStream');
         varstreamName = encodeURIComponent(streamName);
        videoSrc = $getValue("#urlServerurlServer").val() + '/' + streamName + '/' + streamName + '.m3u8';
        varlet key = $getValue('#keykey').val();
        varlet token = $getValue("#tokentoken").val();
        if (key.length > 0 && token.length > 0) {
            videoSrc += "?" + key + "=" + token;
        }
    }
    setValue("fullLink", videoSrc);
    return videoSrc;
}

6. Player launching

player.on(), player.play() code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const playBtnClick = function() {
    let videoSrc = getVideoSrc(getValue("fullLink"));
    if (videoSrc) {
        player.on('loadedmetadata', function() {
            console.log("Play with VideoJs");
            player.play();
        });
        ...
        player.src({
            src: videoSrc,
            type: "application/vnd.apple.mpegurl"
        });
        onStarted();
    }
}

7. playing event handler

player.on() code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const playBtnClick = function() {
     let videoSrc = getVideoSrc(getValue("fullLink"));
     if (videoSrc) {
         ...
        player.on('playing', function() {
            console.log("playing event fired");
            displayPermalink(videoSrc);
            if (player.liveTracker) {
                if (!player.liveTracker.isLive()) {
                    // A cratch to display live UI for the first subscriber
                    liveUIDisplay();
                }
                if (player.liveTracker.atLiveEdge()) {
                    // Unlock backward buttons when seeked to live edge
                    toggleBackButtons(true);
                    // Stop live UI startup timer
                    stopLiveUITimer();
                }
            }
        });
        ...
    }
}

8. Enable rewind (DVR) interface for the first subscriber

player.liveTracker.seekToLiveEdge() code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const liveUIDisplay = function() {
    stopLiveUITimer()
    if (player && player.liveTracker) {
        liveUITimer = setInterval(function("Play with VideoJs");) {
            if (!player.liveTracker.isLive() && player.liveTracker.liveWindow() > LIVE_THRESHOLD) {
                // Live UI is not displayed yet, seek to live edge to display
                player.liveTracker.seekToLiveEdge();
            }
        }, LIVE_UI_INTERVAL)
    }
}

9. Rewind button click action

player.seekable(), player.currentTime() code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const backBtnClick = function(event) {
    if (player != null && player.liveTracker) {
        toggleBackButtons(false);
        let seekable = player.seekable();
        let backTime = -1;
        if (event.target.id.indexOf("10") !== -1) {
            backTime = player.currentTime() - 10;
        } else if (event.target.id.indexOf("30") !== -1) {
            backTime = player.currentTime() - 30;
        }
        if (backTime < 0) {
            backTime = seekable ? seekable.start(0) : player.currentTime();
        }
        player.currentTime(backTime);
    }
}

10. Live button click action

player.liveTracker.seekToLiveEdge() code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const liveBtnClick = function() {
    if (player != null && player.liveTracker) {
        player.playliveTracker.seekToLiveEdge();
        onStartedtoggleBackButtons(true);
    }
}

511. Playback stopping

player.pausedispose() code

This method removes the div container tag where player was initialized from the page

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

functionconst stopBtnClick = function() {
    if (player != null) {
        console.log("Stop VideoJS player");
        stopLiveUITimer();
        player.pausedispose();
    }
    onStopped();
}

12. New div container tag creation after previous player was removed

code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const createRemoteVideo = function(parent) {
    let remoteVideo = document.createElement("video");
    remoteVideo.id = "remoteVideo";
    remoteVideo.controls="controls";
    remoteVideo.autoplay="autoplay";
    remoteVideo.type="application/vnd.apple.mpegurl";
    remoteVideo.className = "video-js vjs-default-skin";
    remoteVideo.setAttribute("playsinline","");
    remoteVideo.setAttribute("webkit-playsinline","");
    parent.appendChild(remoteVideo);
    player = initVideoJsPlayer(remoteVideo, autoplay);
}

13. Getting an available playback statistics from HTML5 video tag

HTML5Stats code

Code Block

language	js
theme	RDark

const PlaybackStats = function(interval) {
    const playbackStats = {
        interval: interval || STATS_INTERVAL,
        timer: null,
        stats: null,
        start: function() {
            let video = getActualVideoTag();

            playbackStats.stop();
            stats = HTML5Stats(video);
            playbackStats.timer = setInterval(playbackStats.displayStats, playbackStats.interval);
            setText("videoWidth", "N/A");
            setText("videoHeight", "N/A");
            setText("videoRate", "N/A");
            setText("videoFps", "N/A");
            showItem("stats");
        },
        stop: function() {
            if (playbackStats.timer) {
                clearInterval(playbackStats.timer);
                playbackStats.timer = null;
            }
            playbackStats.stats = null;
            hideItem("stats");
        },
        displayStats: function() {
            if (stats.collect()) {
                let width = stats.getWidth();
                let height = stats.getHeight();
                let bitrate = stats.getBitrate();
                let fps = stats.getFps();

                setText("videoWidth", width);
                setText("videoHeight", height);

                if (bitrate !== undefined) {
                    setText("videoRate", Math.round(bitrate));
                }
                if (fps !== undefined) {
                    setText("videoFps", fps.toFixed(1));
                }
            }
        }
    };
    return playbackStats;
}

Space shortcuts

Page tree

Versions Compared

Old Version 6

New Version Current

Key

An example of stream convertion to HLS and playing it in browser using VideoJS

Overview

The code of the example

Analyzing the code

Space shortcuts

Page tree

Page History

Versions Compared

Old Version 6

New Version Current

Key

An example of stream convertion to HLS and playing it in browser using VideoJS

Overview

The code of the example

Analyzing the code