# Multi bitrate streams

**URL:** <https://community.wowza.com/t/multi-bitrate-streams/34097>\
**Category:** Wowza Developer Dojo\
**Tags:** wowza-streaming-server-java-api\
**Created:** [January 4, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/multi-bitrate-streams/34097 "2010-01-04T15:12:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![koby\_shina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@koby\_shina](https://community.wowza.com/u/koby_shina)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/multi-bitrate-streams/34097/1 "2010-01-04T15:12:58Z")

</div>

Hi there,

How can i create application with automatic (if it’s exist ) multi bitrate selection ?

i’m working with jw player and i created a playlist file with multiple bitrates but i always get that i have only 1 level of bitrate.

my playlist file looks like :

```auto
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" xmlns:jwplayer="http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/wiki/FlashFormats">
  <channel>
    <item>
      <title>Bitrate Switching - Planet Earth</title>
      <description>Bitrate switching for RTMP streaming is done on startup and with every seek and fullscreen switch.</description>
      <media:group>
        <media:content bitrate="6000" url="earth_hd.mp4" width="960" />
        <media:content bitrate="3000" url="sd_cut.mp4" width="1280" />
      </media:group>
      <media:thumbnail url="planetearth.jpg" />
      <jwplayer:streamer>rtmp://my.wowza.server/vod</jwplayer:streamer>
      <jwplayer:type>rtmp</jwplayer:type>
      
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

```

according to some posts([http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/forum/Setup-Problems/20391/Bitrate-switching-always-selecting-same-level#msg136452](http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/forum/Setup-Problems/20391/Bitrate-switching-always-selecting-same-level#msg136452)) on longtailvideo (jwplayer web site) wowza does not support multi bitrate

(see one before the last post - by a guy called hobbs).

so, is there any way to make wowza support multi bitrate ?

thanks,

koby

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Richard\_Lanham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/multi-bitrate-streams/34097/2 "2010-01-04T14:14:29Z")

</div>

Wowza Server 2 supports dynamic switching, as in the next example in that set from here:

[http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/browser/testing/files/bitrates.xml](http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/browser/testing/files/bitrates.xml)

```auto
     <item>
	                        <title>RTMP streaming (dynamic)</title>
	                        <description>When an FMS 3.5 server is detected, bitrate switching is also continously done while watching the video.</description>
	                        <media:group>
	                                <media:content bitrate="1600" width="1080" url="videos/8Juv1MVa-67727.mp4" />
	                                <media:content bitrate="1200" width="720" url="videos/8Juv1MVa-485.mp4" />
	                                <media:content bitrate="800" width="480" url="videos/8Juv1MVa-484.mp4" />
	                                <media:content bitrate="400" width="320" url="videos/8Juv1MVa-483.mp4" />
	                                <media:thumbnail url="http://content.bitsontherun.com/thumbs/8Juv1MVa-480.jpg" />
	                        </media:group>
	                        <jwplayer:type>rtmp</jwplayer:type>
	                        <jwplayer:streamer>rtmpt://fms.12E5.edgecastcdn.net/0012E5</jwplayer:streamer>
	                </item>

```

Richard

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Richard\_Lanham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/multi-bitrate-streams/34097/3 "2010-01-05T17:00:25Z")

</div>

It has to be implemented in the client. See the multi-bitrate section of this post on Video On Demand streaming:

[http://community.wowza.com/t/-/64](http://community.wowza.com/t/-/64)

I would look at the 4.7 version of JW Player for something that should work right now. Possibly the latest 5 version of JW Player, but not sure.

Richard

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![koby\_shina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@koby\_shina](https://community.wowza.com/u/koby_shina)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/multi-bitrate-streams/34097/4 "2010-01-04T16:31:06Z")

</div>

rrlanham, thank you for replying…

i saw this example and tried to use it but it doesn’t work (for me…)

you can try and watch it here : [http://test.zixi.com/WowzaMultiBitrate/index.html](http://test.zixi.com/WowzaMultiBitrate/index.html).

as you can see (on the top of the video) there is only 1 level.

i guess that the levels refers to how many different bitrates (i saw it somewhere…).

any other suggestion?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![koby\_shina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@koby\_shina](https://community.wowza.com/u/koby_shina)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/multi-bitrate-streams/34097/5 "2010-01-05T18:45:45Z")

</div>

> When an FMS 3.5 server is detected, bitrate switching is also continously done while watching the video
> 
> how can i know when wowza switch streams ?
> 
> how can i know if wowza recognize that i’m asking for multi bitrate streams ?
> 
> is there anything special that i need to do to configure wowza or it is just client side ?
> 
> thanks,
> 
> koby

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![koby\_shina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@koby\_shina](https://community.wowza.com/u/koby_shina)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 12:09am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/multi-bitrate-streams/34097/6 "2010-01-07T00:09:17Z")

</div>

thanks,

i’ll check it soon.

koby