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Streaming Stored Audio & Video

This document summarizes different approaches for streaming stored audio and video content over the internet. It discusses streaming directly from a web server using HTTP, using a meta file and separate connection to a media player, and using a dedicated streaming server with the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) for control. RTSP allows a client to control playback like pause, rewind, and supports out-of-band transmission of control information separate from the media stream itself. Caching is also discussed where proxies can start serving streams closer to clients to improve performance.

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hoangdt8
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157 views

Streaming Stored Audio & Video

This document summarizes different approaches for streaming stored audio and video content over the internet. It discusses streaming directly from a web server using HTTP, using a meta file and separate connection to a media player, and using a dedicated streaming server with the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) for control. RTSP allows a client to control playback like pause, rewind, and supports out-of-band transmission of control information separate from the media stream itself. Caching is also discussed where proxies can start serving streams closer to clients to improve performance.

Uploaded by

hoangdt8
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Streaming Stored Audio & Video

Streaming stored media: r Audio/video file is stored in a server r Users request audio/video file on demand. r Audio/video is rendered within, say, 10 s after request. r Interactivity (pause, repositioning, etc.) is allowed. Media player:
m m m m

removes jitter decompresses error correction graphical user interface with controls for interactivity

r Plug-ins may be used to

imbed the media player into the browser window.

Streaming from Web server (1)


r Audio and video files

stored in Web servers nave approach r browser requests file with HTTP request message r Web server sends file in HTTP response message r content-type header line indicates an audio/video encoding r browser launches media player, and passes file to media player r media player renders file

Major drawback: media player interacts with server through intermediary of a Web browser

Streaming from Web server (2)


Alternative: set up connection between server and player r Web browser requests and receives a meta file (a file describing the object) instead of receiving the file itself; r Content-type header indicates specific audio/video application r Browser launches media player and passes it the meta file r Player sets up a TCP connection with server and sends HTTP request.

Some concerns: r Media player communicates over HTTP, which is not designed with pause, ff, rwnd commands r May want to stream over UDP

Streaming from a streaming server


r This architecture allows for non-HTTP protocol between server

and media player r Can also use UDP instead of TCP.

Options when using a streaming server


buffer and delay playback for 1-10 s. Transmit rate = d, the encoded rate. Fill rate x(t) equals d except when there is loss. r Use TCP, and send at maximum possible rate under TCP; TCP retransmits when error is encountered; x(t) now fluctuates, and can become much larger than d. Player can use a much large buffer to smooth delivery rate of TCP.
r Send at constant rate over UDP. To mitigate the effects of jitter,

Real Time Streaming Protocol: RTSP


HTTP r Designers of HTTP had fixed media in mind: HTML, images, applets, etc. r HTTP does not target stored continuous media (i.e., audio, video, SMIL presentations, etc.) RTSP: RFC 2326 r Client-server application layer protocol. r For user to control display: rewind, fast forward, pause, resume, repositioning, etc What it doesnt do: r does not define how audio/video is encapsulated for streaming over network r does not restrict how streamed media is transported; it can be transported over UDP or TCP r does not specify how the media player buffers audio/video RealNetworks r Server and player use RTSP to send control info to each other

RTSP: out of band control


FTP uses an out-of-band control channel:
r A file is transferred over

RTSP messages are also sent outof-band:

one channel. r Control information (directory changes, file deletion, file renaming, etc.) is sent over a separate TCP connection. r The out-of-band and inband channels use different port numbers.

use different port numbers than the media stream, and are therefore sent out-ofband. r The media stream, whose packet structure is not defined by RTSP, is considered in-band.
r

r The RTSP control messages

If the RTSP messages were to use the same port numbers as the media stream, then RTSP messages would be said to be interleaved with the media stream.

RTSP initiates and controls delivery


r
HTTP GET presentation desc. SETUP PLAY media player media stream PAUSE TEARDOWN media server

Web browser

Web server

r r

client

server

r r r

Client obtains a description of the multimedia presentation, which can consist of several media streams. The browser invokes media player (helper application) based on the content type of the presentation description. Presentation description includes references to media streams, using the URL method rtsp:// Player sends RTSP SETUP request; server sends RTSP SETUP response. Player sends RTSP PLAY request; server sends RTSP PLAY response. Media server pumps media stream. Player sends RTSP PAUSE request; server sends RTSP PAUSE response. Player sends RTSP TEARDOWN request; server sends RTSP TEARDOWN response.

Meta file example


<title>Twister</title> <session> <group language=en lipsync> <switch> <track type=audio e="PCMU/8000/1" src = "rtsp://audio.example.com/twister/audio.en/lofi"> <track type=audio e="DVI4/16000/2" pt="90 DVI4/8000/1" src="rtsp://audio.example.com/twister/audio.en/hifi"> </switch> <track type="video/jpeg" src="rtsp://video.example.com/twister/video"> </group> </session>

RTSP session
r Each RTSP has a session

identifier, which is chosen by the server. r The client initiates the session with the SETUP request, and the server responds to the request with an identifier. r The client repeats the session identifier for each request, until the client closes the session with the TEARDOWN request.

r RTSP port number is 554. r RTSP can be sent over UDP or

TCP. Each RTSP message can be sent over a separate TCP connection.

RTSP: exchange example


C: SETUP rtsp://audio.example.com/twister/audio RTSP/1.0 Transport: rtp/udp; compression; port=3056; mode=PLAY S: RTSP/1.0 200 1 OK Session 4231 C: PLAY rtsp://audio.example.com/twister/audio.en/lofi RTSP/1.0 Session: 4231 Range: npt=0C: PAUSE rtsp://audio.example.com/twister/audio.en/lofi RTSP/1.0 Session: 4231 Range: npt=37 C: TEARDOWN rtsp://audio.example.com/twister/audio.en/lofi RTSP/1.0 Session: 4231 S: 200 3 OK

RTSP: streaming caching


r Caching of RTSP response

segments of a given media messages makes little sense. stream. r But desirable to cache media m Proxy cache may start streams closer to client. serving a client from its r Much of HTTP/1.1 cache control local cache, and then have to has been adopted by RTSP. connect to origin server and fill missing material, m Cache control headers can be hopefully without put in RTSP SETUP requests introducing gaps at client. and responses: r When origin server is sending a If-modified-since: , stream through client, and Expires: , Via: , Cachestream passes through a proxy, Control: proxy can use TCP to obtain the stream; but proxy still sends RTSP control messages to origin server.

r Proxy cache may hold only

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