RTMP to RTSP streaming results in very choppy, "out of order" video

Wowza Streaming Engine
21

“Choppiness” means the stream’s bitrate is more than your bandwidth. Please follow the suggestions: try lower bitrate, setup BWCheck to see your actual bandwidth.

Richard

22

Yes, take a look at this guide:

https://www.wowza.com/docs/how-to-set-up-an-application-for-rtsp-rtp-streaming

If the real goal is rtsp to mobile devices, take a look at this guide (anyway):

https://www.wowza.com/docs/how-to-troubleshoot-rtsp-rtp-playback)

Also, be sure to be using at least 2.2.4.01, which is current version and latest release patch. That patch is very important for RTSP streaming.

https://www.wowza.com/docs/wowza-streaming-engine-software-updates

https://www.wowza.com/docs/wowza-streaming-engine-software-updates

If the goal is not rtsp mobile devices, if you are thinking of using VLC for streaming to the desktop, it’s possible but not ideal. VLC is best suited to certain users, not general audience. Flash or Silverlight players are recommended for streaming to desktop.

Richard

23

If you have B-Frames enabled, we suggest you disable.

Richard

24

Let us know if you make a change, and what that is. Either way, leave it running today and tomorrow if possible.

Richard

25

It is definitely not Baseline 3. When I re-stream that RTSP locally with the LiveStreamPacketizers set to “cupertinostreamingpacketizer”, Wowza shows that it is “H264CodecConfigInfo: profile: “Main”, level: 4.0”

LiveStreamPacketizerCupertino.handlePacket[axis/_definst_/pio.stream][avc1.77.40]: H.264 (Video may not be playable on older iPhone and iPod touch devices where Baseline/Level 3.0 or lower is required) Video info: {H264CodecConfigInfo: profile: "Main", level: 4.0, frameSize: 640x360, displaySize: 640x360, PAR: 1:1, crop: l:0 r:0 t:0 b:4, frameRate: 30.0}

In FMLE, click the little wrench icon next to H.264 format setting. Select Baseline 3, and also change Key Frame Frequency to 2 seconds, which is optimal.

Richard

26

Also, it did look and sound great in QT 7 on Windows. The choppines seen in VLC was not present. So, I was wrong about bitrate as a factor.

Richard

27

Also, Charlie was asking about uplink bandwidth at the encoder. Here is a way to measure that:

https://www.wowza.com/docs/how-to-check-bandwidth-from-client-to-server-to-test-uplink-to-be-used-by-a-live-stream-encoder-moduleclientbwcheck)

Richard

28

Did you find any solutions? I have same problem with live video, rtsp and VLC.

29

Charlie, Could you check stream rtsp://www.popler.tv:8080/publishlive/Ratte84? It’ll be available for next few hours. I’m watching with VLC player 1.1.11, standard buffer - 1200 ms. Video is choppy for me, some frames are from the past, so objects like people or cars, moved back. Setup for application and buffers are standard. We are using wowza 2.2.4.01. I also tried low-latency application, but video is much worse.

I added second stream with low-latency setup - rtsp://www.popler.tv:8080/publishlivelowlatency/romek

Thanks

30

Hi Richard,

There is no audio, it’s true. Stream plays well in Flash for me, but not in VLC.

Ok, I’ll not use low-latency.

I changed ISP and I have bigger difference between VLC and Flash now. Stream is very choppy in VLC, even I set buffer 3s. It looks good in Flash player.

Could you check once more - rtsp://www.popler.tv:8080/publishlive/Ratte84 ?

I don’t understand so big difference between Flash (RTMP) and VLC (RTSP)

31

Thank you Richard. I’m, almost sure that bandwith is much higher than bitrate, but I’ll make test of course. I tired lower bandiwth for now (600->350 kbps). Effect almost the same. Flash ok, VLC bad.

Do you have any suggestion why in flash player stream is playing ok, but not in VLC with RTSP?

32

Thank you for answer.

We are using 2.2.4.01 with almost all suggestions from guides (only port is different). We try using VLC because of our client suggestion. He need to receive stream with VLC and forward it to some kind of video card with SDI.

33

We are not using B-frames. I’m sending stream with FMLE, baseline profile, level 3.0. I’ll leave it running till tomorrow.

34

Sorry Charlie, I made some tests with higher profile. But there is no difference. I changed back to 3 and baseline. You can check rtmp on http://www.popler.tv/Ratte84. It’s playing ok. We are blocking RTMP connections from other players.

35

I am seeing the video stream dropping in and out. It looks like the encoder is dropping large groups of frames. What is the connection between the encoder and the Wowza Server? It almost is acting like FMLE is dropping frames because the connection between Wowza Server and the encoder is not good.

What does the stream look like when played over RTMP. It looks like your server is currently blocking RTMP connections so there is no way for us to look.

Charlie

Playing over RTMP with Flash player is ok - http://www.popler.tv/Ratte84

36

I changed stream from camera to demo video from win. It’s more dynamic and difference between RTMP and RTSP is much bigger.

37

Yes, it’s true looks better. I’m not sure, I understand you. I think, Cupertino packetizer is on, because I can watch the stream on IPhone and it’s ok.

38

I changed stream to rtsp://www.popler.tv:8080/publishlive/piotrgg - it’s definitely baseline and 3.0 without B-frames and key frame every 2s now.

Flash player version you can check at www.popler.tv/piotrgg

I also made some test with BWCheck. You can see result on the image.

39

So as I understand RTMP protocol has some kind of auto-correct mechanism and RTSP hasn’t or just VLC is not optimal player for RTSP stream.

40

Thanks for your reply. I haven’t been able to find a good solution for playing RTMP on linux, so I want to “convert” it to RTSP which is widely supported on linux.