Server Side Playlists - Part 1

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

vsood — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:25:47 GMT

Hi Dheeraj

Does this help: msdn.microsoft.com/.../ms748532(VS.85).aspx

Regards

Vishal

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:21:24 GMT

Hi Vishal,

I am a newbie to this windows media services.

I have a broadcast publishing point using playlist.

Playlist has two itmes.

I would like to programatically jump to the next item in playlist in VBscript.

Can someone help in getting to do this.

My source code is as follows:

sServerName = "localhost"

set oWMSSrv = createobject("WMSServer.server",sServerName)

set oPubPoints = oWMSSrv.PublishingPoints

set THEPubPoint = oWMSSrv.PublishingPoints("WMEXenonTestPL2")

'THEPubPoint.Start

set Playlist = THEPubPoint.SharedPlaylist

I would like to know the properties and methods available for playlist object.

Many thanks in advance,

Regards,

Dheeraj.

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

vsood — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:04:40 GMT

Hi Thorsten,

WMS exposes APIs to do this. Have you tried cueStream, uncueStream and FireEvent menthods mentioned here:

msdn.microsoft.com/.../ms740343(VS.85).aspx

Regards

Vishal

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:36:25 GMT

Hi,

>You can use the server object (to be covered in subsequent posts) to specify

>dynamically what media files to stream. In other words, you can edit the playlist

>even while a client is viewing a stream identified by the playlist. This is an

>extremely useful feature that could be used to dynamically pick relevant content for

>the client.

Let's assume that I have the following .wsx-Playlist that I want to stream using an On-Demand Publishing Point.

<?wsx version="1.0"?>

<smil>

</smil>

I now want to exchange the snowboard_300.wmv Mediafile with something else while the Server still streams racecar (or add a third Mediafile, or ...).

How would I be able to do that? According to the WMS documentation this playlist is being loaded into memory at the start of the streaming process. So I would have to tell the WMS to reload the modified playlist...unfortunately I can't find a way to do that short of telling the client to restart the connection.

Hope you can help me

Thorsten

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

prakashd — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:29:14 GMT

Answering Victor's question

1. Creating publishing point is exposed through COM API by the server. You can use a program/script that is COM aware to create the publishing point.

2. By default you can have simple video/jpeg image with repeat=infinite option which says something like "No Live feeds" (To prevent the publishing pont from stopping ) . The Windows media server exposes its playlists using COM APIs a simple XML DOM Document. You can add/remove elements dynamically, change the order and change the current playing entry. So you could update the entries as and when users upload the videos.

If accessing the COM interfaces from Linux box is difficult, you could write simple scripts/ASP pages and deploy them on a site on the IIS on the NT box and make them runnable only from the linux box (using IP address authentication).

Hope this helps.

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

Steve — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:11:35 GMT

LesMin,

Did you ever find a solution to your problem playing server side playlists on your WinMobile PDA? I'm having a similar problem on CE 5.0.

Steve

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

Victor — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:17:35 GMT

Vishal,

I have a specific task and can't find the solution for my needs. Please advice something if you can. Here is my task.

I have two servers: Web server(Linux) and Streaming Server(Win2003 Server with WMS 9). Web Server runs a PHP site that should allow interface for users to receive their own publishing points and upload and manage their content. For now I have an interface of upload videos to the Streaming Server. There I have a scheduled PHP convert script which converts uploaded videos to wmv using mencoder software into a specific user folder. So far it gives me an ability to publish on-demand content.

But the problem I have appears when it comes to a broadcast publishing point:

1. First of all I don't know how to create Publishing Points automatically through a PHP script giving it a name and maybe other parameters. I believe that it is possible with ASP, but not sure.

2. Even if I create a Publishing Point manually, I don't know how to manage it's content. I tried different source options: Playlist, Directory. I can still upload new videos to the PP folder, but as I understand if i add videos to the streaming directory or change playlist file by script, I will need to stop and start Publishing Point again for changes to apply.

Right now I'm trying to find a solution using Dynamic Source. I can address PP to a script on my Web Server which will generate an ASX plalysit. But as I understand it will use playlist generated after first access to playlist generator. And it can't be changed until this playlist is played till the end and SS will ask Web Server for the new one. And I need users to be able to change their playlist on the fly - add/delete videos, change videos order, etc.

For now I see only one solution - have a looped Server-side playlist with a single element inside addressing to a Web server playlist generator. Generator will return a single element which will be played and as the list will be looped it will ask Web Server for a new file after every video is finished. This way I need to pass PP id and store current playing position on the web server, so that I could return next video for a certain PP.

So, this is my problem. Unfortunately I couldn't found needed solution in manuals and different forums. I hope for your help a lot!!

Thanks in advance,

Victor

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

vsood — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:05:05 GMT

Hi Anil

This should work.

You need to make sure that the external URL is accessible from WMS and if required set a HTTP proxy to access the external URL (In the Network Data source plug-in).

Also, a simple way to test is play the url in Windows Media player from the server.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Vishal

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

Anil — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 11:49:17 GMT

Hi All,

Great Blog i hope i will get the answer of my query here.

i am trying to mention the "media source" in Server side playlist(wsx file) as external URL ( e.g http://mydomain.com/file1.wmv) . Its giving me error when i start my publishing point.

Can anyone guide me how to mention external source of files in server side playlist ?

Thanks

Anil

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

lesmin@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:13:48 GMT

Great Blog!

Well, I'm trying to make a DirectShow-based player application on XP PC & WinMobile PDA which can play On-Demand WMS' streaming contents with Server Side Playlist.

However, it seems that default WMP source filter does not support Server Side Playlist feature. When I command "Render URL" on the FilterGraphEditor, it plays only the first media file on the list and stops.

Meanwhile, Windows Media Player succeeded playing next media files on the server side playlist.

Can you give me a hint how to make it work with DirectShow filter programming?

Best Regards,

LeSMin

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

vsood — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:47:57 GMT

Client side playlist (asx) is the way to go for you.

A client can view the contents of asx files by going to Now Playing in the library. Even with server side playlist a client can easily go to next video, etc. if you do not block that. However, they cannot see the contents. While the content is playling the user can get details on the content piece by going to "Now Playing" in the library (WMP 11)

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

stoa — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 01:22:39 GMT

@ vsood:

Here is my scenario: I am pushing VOD. I don't need extensive control of the playback. I want the user to be able to 'look inside the server side playlist' so to speak. In other words, I don't want a single stream of video. I want the user to see every media file in the playlist and be able to jump from one file to the next. Is this possible in any kind of way with WMS? Thanks for any and all replies.

note: even with client side playlists (.asx) the user cannot see the files that make up the playlist - is that right?

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

vsood — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 21:45:30 GMT

Hi Jasmine

Are you pushing to WMS or pulling from the encoder?

Are you able to play the video directly from the encoder.

Regards

Vishal

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

Jasmine — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 03:08:55 GMT

Hi, i am trying to broadcast video stream from a video capture card, using MS media encoder, thru windows media services 9.0. I can see the video playing when i pressed the test button at the Source tab from the media service, but it seems like no video stream actually coming out from my streaming server. can anyone help me on this issue?

re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

Milind — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:15:43 GMT

Comments: re: Server Side Playlists - Part 1

Posted July 19, 2007 P by vsood

Hi Jason,

I am really glad to hear that SSPL is your fav too. It is a really powerful tool.

With regards to your question, which of the following is your scenario:

1. Determine what content to play for a particular user request at the startup time OR

2. At runtime make changes to content for a specific user connection OR

3. You just need to be able to identify users the request is coming from

Thanks

Vishal, could you please try to give solutions to above specified scenarions?

Since long time I was trying to find out the solution for these scenarions but haven't yet found?

Is there realy any possible silution available for each above mentioned scenarion?

Thanks and best regards...

Milind Dhobe.