Start stream in middle of playlist (StreamPublish)

We use the StreamPublisher module to create server-side streams using SMIL playlists. These streams mimic a Live TV (linear) stream and are based on our 24-hour TV schedules. Each evening a new schedule is uploaded and Wowza restarts at midnight to load and start playing the new schedule.

https://www.wowza.com/docs/how-to-schedule-streaming-with-wowza-streaming-engine-streampublisher

When we have to restart the application or Wowza service at an arbitrary time, 9:00 am for example, the stream still starts at the beginning of the schedule instead of the video file that should be playing at 9 am.

Is there a built-in way to have the Wowza stream start at the time-appropriate location in the schedule… instead of starting at the beginning every time the playlist is loaded? We’ve reviewed the available app properties and smil parameters and don’t see an obvious way to do this.

If there’s not a built in way, would it be possible to split a 24-hour playlist into twenty-four “one-hour” playlists so Wowza can load the most time-appropriate playlist based on the playlist’s “scheduled” parameter? That way it would never be more than an hour off. If that’s feasible, would the playlist “name” parameter be the same for each of these twenty-four playlists? Would it create a bunch of extra/unused stream instances like this?

Other suggestions?

Thanks!

Hi,

You can set the schedules up so they play on the hour, each schedule entry does have a time/date.

It is possible to take the schedule code and modify it to do what you need and if you ask in the consultant group someone may provide help/services to do it.

Andrew.

Ok, thank you for the info. We have a developer working on it now and I will reply with what method we used to accomplish this … if we are successful.