Video streaming on low bandwidth optimization

[manunc]

I was able to compile the last version of VLC 1.0.4 under Fedora Core 9 with x264 and live555 libraries (and others).

I am now able to stream a movie over internet using RTSP (and read it with a VLC client on my computer) but I don't succeed to stream under 50 kbit/sec.
I have tested many different parameters like reducing fps, audio bitrate, video bitrate, size of the movie without success, I got always this speed.

The flow I am sending is always stream at a bandwidth higher than 50 kbit/sec.
I would like to reduce it to reach 30 kbit/sec even 20-25.

As anyone of you any idea to tune my VLC command, or any other tips to achieve this?
Maybe I hae to use another codec? container? stream protocol method?

I think MPEG-TS encapsulation is maybe the reason why I can not go under this bandwidth.
Do you know if we can use another muxer for h264, mp4a codecs and RTSP our unicast UDP protocol on VLC ?

I am using this command:

# cvlc media/video-1.flv --sout='#transcode{fps=8,vcodec=h264,vb=8,width=20,height=15,acodec=mp4a,ab=2}:rtp{mux=ts,ttl=10,name="Video",description="Video",port=1234,sdp=rtsp://192.168.1.2:3130/str/test.sdp}'

If I make a test where I try to stream only audio, I reach the same bandwidth of 50 kbit/sec, that makes me thinking that RTSP protocol may not go under this bandwidth?

The aim is to read movies from GPRS handset.

Youtube for example use RTSP and 3GP container and I am able to play youtube movies from my mobile using GPRS connection although movies are located far from where I live (south pacific).
I can not play my own movies from a local server (on internet) using this config although it works with tests done in LAN (player on the mobile is coreplayer).

So what is the difference between youtube solution and this?

Best regards,

Emmanuel

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

MPEG-TS has a rather high overhead. But it's probably also a codec issue and/or too high video quality.

[manunc]

Thanks Rémy for your reply,

I also think that MPEG-TS is the reason of this but unfortunately VLC only allow MPEG-TS when using UDP or RTSP.

Can you develop when you said it can be a too high quality or codec issue ?
Do you mean I shouldn't use h264 for low bandwidth? On the contrary, because H264 is the best codec I have chosen it in order to reduce the video bitrate and keep a good quality...
Any other idea?
BR

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

h264 may be one of the best codec to this day, it's still shows better quality with higher bandwidth.

[manunc]

So what do you advise to use in low bandwidth case?
Do you think I should choose another muxer as well i.e not use VLC in this case because VLC can only offer MPEG-TS when using UDP or RTSP?

[manunc]

No any others ideas ?

[EZboy]

It looks like a codec limitation, i dont think it was designed to support such low bandwidth. Why do you need to go so low anyways?

Also, i am trying to compile vlc with x264 for fedora core 10, but no luck yet. Can you provide any instructions you used or some type of howto? Any help would be greatly appreciated.