Compatibility with Cisco IP/TV?

[myersge1]

I want to replace our use of Cisco's IP/TV client with VideoLAN client but it's not working. I believe the multicast request to the Cisco IP/TV Server is going through and the video data is flowing since I show nearly 4Mbps of data coming to my client PC. However, the video window doesn't open and the Message log shows:

main debug: adding playlist item `udp://@233.1.14.3:50100' ( udp://@233.1.14.3:50100 )
main debug: creating new input thread
main: playlist item `udp://@233.1.14.3:50100'
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: access `udp', demux `', name `@233.1.14.3:50100'
main debug: thread 2944 (input) created at priority 1 (src/input/input.c:254)
main debug: looking for access module
main debug: probing 8 candidates
access_udp debug: opening server=:0 local=233.1.14.3:50100
main debug: net: connecting to ':0@233.1.14.3:50100'
main debug: looking for network module
main debug: probing 2 candidates
ipv4 debug: IP_ADD_MEMBERSHIP multicast request
main debug: using network module "ipv4"
main debug: unlocking module "ipv4"
main debug: using access module "access_udp"
access_udp debug: detected MPEG video over RTP
main debug: looking for demux module
main debug: probing 21 candidates
mp4 warning: MP4 plugin discarded (not a valid file)
avi warning: avi module discarded (invalid header)
asf warning: ASF plugin discarded (not a valid file)
dshow warning: dshow plugin discarded (not a valid stream)
dshow warning: dshow plugin discarded (not a valid stream)
ts_dvbpsi warning: TS module discarded (no sync)
ts warning: TS module discarded (no sync)
flac warning: flac module discarded (no startcode)
main debug: looking for id3 module
main debug: probing 2 candidates
id3tag debug: checking for ID3 tag
main debug: using id3 module "id3tag"
main debug: unlocking module "id3tag"
mpga warning: mpga module discarded
mpgv warning: ES module discarded (no startcode)
livedotcom warning: SDP module discarded
mkv warning: matroska module discarded (invalid header 0x000c1b77)
aac warning: AAC module discarded
main debug: demux2_New: 'udp://@233.1.14.3:50100' -> access='' demux='' path='@233.1.14.3:50100'
main debug: looking for demux2 module
main debug: probing 12 candidates
aiff warning: AIFF module discarded
au warning: AU module discarded
mod warning: MOD module discarded (path=@233.1.14.3:50100)
nsv warning: NSV module discarded
playlist warning: old import module discarded: invalid file
playlist warning: m3u import module discarded
playlist warning: pls import module discarded
pva warning: PVA module discarded
ts2 warning: TS module discarded
real warning: Real module discarded
ps warning: this does not look like an MPEG PS stream, but continuing anyway
main debug: looking for mpeg-system module
main debug: probing 1 candidate
main debug: using mpeg-system module "mpeg_system"
main debug: using demux module "ps"
mpeg_system warning: garbage (0x000c1b77)
mpeg_system warning: garbage (0x00020900)
mpeg_system warning: garbage (0x00020100)
main debug: selecting ES 0xe0
main debug: looking for decoder module
main debug: probing 21 candidates
main debug: using decoder module "libmpeg2"
main debug: thread 2996 (decoder) created at priority 0 (src/input/input_dec.c:153)
mpeg_system warning: garbage (0x800c5baf)
mpeg_system warning: garbage (0x2ac2878f)

I'm guessing the Cisco IP/TV Server MPEG-2 format is slightly non-standard and VideoLAN can't figure out how to demux it. Has anyone had any luck using VideoLAN client to play a Cisco IP/TV Server stream? I'm also guessing if it can't play it, it won't be able to transcode it but I haven't tried that. Thank you.

[The DJ]

have you tried using RTSP to open the stream?

I have watched several IP/TV rtsp links with mpeg2 multicast.. works like a charm.

Maybe a recent version of the server software is required? A recent version of VLC is by definition a good idea of course.

[myersge1]

I tried but am only guessing what the correct URL is. Can you decipher the IP/TV SDP info below and give me an idea what the URL might be. When I'm watching the video in IP/TV, I can select View -> Program Info and then the SDP tab. This is it:

v=0
o=- 24475 6 IN IP4 198.116.200.1
s=Independence
i=This is the secondary ISS Video on MPEG2
e=ENMC <enmc@nisn.nasa.gov>
p=ENMC <800-833-0678>
b=AS:4000
t=0 0
a=cat:2
a=tool:IP/TV Content Manager 3.2.24
a=type:broadcast
a=x-iptv-local:IP/TV Content Manager 3.2.24
a=x-iptv-type:scheduled
a=x-rsvp-policy-APP:IPTV
a=x-rsvp-policy-VER:3.2.24
m=video 50100/1 RTP/AVP 32 31 96
c=IN IP4 233.1.14.3/63
a=fmtp:32 type=mpeg2-fulld1
a=x-iptv-svr:video iss-mpeg2-2 live
a=x-rsvp-service:video guaranteed
a=x-rsvp-policy-SAPP:video Video
a=rtpmap:96 WBIH/90000
a=framerate:30.0
a=quality:8
m=audio 17100/1 RTP/AVP 14 96 0 3 5 97 98 99 100 101 102 10 11 103 104 105 106
c=IN IP4 233.1.14.4/63
a=x-iptv-svr:audio iss-mpeg2-2 live
a=rtpmap:96 X-WAVE/8000
a=rtpmap:97 L8/8000/2
a=rtpmap:98 L8/8000
a=rtpmap:99 L8/22050/2
a=rtpmap:100 L8/22050
a=rtpmap:101 L8/11025/2
a=rtpmap:102 L8/11025
a=rtpmap:103 L16/22050/2
a=rtpmap:104 L16/22050
a=rtpmap:105 L16/11025/2
a=rtpmap:106 L16/11025

I know only enough about SDP to know that video systems auto-generate them as 'helpers' to get to the actual stream. I don't know enough about their structure to figure out how to get to this SDP file on the server if it actually exists. Thanks again.

[The DJ]

The whole stream is RTSP, so you cannot use a udp:// link to access it. It's not 100% UDP MPEG2.

You need to use the rtsp:// link which will give VLC a SDP like the one you showed. You can probably get all the streams via SAP. Just add the "Extra Interface" called "sap".

When you launch this one from VLC, it will add all the SAP announced streams to your VLC playlist. This one will probably be in there. That way you don't need the rtsp:// link at all.

[myersge1]

Thanks again. I did the SAP extra interface but the streams I am interested in did not show up. I believe they have restricted access and therefore not 'announced'. Anyway, I finally got it working and since there are probably several more boneheads out there like me, I'll explain what I did.

If you have Cisco's IP/TV already installed and working on your client machine (as I did), the 'IPTV Viewer' directory on that machine will contain some 'sdf' files (mine contained three). These are the 'show/program listings' that tell IP/TV where to find the individual streams, how to connect, and what protocol to use. In one of these files I located the lines related to the stream I was concerned about and copy/pasted them into a separate 'sdf' file. It took some trial and error to make sure I had all the right lines. In VLC, open that file using the 'File' tab instead of the 'Network' tab. Click OK and your video should pop up.

I spent a lot of time trying different combinations of URL's and ports on the 'Network' tab before stubbling onto this.

Thanks for your help. It got me in a roundabout way to the answer.

[afguest]

As was mentioned to view iptv programs you must create an .sdf file.
An easier way to create these files is as follows.
1. Open the IPTV Client.
Right click on the scheduled program you wish to view.
Click copy.
Paste this into notepad.
Save as an .sdf file.
Open this file with VLC.
I was using VLC 8.1, after about 40 seconds it would close the video.
8.4 seems to be working great.

Awesome!

[yangj123]

HI, I tried to open the .sdf file (created by using mouse to copy a channel) using vlc, but there is a problem: there is only sound, but no image. I am using vlc 0.8.6b.

Why did this happen? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks a lot in advance.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

WHat are the video codecs?

[yangj123]

Thanks for your reply!

The video codecs is MPEG4. One thing I can see is that there are two sessions, one for audio (Session RTP AUDIO), the other for video(Session RTP VIDEO).

The .sdf file is as follow. Thank you for your help.

v=0
o=- 1953 23 IN IP4 162.105.129.230
s=CCTV-10
i=CCTV-10
e=n/a <n/a>
p=n/a <n/a>
b=AS:1150
t=0 0
a=tool:IP/TV Content Manager 3.5.7.1
a=type:broadcast
a=x-iptv-local:IP/TV Content Manager 3.5.7.1
a=x-iptv-type:scheduled
a=x-rsvp-policy-APP:IPTV
a=x-rsvp-policy-VER:3.5.7.1
m=video 56548/1 RTP/AVP 96 31 32 97
c=IN IP4 239.251.35.85/15
a=fmtp:96 MP42
a=x-iptv-svr:video 162.105.129.236 live
a=x-rsvp-service:video best
a=x-rsvp-policy-SAPP:video Video
a=rtpmap:96 WBIH/90000
a=rtpmap:97 MP4V-ES/90000
a=framerate:25.0
a=quality:8
m=audio 21206/1 RTP/AVP 0 96 14 3 5 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 10 11 106 107 108 109
c=IN IP4 239.251.35.86/15
a=x-iptv-svr:audio 162.105.129.236 live
a=x-rsvp-service:audio best
a=x-rsvp-policy-SAPP:audio Audio
a=rtpmap:96 X-WAVE/8000
a=rtpmap:97 mpeg4-generic/44100/2
a=rtpmap:98 mpeg4-generic/32000/2
a=rtpmap:99 mpeg4-generic/22050/2
a=rtpmap:100 L8/8000/2
a=rtpmap:101 L8/8000
a=rtpmap:102 L8/22050/2
a=rtpmap:103 L8/22050
a=rtpmap:104 L8/11025/2
a=rtpmap:105 L8/11025
a=rtpmap:106 L16/22050/2
a=rtpmap:107 L16/22050
a=rtpmap:108 L16/11025/2
a=rtpmap:109 L16/11025

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Post your messages here. and DON'T HIJACK THREADS

[DJ]

Does anyone have some software available so that I could take a look at this. I'm interested in the concept and quality to date as the idea has been around for a while now. If you don't want to make the link public PM me.

It's my understanding the Cisco is not the only one producing software and a system. Microsoft, Scientific Atlanta and others have been promising solutions for some time now.