Record HLS streams?

[branch]

Anybody know of a program which can record HLS streams?

(If you don't know what HLS means then please make sure your suggestion is actually relevant)

[Baldrick]

Can you play it with VLC? THen can you use its recording function(view->advanced controls and use the record button).

[branch]

No, alas not.

HLS is http live streaming, something Apple thought up to stream video via port 80 (the normal browser port), and essentially you get video in 10 second chunks.

[bat999]

... HLS streams?

Have you a link for such a stream?

[hech54]

... HLS streams?

Have you a link for such a stream?

You'd better rephrase that question to ensure that it is "relevant".

[Bahman]

ffmpeg is one of options!

[branch]

... HLS streams?

Have you a link for such a stream?

Sure: http://hls.twit.tv:1935/flosoft/smil:twitStream.smil/playlist.m3u8

This link btw is quite legal (if that is what worried the next poster ) - all their mateiral is Creative Commons and free to be shared with the world.

[branch]

ffmpeg is one of options!

How? It doesn't work for me?

Could you supply some commandline arguments?

[Baldrick]

It plays in VLC 2.0.3 and I can record it...

[bat999]

And command line...
For a 30 second clip.

ffmpeg -i http://hls.twit.tv:1935/flosoft/smil:twitStream.smil/playlist.m3u8 -t 30 -c copy output1.mkv

vlc http://hls.twit.tv:1935/flosoft/smil:twitStream.smil/playlist.m3u8 --stop-time=30 --sout="#std{access=file,mux=mkv,dst='output2.mkv'}" vlc://quit

[branch]

It plays in VLC 2.0.3

Strange, it doesn't in 2.0.0 - who would have thought the last digit should make a difference.
In 2.0.3 it does play a little, but then the image freezes though the audio continues.

and I can record it...

I might ask you about that if I can't figure out how to use bat999's examples

[branch]

And command line...
For a 30 second clip.

ffmpeg -i http://hls.twit.tv:1935/flosoft/smil:twitStream.smil/playlist.m3u8 -t 30 -c copy output1.mkv

Which version of ffmpeg is that? I'm getting a screen full of error messages and no output file.

[Baldrick]

VLC changelog,

Changes between 2.0.1 and 2.0.2:
* Improvements and fixes in HLS support

The image freezes here too after ~30 seconds...so I guess it doesn't work perfect yet. Try ffmpeg instead.

[branch]

I tired this version https://www.videohelp.com/tools/ffmpeg

And whilst it does output 30 seconds or so, it freezes ever couple of seconds then unfreezes a bit then freezes again etc.

[bat999]

Which version of ffmpeg is that? I'm getting a screen full of error messages and no output file.

Hi
Maybe different commands needed for Windows FFmpeg.

90 second sample is attached.

Using this version with Linux.
@ubuntu:~$ ffmpeg
ffmpeg version git-2012-07-26-d5d5e3d Copyright (c) 2000-2012 the FFmpeg developers
built on Jul 26 2012 14:54:57 with gcc 4.5.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.5.2-8ubuntu4)
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-libaacplus --enable-libfaac --enable-libfdk-aac --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-librtmp --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --enable-nonfree --enable-version3 --enable-x11grab

[branch]

Well, my PC version seems to be missing: -enable-libaacplus --enable-libfaac --enable-libfdk-aac --enable-libtheora --enable-nonfree --enable-x11grab

[branch]

Ok bat, I found the 2012-07-26 64 bit version for Windows 7.

And your code example produces a 30 second mkv which looks fine.

Though the console is still full of spam output like

[mpegts @ 000000000055f3a0] Invalid timestamps stream=1, pts=1844280000, dts=1844282970, size=1533

Anyway to disable that?

[bat999]

... Anyway to disable that?

Hi
Mine shows all that guff about timestamps too.
I don't know whether it's a problem, or not.

Do the FFmpeg downloaded clips play OK for you?
Is the audio in sync?
(My weak pc struggles to play 1280x720)

[branch]

... Anyway to disable that?

Hi
Mine shows all that guff about timestamps too.
I don't know whether it's a problem, or not.

Just seems to be a bit wasteful on resources to do that.

Do the FFmpeg downloaded clips play OK for you?
Is the audio in sync?
(My weak pc struggles to play 1280x720)

Seems to be in sync from what i've tested so far.

But I can't handle the resulting mkv in in mkvmerge it gives me the error:

" track 2: Malformed codec id 'A_AAC'."

I tried to see if i could use the ffmpeg to extract the sound as a wav but the soundfile skips - very odd.

[branch]

... Anyway to disable that?

Hi
Mine shows all that guff about timestamps too.
I don't know whether it's a problem, or not.

Just seems to be a bit wasteful on resources to do that.

Do the FFmpeg downloaded clips play OK for you?
Is the audio in sync?
(My weak pc struggles to play 1280x720)

Seems to be in sync from what i've tested so far.

But I can't edit the resulting mkv in in mkvmerge it gives me the error:

" track 2: Malformed codec id 'A_AAC'."

I tried to see if i could use the ffmpeg to extract the sound as a wav but the soundfile skips - very odd.

[poisondeathray]

You can run it through gdsmux (comes with haali splitter package), and it will re-wrap the mkv, audio id will be fixed (it will be uncompressed audio however - PCM wav). Then mkvmerge or other programs can process it correctly

Edit: actually better is to demux it with eac3to, and reimport the aac with mkvmerge (this way you keep original audio). It will attempt to fix the bunch of errors and gaps. For some reason mkvmerge doesn't like the original audio id

[bat999]

But I can't edit the resulting mkv in in mkvmerge it gives me the error:

" track 2: Malformed codec id 'A_AAC'."

Hi
The soundtrack needs fixing.
FFmpeg can do it, like this:-

ffmpeg -i output90.mkv -c copy -absf aac_adtstoasc new_output90.mkv

Then it will be accepted by mkvmerge.

[branch]

Hi
The soundtrack needs fixing.
FFmpeg can do it, like this:-

ffmpeg -i output90.mkv -c copy -absf aac_adtstoasc new_output90.mkv

Then it will be accepted by mkvmerge.

Wow, that's great bat, I have no idea what those arguments mean, but they did the trick - and all even seem to be in sync

Thanks a lot!

[branch]

Hehe, I tried looking -absf up in the ffmpeg manual and it says "Deprecated, see -bsf" - which seems to be missing

[bat999]

"Deprecated, see -bsf" ...

Hi
The up-to-date (not deprecated) command is:-

ffmpeg -i output90.mkv -c copy -bsf:a aac_adtstoasc new_new_output90.mkv

aac_adtstoasc is mentioned here ---> http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html#aac_005fadtstoasc
But there's no explanation, lol

[branch]

The up-to-date (not deprecated) command is:-

ffmpeg -i output90.mkv -c copy -bsf:a aac_adtstoasc new_new_output90.mkv

aac_adtstoasc is mentioned here ---> http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html#aac_005fadtstoasc
But there's no explanation, lol

I guess it converts adts to asc - how did you find out?


Btw, if I remove the time argument it just keeps grabbing which is fine.

But when i press ctrl -c it asks me if I'm sure I want to stop. You don't happen to know a command that will make it not ask, but just stop?

[bat999]

... I guess it converts adts to asc - how did you find out?

We've had problems with audio in downloaded flv files, sometimes the bsf cures it.

... Btw, if I remove the time argument it just keeps grabbing which is fine.

The "-t 30" option was there just to grab a sample. It's OK to remove it.

... You don't happen to know a command that will make it not ask, but just stop?

Close the window, X in top corner.

[branch]

We've had problems with audio in downloaded flv files, sometimes the bsf cures it.

Handy.
Now i just need something to cut it visually. VideoRedoDo doesn't work, it seems to drop sound frames, making huge drop outs in the sound. Oh well.

The "-t 30" option was there just to grab a sample. It's OK to remove it.

Yeah, I tried just having it running to today and it grabbed 4 hours and 21 minutes and then strangely just stopped.

... You don't happen to know a command that will make it not ask, but just stop?

Close the window, X in top corner.

Hehe.

Well, now i guess I need another app to monitor if this one stops and then restart it

Probably outside the scope of this forum though

[branch]

Yeah screen capture is an unnecessary generation loss, plus you can't use the machine for something else meanwhile.
ffmpeg crashes or skips a lot, but perhaps these bugs will be ironed out over time.

[tluxon]

Yeah screen capture is an unnecessary generation loss, plus you can't use the machine for something else meanwhile.
ffmpeg crashes or skips a lot, but perhaps these bugs will be ironed out over time.

I get you - I try to steer clear of lossy options as well, but sometimes the trade-off for time and simplicity wins my compromise.

Have you tried anything that might work with Wireshark?