MPEG-DASH video stream with just single mp4 file

Question

I'm researching for a week to find a simple and platform independent method to stream a mp4 file to any browser. In case of browser incompatibility progressive stream(direct download) method will be used. My scenario is like this:

• single mp4 file (not segmented and multiplexed(Audio+Video) )
• HTTP Byte-Range serving supported
• progressive stream (direct file download) supported in case of browser incompatibility

After studying Apple HLS, Adobe Flash Stream, Microsoft Smooth, RTSP and MPEG-DASH it seems that MPEG-DASH is the proper solution. But the problem is MPEG-DASH forcing me to split mp4 file to separate segmented files which leads to duplicate consuming space to store the mp4 file because I have to support progressive stream in case of browser incompatibility. Then storing single mp4 file with segmented mp4 files is unavoidable.

The question is: is there any way to serve a single mp4 file as http stream & progressive stream in any browser ?

MPEG-DASH protocols says it supports multiplexed files but the problem is dash.js does not support it. Is there any other javascript player which supports multiplexed and single mp4 files with byte-range requests ?

Any other solution which commits my scenario conditions is welcomed. Thanks.

REFERENCES: BitCodin.com 1 BitCodin.com 2

Answer 1

I think all major browser support mp4. http://caniuse.com/#feat=mpeg4. You can stream it using just a good old http server. MPEG-DASH is required only if you require fancy stuff like adaptive bitrate streaming, multi language, drm and so.

If you insist on using MPEG-DASH you can simply segment your mp4 files using a mp4box on the server side (you have to do it only once). The result is not mulitple mp4 files but rather a single mp4 files that is organized in a more suitable for streaming way.

Answer 2

Yes there is a solution. dash.js only plays fragmented mp4s that have been packaged. However, this project from Cyril at Telecom Paristech will do what you want:

https://github.com/gpac/mp4box.js/

This is a js version of mp4box. What it can do is on-the-fly conversion of your non-fragmented mp4 in to media fragments which can then be fed to a MSE sourceBuffer. They have a sample player that does this which you can copy:

http://download.tsi.telecom-paristech.fr/gpac/mp4box.js/

Cheers Will

Answer 3

Maybe this would help you:

#!/bin/bash

# THIS SCRIPT CONVERTS EVERY MP4 (IN THE CURRENT FOLDER AND SUBFOLDER) TO A MULTI-BITRATE VIDEO IN MP4-DASH
# For each file "videoname.mp4" it creates a folder "dash_videoname" containing a dash manifest file "stream.mpd" and subfolders containing video segments.
# Explanation: 


# Validation tool:
# https://conformance.dashif.org/

# MDN reference:
# https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Apps/Fundamentals/Audio_and_video_delivery/Setting_up_adaptive_streaming_media_sources

# Add the following mime-types (uncommented) to .htaccess:
# AddType video/mp4 m4s
# AddType application/dash+xml mpd

# Use type="application/dash+xml" 
# in html when using mp4 as fallback:
#                <video data-dashjs-player loop="true" >
#                    <source src="/walking/walking.mpd" type="application/dash+xml">
#                    <source src="/walking/walking.mp4" type="video/mp4">
#                </video>

# DASH.js
# https://github.com/Dash-Industry-Forum/dash.js

MYDIR=$(dirname $(readlink -f ${BASH_SOURCE[0]}))
SAVEDIR=$(pwd)

# Check programs
if [ -z "$(which ffmpeg)" ]; then
    echo "Error: ffmpeg is not installed"
    exit 1
fi

if [ -z "$(which MP4Box)" ]; then
    echo "Error: MP4Box is not installed"
    exit 1
fi

cd "$MYDIR"

TARGET_FILES=$(find ./ -maxdepth 1 -type f \( -name "*.mov" -or -name "*.mp4" \))
for f in $TARGET_FILES
do
  fe=$(basename "$f") # fullname of the file
  f="${fe%.*}" # name without extension

  if [ ! -d "${f}" ]; then #if directory does not exist, convert
    echo "Converting \"$f\" to multi-bitrate video in MPEG-DASH"

    mkdir "${f}"

    ffmpeg -y -i "${fe}" -c:a aac -b:a 192k -vn "${f}_audio.m4a"

    ffmpeg -y -i "${fe}" -preset slow -tune film -vsync passthrough -write_tmcd 0 -an -c:v libx264 -x264opts 'keyint=25:min-keyint=25:no-scenecut' -crf 22 -maxrate 5000k -bufsize 12000k -pix_fmt yuv420p -f mp4 "${f}_5000.mp4"
    ffmpeg -y -i "${fe}" -preset slow -tune film -vsync passthrough -write_tmcd 0 -an -c:v libx264 -x264opts 'keyint=25:min-keyint=25:no-scenecut' -crf 23 -maxrate 3000k -bufsize 6000k -pix_fmt yuv420p -f mp4  "${f}_3000.mp4"
    ffmpeg -y -i "${fe}" -preset slow -tune film -vsync passthrough -write_tmcd 0 -an -c:v libx264 -x264opts 'keyint=25:min-keyint=25:no-scenecut' -crf 23 -maxrate 1500k -bufsize 3000k -pix_fmt yuv420p -f mp4   "${f}_1500.mp4"
    ffmpeg -y -i "${fe}" -preset slow -tune film -vsync passthrough -write_tmcd 0 -an -c:v libx264 -x264opts 'keyint=25:min-keyint=25:no-scenecut' -crf 23 -maxrate 800k -bufsize 2000k -pix_fmt yuv420p -vf "scale=-2:720" -f mp4  "${f}_800.mp4"
    ffmpeg -y -i "${fe}" -preset slow -tune film -vsync passthrough -write_tmcd 0 -an -c:v libx264 -x264opts 'keyint=25:min-keyint=25:no-scenecut' -crf 23 -maxrate 400k -bufsize 1000k -pix_fmt yuv420p -vf "scale=-2:540" -f mp4  "${f}_400.mp4"
    # static file for ios and old browsers
    ffmpeg -y -i "${fe}" -preset slow -tune film -vsync passthrough -write_tmcd 0 -c:a aac -b:a 160k -c:v libx264  -crf 23 -maxrate 2000k -bufsize 4000k -pix_fmt yuv420p -f mp4 "${f}/${f}.mp4"


    rm -f ffmpeg*log*
    # if audio stream does not exist, ignore it
    if [ -e "${f}_audio.m4a" ]; then
        MP4Box -dash-strict 2000 -rap -frag-rap  -bs-switching no -profile "dashavc264:live" "${f}_5000.mp4" "${f}_3000.mp4" "${f}_1500.mp4" "${f}_800.mp4" "${f}_400.mp4" "${f}_audio.m4a" -out "${f}/${f}.mpd"
        rm "${f}_5000.mp4" "${f}_3000.mp4" "${f}_1500.mp4" "${f}_800.mp4" "${f}_400.mp4" "${f}_audio.m4a"
    else
        MP4Box -dash-strict 2000 -rap -frag-rap  -bs-switching no -profile "dashavc264:live" "${f}_5000.mp4" "${f}_3000.mp4" "${f}_1500.mp4" "${f}_800.mp4" "${f}_400.mp4" -out "${f}/${f}.mpd"
        rm "${f}_5000.mp4" "${f}_3000.mp4" "${f}_1500.mp4" "${f}_800.mp4" "${f}_400.mp4" 
    fi
    # create a jpg for poster. Use imagemagick or just save the frame directly from ffmpeg is you don't have cjpeg installed.
    ffmpeg -i "${fe}" -ss 00:00:00 -vframes 1  -qscale:v 10 -n -f image2 - | cjpeg -progressive -quality 75 -outfile "${f}"/"${f}".jpg

    fi

done

cd "$SAVEDIR"

Answer 4

You could serve dash player with single mp4 file. However you need to put index information in sidx box in this mp4 file. you could bento4 to do it. Actually for ondemand case, it's normally to use one single file to stream. You could also download this file locally. Dash streaming will not require more storage size if you only have one bitrate. and there are many javascript player are supporting dash like shakashaka player, dashif player ...