# RTSP performance for live events
**URL:** https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000
**Category:** Wowza Streaming Engine
**Created:** [August 8, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000 "2010-08-08T08:09:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Alex\_Zimin](https://community.wowza.com/u/Alex_Zimin)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/1 "2010-08-08T08:09:27Z")
Wowza server is receiving live video feed via RTMP, and we want to stream via both RTMP and RTSP. RTMP for web, and RTSP to play in VLC player.
Here is the difference that I see between RTMP and RTSP.
1. RTSP takes about 20 seconds to start playing video/audio.
2. RTPM payback is smooth, vs RTSP is very choppy. During playback video and audio pauses for fractions of a second and then continues again.
Both RTMP and RTSP connections are made to the same box and the same stream. This was tested on latest Wowza 2.1.2
Have anyone seen such behavior? Please share how you use RTSP in your environment.
Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@Charlie\_Good](https://community.wowza.com/u/Charlie_Good)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/2 "2010-08-11T14:53:10Z")
There is something here with the fact that the stream re-buffers. I will look at it but it will most likey take a few days. Maybe early next week.
Charlie
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Good](https://community.wowza.com/u/Charlie_Good)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/3 "2010-08-30T03:51:46Z")
No draw backs.
Charlie
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### Author:  [@Florian\_Iragne](https://community.wowza.com/u/Florian_Iragne)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 11:14am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/4 "2010-08-09T11:14:23Z")
i’ve also noticed a lag of 10 to 20 seconds before the video starts to play using rtsp, but no quality problem
the server is configured using best practices exposed by Charlie on this forum
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Good](https://community.wowza.com/u/Charlie_Good)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 11:56am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/5 "2010-08-09T11:56:42Z")
Also, try lowering the key frame interval. Also, there may be buffer settings in the players. When streaming using RTSP/RTP we do not do any initial blast to fill the client side buffer. So this could explain the startup lag.The player might be buffering. We may add an instant startup feature in the future but at this time we do not do any initial buffer fill.
Charlie
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Good](https://community.wowza.com/u/Charlie_Good)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/6 "2010-08-10T04:06:31Z")
> i can’t lower the keyframe interval, it’s a matter of bandwidth and quality.
>
> using mplayer, there’s no buffer. It issue the PLAY instruction and then wowza reply with a 200 code (ok), and then, it waits 10 to 20 seconds before the stream starts, when it starts (sometimes, it seams to reach a timeout. Vlc says "no data received within 10s’).
>
> It’s strange to notice that if i use the origin server to view the stream, i takes several seconds but always works, and on the edges, it takes much more time to start and it often does not start at all.
Something else is wrong. Do you see that same behavior with our mobile stream?
[https://www.wowza.com/mobile.html](https://www.wowza.com/mobile.html)
direct:
rtsp://184.72.239.149/vod/mp4:BigBuckBunny\_175k.mov
If I play this stream in VLC (version 1.1.2 with default settings) the stream starts in 1 second. What do you see? Do you have a stream on the Internet that I can test that exhibits the problem?
Charlie
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Good](https://community.wowza.com/u/Charlie_Good)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/7 "2010-08-10T16:17:50Z")
I do need to study this more. There does seem to be some issue with RTCP packets that is causing the VLC player (and other players) to re-buffer once it receives the second set of RTCP packets. I need to carefully look at why this is happening. It will take me some time to sort this out. I will report back on this thread when I learn more.
Charlie
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Good](https://community.wowza.com/u/Charlie_Good)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 9:34am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/8 "2010-08-11T09:34:49Z")
Interesting. Charlie
---
### Author:  [@Charlie\_Good](https://community.wowza.com/u/Charlie_Good)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/9 "2010-08-30T03:14:54Z")
try this patch:
[WowzaMediaServer2.1.2-patch2.zip](https://www.wowza.com/downloads/WowzaMediaServer-2-1-2/WowzaMediaServer2.1.2-patch2.zip)
It changes the frequency that RTCP packets are sent when the stream starts. It seems to help for me. Also, a more frequent key frame interval will help as well. The key frame interval is the biggest factor.
Charlie
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Good](https://community.wowza.com/u/Charlie_Good)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/10 "2010-10-01T04:10:38Z")
No, nothing additional needs to be set. It is something with your setup. Others have reported better results. I would verify your key frame interval is 2 seconds.
Charlie
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/11 "2010-08-09T13:20:11Z")
@Pytkin,
RTSP out was not support in Wowza 1.7.
@All,
I’m not see this. 10 - 20 second lag is typical of HTTP streaming, but not RTSP. Maybe you are not specifying a port.
If I publish a stream named “myStream” to Wowza with Wirecast or FMLE to an application named “live” with StreamType “live” and /RTP /Authentication /PlayMethod “none”, I can play that in the Wowza example player:
Server: rtmp://[wowza-address]:1935/live
Stream: myStream
And in VLC by choosing Media \> Open Network Stream then entering:
rtsp://[wowza-address]:1935/live/myStream
And it starts right up.
Richard
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/12 "2010-08-09T18:03:15Z")
Test by removing the authentication module, by elimination. And run everything local. What I did:
FMLE publish rtmp \> Wowza rtsp out \> VLC
All on same machine.
If you are using httpUtils to authenticate, despite your test results, that’s where I would look.
Richard
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/13 "2010-08-10T22:01:58Z")
With VLC 1.05 I get normal playback. Starts quickly and plays continuously. So either the version of VLC is not good, or there is a network issue.
Richard
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/14 "2010-08-11T12:47:51Z")
Pytkin,
I can’t account for the difference between what you and I experience from this same rtsp stream. I will defer to Charlie’s comment and inquiry.
I did just test again, and it lights up right away for me on VLC 1.05
Richard
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/15 "2010-08-11T21:54:52Z")
Have you had anyone else outside your network test this?
Each of these work about the same for me:
rtsp://184.72.239.149/vod/mp4:BigBuckBunny\_175k.mov
rtsp://184.72.239.149:554/vod/mp4:BigBuckBunny\_175k.mov
rtsp://184.72.239.149:1935/vod/mp4:BigBuckBunny\_175k.mov
No significant delay here
Richard
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/16 "2010-10-01T13:27:42Z")
Lights right up for me, faster than usual actually, less than 2 seconds.
Richard
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/17 "2010-10-01T13:40:09Z")
I am using VLC 1.05.
Richard
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/18 "2010-10-01T14:06:22Z")
I have a router. The first set of logs could be me. I only played for about 10 seconds. I’m not sure why the 2nd set would be different, but that’s the patttern you would see if udp ports are blocked
Richard
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### Author:  [@Roman\_Pekarek](https://community.wowza.com/u/Roman_Pekarek)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/19 "2010-08-09T12:49:57Z")
same problem here … RTMP works great and RTSP have very long starting … On Xtreamer rtsp will start , but no video/audio playback … XBMC not start too … on Wowza 1.7 this was work …
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### Author:  [@Roman\_Pekarek](https://community.wowza.com/u/Roman_Pekarek)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2010, 10:31am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/rtsp-performance-for-live-events/35000/20 "2010-08-10T10:31:40Z")
> @Pytkin,
>
> RTSP out was not support in Wowza 1.7.
Yes … Sorry … You Are Right …
Its problem rtmp → wowza → rtmp …
it worked with Wowza 1.7 on XBMC … on 2.0 not works …
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