View source for Documentation:Streaming HowTo/Command Line Examples

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Examples for advanced use of VLC's stream output (transcoding, multiple streaming, etc...)

==Transcoding==
Transcode a stream to Ogg Vorbis with 2 channels at 128kbps and 44100Hz and save it as ''foobar.ogg'':
 % '''vlc -I dummy -vvv input_stream --sout'''
 "#transcode{vcodec=none,acodec=vorb,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100}:file{dst=foobar.ogg}"

Transcode the input stream and send it to a multicast IP address with the associated SAP announce:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout
 '#transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mpga,vb=800,ab=128,deinterlace}:
 rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.12.42,sdp=sap,name="TestStream"}' '''


Display the input stream, transcode it and send it to a multicast IP address with the associated SAP announce:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout
 #duplicate{dst=display,dst="transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mpga,vb=800,
 ab=128,deinterlace}:rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.12.42,sdp=sap,name="TestStream"}"}' '''

Transcode the input stream, display the transcoded stream and send it to a multicast IP address with the associated SAP announce:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout
 '#transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mpga,vb=800,ab=128,deinterlace}:
 duplicate{dst=display,dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.12.42,sdp=sap,name="TestStream"}}' '''

To receive the input stream that is being multicasted above on a client:
 '''vlc rtp://239.255.12.42'''

=== More complex transcoding example ===
Stream a SDI card to H.264 and AAC in TS on udp
 % '''cvlc -vvv --live-caching 2000 decklink://
 --decklink-audio-connection embedded --decklink-aspect-ratio 16:9 --decklink-mode hp50 
 --sout-x264-preset slow --sout-x264-tune film --sout-transcode-threads 8 --no-sout-x264-interlaced
 --sout-x264-keyint 50 --sout-x264-lookahead 100 --sout-x264-vbv-maxrate 6000 --sout-x264-vbv-bufsize 6000  
 --sout '#transcode{vcodec=h264,vb=6000,acodec=mp4a,aenc=fdkaac,ab=256}:std{access=udp,mux=ts,dst=192.168.2.1:1234}'

==Multiple streaming==

Send a stream to a multicast IP address and a unicast IP address:
 '''vlc -vvv input_stream
 --sout '#duplicate{dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.12.42,sdp=sap,name="TestStream"},dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.2}}' '''

Display the stream and send it to two unicast IP addresses:
 '''vlc -vvv input_stream 
 --sout '#duplicate{dst=display,dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.12},dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.42}}' '''

Send parts of a multiple program input stream:
 '''vlc -vvv multiple_program_input_stream
 --sout'#duplicate{dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.12.42},select="program=12345",dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.12.43},select="video,program=1234-2345"}' '''
This command sends the program of the input stream which id is 12345 to 239.255.12.42 and all video programs with id between 1234 and 2345 to 239.255.12.43.

==Transcoding and multiple streaming==

Transcode the input stream, display the transcoded stream and send it to a multicast IP address with the associated SAP announce and an unicast IP address:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout
 '#transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mpga,vb=800,ab=128,deinterlace}:
 duplicate{dst=display,dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.12.42,sdp=sap,name="TestStream"},
 dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.2}}' '''

Display the input stream, transcode it and send it to two unicast IP addresses:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout  '#duplicate{dst=display,dst="transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mpga,vb=800,ab=128}:
 duplicate{dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.2},dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.12}"}' '''

Send the input stream to a multicast IP address and the transcoded stream to another multicast IP address with the associated SAP announces:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout
 '#duplicate{dst=rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.1.2,sdp=sap,name="OriginalStream"},
 dst="transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mpga,vb=800,ab=128}:
 rtp{mux=ts,dst=239.255.1.3,sdp=sap,name="TranscodedStream"}"}' '''

=== More complex multi-transcoding example ===
Take a SDI input, and transcode it twice, once in HD, and one in SD and send both on udp.
 % '''cvlc -vv --live-caching 2000
 --decklink-audio-connection embedded --decklink-aspect-ratio 16:9 --decklink-mode hp50 decklink:// 
 --sout-x264-preset fast --sout-x264-tune film --sout-transcode-threads 24 --no-sout-x264-interlaced 
 --sout-x264-keyint 50 --sout-x264-lookahead 100 --sout-x264-vbv-maxrate 4000 --sout-x264-vbv-bufsize 4000
 --sout '#duplicate{dst="transcode{vcodec=h264,vb=6000,acodec=mp4a,aenc=fdkaac,ab=256}:std{access=udp,mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.2:4013}",
 dst="transcode{height=576,vcodec=h264,vb=2000,acodec=mp4a,aenc=fdkaac,ab=128}:std{access=udp,mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.2:4014}"}'

Take a SDI input, and restreaming it once in raw and transcoding it for the second
 % '''cvlc -vv --live-caching 2000
 --decklink-audio-connection embedded --decklink-aspect-ratio 16:9 --decklink-mode hp50 decklink:// 
 --sout-x264-preset fast --sout-x264-tune film --sout-transcode-threads 24 --no-sout-x264-interlaced 
 --sout-x264-keyint 50 --sout-x264-lookahead 100 --sout-x264-vbv-maxrate 4000 --sout-x264-vbv-bufsize 4000
 --sout '#duplicate{dst="transcode{vcodec=h264,vb=6000,acodec=mp4a,aenc=fdkaac,ab=256}:std{access=udp,mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.2:4013}",
 dst="std{access=udp,mux=ts,dst=192.168.1.2:4014}"}'

==HTTP streaming==

Stream in HTTP:
*on the server, run:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout '#standard{access=http,mux=ogg,dst=server.example.org:8080}' '''
*on the client(s), run:
 % '''vlc http://server.example.org:8080'''

Transcode and stream in HTTP:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout '#transcode{vcodec=mp4v,acodec=mpga,vb=800,ab=128}:
 standard{access=http,mux=ogg,dst=server.example.org:8080}' '''

Recording a live video stream:
 % '''vlc http://example.com/live.asf --sout="#duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=asf,
 dst='C:\test\test.asf'},dst=nodisplay}" '''

For example, if you want to stream an audio CD in Ogg/Vorbis over HTTP:
 % '''vlc -vvv cdda:/dev/cdrom
 --sout '#transcode{acodec=vorb,ab=128}:standard{access=http,mux=ogg,dst=server.example.org:8080}' '''

==RTSP live streaming==

Stream with RTSP and RTP:
* Run on the server:
 '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout '#rtp{dst=192.168.0.12,port=1234,sdp=rtsp://server.example.org:8080/test.sdp}' '''
* Run on the client(s):
 '''vlc rtsp://server.example.org:8080/test.sdp'''

==RTSP on-demand streaming==

See [[Documentation:Streaming HowTo/VLM]].

==MMS / MMSH streaming to Windows Media Player==

 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout '#transcode{vcodec=DIV3,vb=256,scale=1,acodec=mp3,ab=32,
 channels=2}:std{access=mmsh,mux=asfh,dst=:8080}' '''

VLC media player can connect to this by using the following url: '''mmsh://server_ip_address:8080'''.
Windows Media Player can connect to this by using the following url: '''mms://server_ip_address:8080'''.

== Use the ''es'' module ==

Separate audio and video in two PS files:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout '#es{access=file,mux=ps,url_audio=audio-%c.%m,url_video=video-%c.%m}' '''

Extract the audio track of the input stream to a TS file:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout '#es{access_audio=file,mux_audio=ts,url_audio=audio-%c.%m}' '''

Stream in unicast the audio track on a port and the video track on another port (NOTE: This will not only work with VLC 0.8.6 or older - FIXME?):
*on the server side:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout '#es{access=rtp,mux=ts,url_audio=192.168.1.2:1212,
 url_video=192.168.1.2:1213}' '''
*on the client side:
**to receive the audio:
 % '''vlc udp://@:1212'''
**to receive the video:
 % '''vlc udp://@:1213'''

Stream in multicast the video and dump the audio in a file:
 % '''vlc -vvv input_stream --sout '#es{access-video=udp,mux-video=ts,dst-video=239.255.12.42,
 access-audio=file,mux-audio=ps,dst-audio=audio-%c.%m}' '''

Note: You can also combine the ''es'' module with the other modules to set-up even more complex solution.

==Keeping the stream open==

 % '''% vlc -vvv input_stream -sout-keep
 -sout=#transcode{acodec=mp3}:duplicate{dst=display{delay=6000},
 dst=gather:std{mux=mpeg1,dst=:8080/stream.mp3,access=http},select="novideo"} '''

The basic transcoding is an mp3 stream from the file you select (if it is a video file, then the video is ignored). It is streamed via http to localhost:8080/stream.mp3

The combination of :sout-keep and dst=gather:std mean that the stream is kept open and subsequent items are played through the same stream.

== Using VLC as a reflector ==

Taking a udp input and resending it once raw via ipv6 multicast, and once in HLS
 % '''cvlc -vvv udp://@:4013 --ttl 60
 --sout '#duplicate{dst=std{access=http,mux=ts,dst=[::]:3013}",
 dst=std{access=udp,mux=ts,dst=ffe2::1]:2013},
 dst=std{access=livehttp{seglen=5,delsegs=true,numsegs=5,index=/path/to/stream.m3u8,
 index-url=http://example.org/stream-########.ts},mux=ts{use-key-frames},dst=/path/to/stream-########.ts}}}

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