Low Latency Video Preview
The Recaster offers the capability to generate low latency video preview streams. Leveraging WebRTC technology, this feature ensures swift transmission of video data for real-time monitoring and preview purposes.
Video Transmission Modes
The Recaster supports two primary modes of video transmission:
-
Pass-Through Mode:
- If the incoming video stream is encoded with the H.264 codec, the Recaster can pass it through without altering its codec or format.
-
Transcoding Mode:
- In scenarios where the incoming video stream requires transcoding, the Recaster dynamically converts the video stream to VP8 or H264 compatible format for browser presentation.
Configuration Options
When transcoding is necessary, users can fine-tune the transcoding settings according to their requirements. Key configurable parameters include:
- Codec Selection: Users can choose the codec for transcoding VP8 or H264, ensuring compatibility with their playback devices and browsers.
-
Video Resolution: The resolution of the transcoded video can be adjusted to suit the target display or bandwidth constraints.
-
Bitrate Control: Users can control the bitrate of the transcoded video stream, optimizing for quality and network conditions.
Considerations
It's important to note that video transcoding is a CPU-intensive task. Users should consider the hardware capabilities of their system and allocate sufficient resources to handle transcoding processes efficiently.
By leveraging the Recaster feature with its low-latency video preview capabilities, users can enhance their monitoring and streaming workflows with real-time video insights and seamless browser compatibility.
Configurable parameters
| Argument | Description | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
--previewVideoBitrate |
WebRtc preview video bitrate | 2500000 |
--previewVideoResolution |
WebRtc preview Video resolution in a format |
|
| For example 720x480, or just 720 (or 720x). If heigth is not provided, | 720 | |
| the video will be scaled according to the aspect ratio. If empty, the source resolution will be used | ||
--previewVideoCodec |
WebRTC codec name | vp8 |
--previewVideoPassthrough |
WebRTC Video pass-trough (h264 only) | false |
Optimizing Streaming
To optimize the streaming, the video preview processes the input stream in the following manner:
- If the input stream is multicast, it will be used directly as the video preview source.
- If not, the recaster will check the output targets. If one of the targets is multicast, the first one found will be used as a source.
- If no multicast stream is found, a new unicast target (on a loopback interface) will be created. When the preview is stopped, the target will be deleted.