Using VLC.py to Play a Stream URL and Record it.

[1ben99]

Hi, I was wondering if it was possible and ask for some help on how I would use say python to get the stream url off a website (I know how to do that) and then use this URL in the network streaming section in VLC and then record the stream?
I am new to this module and have no clue where to start, I not even sure if it opens the vlc player or uses a 3D python window instead. However I would love if someone could help me out here.

Thanks

[1ben99]

UPDATE:

I found a script online but it has a few errors can someone help me out?

I have solved a few errors but the one I'm stuck on is
line 350, in main
for r in rs:
RuntimeError: dictionary changed size during iteration

Heres the code: Original source: http://code.activestate.com/recipes/579 ... er-script/

Code: Select all

""" A script to capture network streams using VLC, based on a scheduler. It was originally designed for mpeg transport streams on the local network, but can be modified for other stream types. It runs as an infinite loop and can be terminated by pressing "Q" (see below for key commands). Last updated 19th August 2015. Dependencies: - My fork of Danny Yoo's getch()-like function: https://code.activestate.com/recipes/579095 - vlc.py http://wiki.videolan.org/Python_bindings The end user will need to create two JSON files in the same directory as the script: - capture.json to store the network stream/channel information - schedule.json to store the timer recordings Example format of capture.json: { "stream name one":"stream one address", "stream name two":"stream two address" } Example format of schedule.json: [ { "start":"2015-08-18 18:08:00", "duration":1, "channel":"stream name one", "programme":"Test Recording"}, { "start":"2015-08-18 19:20:00", "end":"2015-08-18 20:20:00", "channel":"stream name two", "programme":"Second Recording"} ] You can specify either the length of the recording or an end datetime. The programme field is simply a descriptor (the recording will be named YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_channel_programme.ts). Commands: Once the script is running, it will automatically parse the channel list and schedule. There are three basic commands, trigger by key presses: - pressing "R" reloads the schedule and will update any upcoming scheduled recordings - pressing "C" reloads the channel list - pressing "Q" exits the script """ import os import sys import json import datetime import time import getch # External py file import vlc # External py file # Static global variables PATH = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__)) SCRIPT = os.path.basename(__file__) # FUTURE IMPROVEMENT # Add optionParser to allow user to specify config file config_file = os.path.join(PATH, 'capture.json') timer_file = os.path.join(PATH, 'schedule.json') log_file = os.path.join(PATH, "%s.log" % os.path.splitext(SCRIPT)[0]) def writePrint(text): '''Write to the log and print to the screen.''' f = open(log_file, 'a') print(text) f.write(text) f.close() def timePrint(text, dt=None): '''Print to STDOUT with a datetime prefix. If no timestamp is provided, the current date and time will be used.''' if dt is None: now = datetime.datetime.now() dt = now.strftime('%H:%M:%S') writePrint("%s %s" % (dt, text)) def indentPrint(text): '''Print to STDOUT with an indent matching the timestamp printout in timePrint().''' writePrint("\t %s" % (text)) def loadChannelConfig(silent=False): '''Load the stream configuration file.''' f = open(config_file, 'r') cjson = json.load(f) f.close() channels = len(cjson.keys()) if not silent: writePrint("%d channels available." % channels) return cjson def loadSchedule(silent=False): '''Load the scheduled recordings file.''' # Read the schedule file f = open(timer_file, 'r') rjson = json.load(f) f.close() recordings = len(rjson) if not silent: writePrint("%d recordings scheduled." % recordings) return rjson def parseSchedule(schedule, channels): '''Parse the schedule and return a list of timings to check against.''' recordings = {} schedules = len(schedule) for x in range(0, schedules): entry = schedule[x] # should be a JSON object # Recording start time start = entry['start'] dt = datetime.datetime.strptime(start, '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') channel = entry['channel'] # Extract the channel name # Check for an endtime or a duration endtime = None offset = None if 'end' in entry: endtime = datetime.datetime.strptime(entry['end'], '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') if 'duration' in entry: duration = entry['duration'] # Get the timer duration (minutes) offset = dt + datetime.timedelta(minutes=duration) # Check to see which gives the longer recording - the duration or end timestamp if offset is not None and endtime is not None: if offset > endtime: endtime = offset elif offset is not None: endtime = offset elif endtime is None and offset is None: # No valid duration/end time writePrint('End or duration missing for scheduled recording %s (%s).' % (dt, channel)) continue elif endtime is not None and endtime < dt: # End is earlier than the start! writePrint('End timestamp earlier than start! Cannot record %s (%s).' % (dt, channel)) programme = None if 'programme' in entry: programme = entry['programme'] addr = channels[channel] # Get the channel URL pid = '%s %s' % (start, channel) recordings[pid] = { 'url': addr, 'channel': channel, 'start':dt, 'end': endtime, 'programme': programme, 'sid': x # Basic schedule id - this can be improved upon later to make it a unique identifier that is read/written by the schedule editor (or a database primary key) } return recordings def initialiseTS(channel, tstamp=datetime.datetime.now(), programme=None, ext='.ts'): '''Check for a free filename.''' # Get list of existing files d = set(x for x in os.listdir(PATH) if (x.endswith(ext))) # Filename template fn = [tstamp.strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S'), channel] # If we have a programme name, add it to the filename if programme is not None: programme.replace(' ', '_') # Replace whitespace with underscores fn.append(programme) fn_str = '_'.join(fn) name = '%s%s' % (fn_str, ext) n = 0 # While a filename matches the standard naming pattern, increment the # counter until we find a spare filename while name in d: name = '%s_%d%s' % (fn_str, n, ext) n += 1 return os.path.join(PATH, name) def recordStream(instream, outfile): '''Record the network stream to the output file.''' inst = vlc.Instance() # Create a VLC instance p = inst.media_player_new() # Create a player instance cmd1 = "sout=file/ts:%s" % outfile media = inst.media_new(instream, cmd1) media.get_mrl() p.set_media(media) return (inst, p, media) def initialise(silent=False): '''Load the channel list and scheduled recordings.''' # Initial startup channels = loadChannelConfig(silent) # Get the available channels schedule = loadSchedule(silent) # Get the schedule recordings = parseSchedule(schedule, channels) # Parse the schedule information return recordings def reloadSchedule(existing, running): '''Reload the list of scheduled recordings.''' now = datetime.datetime.now() # Get the current timestamp revised = initialise(True) # Get the revised schedule # Get the schedule id for each of the running recordings running_ids = {} for r in running: sid = running[r]['sid'] running_ids[sid] = r # Get the schedule id for each of the upcoming recordings upcoming_ids = {} for e in existing: sid = existing[e]['sid'] upcoming_ids[sid] = e # Number of new entries new_rec = 0 # Compare the revised schedule against the existing for r in revised: data = revised[r] sched_id = data['sid'] endtime = data['end'] # If this recording is already running if sched_id in running_ids: h = running_ids[sched_id] # TO DO: When the SID is implemented properly with the # schedule editor, there will be no need to check any of these # fields apart from the end time # Check if it's the same channel and programme ch = (data['channel'] == running[h]['channel']) pr = (data['programme'] == running[h]['programme']) # If it's the same channel and programme, check if we need to revise the end time if pr and ch and endtime != running[h]['end']: timePrint('Changed end time for running recording:') if data['programme'] is not None: indentPrint('%(programme)s (%(channel)s)' % data) else: indentPrint('%s' % h) indentPrint('%s to %s' % (running[h]['end'].strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'), endtime.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'))) running[h]['end'] = endtime # Otherwise, it's not a currently-running recording # We only want to consider programmes that haven't finished yet elif endtime > now: if sched_id in upcoming_ids: s = upcoming_ids[sched_id] # Remove the old data so that it can be replaced with the new temp = existing.pop(s, None) # Check if it's the same channel and programme ch = (data['channel'] == temp['channel']) pr = (data['programme'] == temp['programme']) # Only notify a change if it's the same programme if temp != data and ch and (pr or temp['programme'] is None): timePrint('Changes made to scheduled recording:') if data['programme'] is not None: indentPrint('%(programme)s (%(channel)s)' % data) else: indentPrint('%s' % s) else: new_rec += 1 existing[r] = data if new_rec > 0: timePrint('Added %d new scheduled recordings.' % new_rec) return (existing, running) def main(): recordings = initialise() # Load the channels and schedule handles = {} # Create storage for the recording handles busy = True while busy: now = datetime.datetime.now() # Get the current timestamp # Check existing recordings hs = handles.keys() for h in hs: data = handles[h] end = data['end'] channel = data['channel'] programme = data['programme'] if now > end: timePrint("Finished recording %s (%s)." % (programme, channel)) try: data['player'].stop() # Stop playback data['player'].release() # Close the player data['inst'].release() # Destroy the instance except (Exception, err): timePrint("Unable to destroy player reference due to error:") writePrint(str(err)) handles.pop(h) # Remove the handle to the player # Loop through the schedule rs = recordings.keys() for r in rs: data = recordings[r] # Schedule entry details start = data['start'] end = data['end'] channel = data['channel'] programme = data['programme'] # If we're not recording the stream but we're between the # start and end times for the programme, record it if r not in handles and (now > start): if (now < end): # Determine a suitable output filename fn = initialiseTS(channel, start, programme) # Create the VLC instance and player (inst, player, media) = recordStream(data['url'], fn) # Store the handle to the VLC instance and relevant data handles[r] = { 'inst': inst, 'player': player, 'media': media, 'end': end, 'programme': programme, 'channel': channel, 'sid': data['sid'] } # Start the stream and hence the recording player.play() timePrint("Started recording:") indentPrint("%s (%s)" % (programme, channel)) indentPrint("%s to %s" % (start.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'), end.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'))) else: timePrint("Missed scheduled recording:") indentPrint("%s (%s)" % (programme, channel)) indentPrint("%s to %s" % (start.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'), end.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'))) # Remove the item from the schedule to prevent it being # processed again recordings.pop(r) k = len(handles.keys()) + len(recordings.keys()) #busy = k > 0 # Loop for 10 seconds, checking for a keyhit n = 10 while n > 0: keyhit = getch.getch() n -= 1 # Check if we have a keyhit if keyhit is not None: kl = keyhit.lower() # Reload schedule if 'r' in kl: timePrint('Reloading schedule...') (recordings, handles) = reloadSchedule(recordings, handles) # Reload channel config if 'c' in kl: pass # Quit if 'q' in kl: # Add request for confirmation here busy = False if not busy: timePrint("Exiting...\n") if __name__ == '__main__': main()