Trying to figure out how display Meerkat Live Stream in VLC

[HDVid]

I'm watching live streams from the Meerkat app on their website http://meerkatapp.co/ You have to get the actual stream links from Twitter, I use TweetDeck. The video is aspect ratio is all screwed up, squished or stretched. I'd like to watch the live stream in VLC since it displays the video correctly.

While watching a live stream I can copy the video stream URL but the video comes through in chunks (chunk_0001811.ts) I can copy the latest chunk URL to VLC's "Open Network Stream" which plays for maybe 5 seconds then quits.

How can I get the live stream to play in VLC like it does in the browser by having it automatically get the next chunk file one after another??

[Baldrick]

I would try livestreamer

[HDVid]

I would try livestreamer

Okay. Thanks!

I'll see if I can figure out how to use it, I usually avoid command line programs, they are not very straight forward.

[HDVid]

I may or may not have set it up correctly. I'm getting the following error:

error: No plugin can handle URL: http://meerkatapp.co/laurajanebarber/727ac870-681d-47b6-88d7-18a0b582d6dd

This is what I typed in:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Livestreamer\livestreamer.exe" http://meerkatapp.co/laurajanebarber/727ac870-681d-47b6-88d7-18a0b582d6dd Best

I'm not sure if that is correct or not.

[Baldrick]

livestreamer is way too complex for me too...

But I guess it needs a plugin for each site/url?

[nullacht]

I'm getting the following error:

error: No plugin can handle URL: http://meerkatapp.co/laurajanebarber/727ac870-681d-47b6-88d7-18a0b582d6dd

Here is a list of all plugins:

http://docs.livestreamer.io/plugin_matrix.html

Meerkatapp.co is currently not supported. But it also works this way:

livestreamer "hls://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/ab71d839-aa5e-4cf1-8819-6a268633bf32/live.m3u8" best

[cli][info] Found matching plugin stream for URL hls://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/ab71d839-aa5e-4cf1-8819-6a268633bf32/live.m3u8
[cli][info] Available streams: live (worst, best)
[cli][info] Opening stream: live (hls)

[HDVid]

I'm getting the following error:

error: No plugin can handle URL: http://meerkatapp.co/laurajanebarber/727ac870-681d-47b6-88d7-18a0b582d6dd

Here is a list of all plugins:

http://docs.livestreamer.io/plugin_matrix.html

Meerkatapp.co is currently not supported. But it also works this way:

livestreamer "hls://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/ab71d839-aa5e-4cf1-8819-6a268633bf32/live.m3u8" best

[cli][info] Found matching plugin stream for URL hls://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/ab71d839-aa5e-4cf1-8819-6a268633bf32/live.m3u8
[cli][info] Available streams: live (worst, best)
[cli][info] Opening stream: live (hls)

Thanks for the information. I created a batch file and put your code in it to try since mine didn't work. I'll have to wait until the person is streaming again to try it myself.

How did you come up with "hls://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/" and "live.m3u8"? I couldn't find any thing like that in the source code on their page. I guess I don't know where to look.

[nullacht]

How did you come up with "hls://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/" and "live.m3u8"? I couldn't find any thing like that in the source code on their page. I guess I don't know where to look.

Not directly in the source code, but in an XML configuration file:

http://resources.meerkatapp.co/broadcasts/727ac870-681d-47b6-88d7-18a0b582d6dd/summary

"playlist":"http://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/727ac870-681d-47b6-88d7-18a0b582d6dd/live.m3u8"

Obviously, it is not very difficult to get a direct link to each m3u8 file:

http://meerkatapp.co/hilzfuld/9d4c8a95-768a-4ebe-a42b-fef2b601adfc

http://resources.meerkatapp.co/broadcasts/9d4c8a95-768a-4ebe-a42b-fef2b601adfc/summary

http://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/9d4c8a95-768a-4ebe-a42b-fef2b601adfc/live.m3u8

[HDVid]

How did you come up with "hls://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/" and "live.m3u8"? I couldn't find any thing like that in the source code on their page. I guess I don't know where to look.

Not directly in the source code, but in an XML configuration file:

http://resources.meerkatapp.co/broadcasts/727ac870-681d-47b6-88d7-18a0b582d6dd/summary

"playlist":"http://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/727ac870-681d-47b6-88d7-18a0b582d6dd/live.m3u8"

Obviously, it is not very difficult to get a direct link to each m3u8 file:

http://meerkatapp.co/hilzfuld/9d4c8a95-768a-4ebe-a42b-fef2b601adfc

http://resources.meerkatapp.co/broadcasts/9d4c8a95-768a-4ebe-a42b-fef2b601adfc/summary

http://cdn.meerkatapp.co/broadcast/9d4c8a95-768a-4ebe-a42b-fef2b601adfc/live.m3u8

Thanks again for the information. I'll have to try to dig into that to find it.

I was able to try your code this morning and it works! I greatly appreciate your help, I didn't think I would ever get it working with VLC.

[nullacht]

A plugin is now available:

livestreamer "http://meerkatapp.co/tncmylife/2549a728-66eb-406d-8bf0-701b51ec4dca" best

[cli][info] Found matching plugin meerkat for URL http://meerkatapp.co/tncmylife/2549a728-66eb-406d-8bf0-701b51ec4dca
[cli][info] Available streams: live (worst, best)
[cli][info] Opening stream: live (hls)

[HDVid]

Thank you very much for the update!

DL'd the .py file and placed it in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Livestreamer\livestreamer-1.12.2-py2.7.egg\livestreamer\plugins" directory.

I opened a Meerkat stream which did open in VLC however there was no audio, I watched in browser, there is audio. I'm not sure if LiveStreamer is recognizing the plugin since the other plugins are *.pyc and this is only *.py.

I'll continue playing around with it.

[nullacht]

I was testing it by using this version [1] (contains the latest development code) in combination with VLC and MPC-HC. Audio / video playback was working fine with both players.

Codec information:

Stream 0
Type: Video
Original ID: 256
Codec: H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10) (h264)
Resolution: 368x642
Display resolution: 360x640
Decoded format: Planar 4:2:0 YUV

Stream 1
Type: Audio
Original ID: 257
Codec: MPEG AAC Audio (mp4a)
Channels: Stereo
Sample rate: 44100 Hz

[HDVid]

Thanks for the link! I'll install it and give it a try.