seeking help with rtmpdump

[anctop]

Hi,

I've read some articles in this forum about choosing high quality streams in downloading with rtmpdump.

Currently I'm using a front-end called "RTMPHelper" (on Windows) to download video streams, but the problem is that it can only grab the default "medium" quality.

For example, when I try to get the video from "http://mytv.tvb.com/tc/cat_lifestyle/braingames2/236859", the rtmpsuck console shows :

Processing connect
       app : vipo/_definst_/mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4?ts=1455764386
  flashVer : WIN 19,0,0,185
    swfUrl : http://img.tvb.com/mytv4/swf/supertv_r2-1.swf?1455764376
     tcUrl : rtmpe://wowza.stream.tvb.com:1935/vipo/_definst_/mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4?ts=1455764386
   pageUrl : http://mytv.tvb.com/tc/cat_lifestyle/braingames2/236859
WARNING: Trying different position for server digest!
      live : no
  Playpath : mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4
 Saving as : 2016-02-18_10-59-54_000000874154.flv
WARNING: ignoring too small audio packet: size: 0
INFO: Metadata:
INFO: trackinfo:
INFO:   language                und
INFO:   timescale               90000.00
INFO:   length                  121546800.00
INFO: sampledescription:
INFO:   sampletype              avc1
INFO:   language                und
INFO:   timescale               44100.00
INFO:   length                  59565056.00
INFO: sampledescription:
INFO:   sampletype              mp4a
INFO:   language                und
INFO:   timescale               44100.00
INFO:   length                  59565056.00
INFO: sampledescription:
INFO:   sampletype              mp4a
INFO:   language                und
INFO:   timescale               44100.00
INFO:   length                  59565056.00
INFO: sampledescription:
INFO:   sampletype              mp4a
INFO:   language                und
INFO:   timescale               44100.00
INFO:   length                  59565056.00
INFO: sampledescription:
INFO:   sampletype              mp4a
INFO:   audiochannels           2.00
INFO:   audiosamplerate         44100.00
INFO:   videoframerate          25.00
INFO:   aacaot                  2.00
INFO:   avclevel                31.00
INFO:   avcprofile              77.00
INFO:   audiocodecid            mp4a
INFO:   videocodecid            avc1
INFO:   width                   853.00
INFO:   height                  480.00
INFO:   frameWidth              854.00
INFO:   frameHeight             480.00
INFO:   displayWidth            853.00
INFO:   displayHeight           480.00
INFO:   framerate               25.00
INFO:   moovposition            146678113.00
INFO:   duration                1350.68

and the log file contains a line

rtmpdump -r "rtmpe://wowza.stream.tvb.com:1935/vipo/_definst_/mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4" -a "vipo/_definst_/mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4?ts=1455764386" -f "WIN 19,0,0,185" -W "http://img.tvb.com/mytv4/swf/supertv_r2-1.swf" -p "http://mytv.tvb.com/tc/cat_lifestyle/braingames2/236859" -C S:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4 -C S:1455764386 -C S:33d0b324e6866816d3bccedbdde4cfdf -y "mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4" -o "2016-02-18_10-59-54_000000874154.flv"

Then I switch to high quality (1280x720) and drag the slidebar back to the beginning, the log file contains a further line

rtmpdump -r "rtmpe://wowza.stream.tvb.com:1935/vipo/_definst_/mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4" -a "vipo/_definst_/mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4?ts=1455764728" -f "WIN 19,0,0,185" -W "http://img.tvb.com/mytv4/swf/supertv_r2-1.swf" -p "http://mytv.tvb.com/tc/cat_lifestyle/braingames2/236859" -C S:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874154.mp4 -C S:1455764728 -C S:7fe63e0fdde31b1886468d24c6c5208e --live -y "mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874156.mp4?audioindex=0" -o "2016-02-18_11-05-38_000000874156.flv"

and the resultant .flv is incomplete.

I tried to execute the rtmpdump commands directly, but fail

RTMPDump v2.4 GIT-2014-03-02 (Compiled by KSV)
(c) 2010 Andrej Stepanchuk, Howard Chu, The Flvstreamer Team; license: GPL
Connecting ...
WARNING: Trying different position for server digest!
INFO: Connected...
ERROR: RTMP_ReadPacket, failed to read RTMP packet header

Could someone suggest a solution ?

Thanks in advance.

[sysanin]

. .

[anctop]

Then I switch to high quality (1280x720) and drag the slidebar back to the beginning ...

I think that it is necessary to switch quality quickly (within 10 - 20 sec.)

Your time is more than 5 minutes

Thank you for your suggestion.
I've downloaded a copy in high quality mode, but the resultant .flv seems to have some synchronization problems :

• When played with MPC-HC, the clip does not start normally. I have to move forward a distance, click "stop", then click "play" as usual.
• When played with VLC, the clip plays normally for a few seconds, then followed by seconds of garbage, then resumes normal playback.
• It cannot be edited (e.g with avidemux).

These problems do not happen in the medium quality (853x480) downloads.
Are they unavoidable for high quality downloads ?
I use RTMPDumpHelper with FireFox 36.x. What tool did you use for downloading ?

[ponens]

I've downloaded a copy in high quality mode, but the resultant .flv seems to have some synchronization problems :

• When played with MPC-HC, the clip does not start normally. I have to move forward a distance, click "stop", then click "play" as usual.
• When played with VLC, the clip plays normally for a few seconds, then followed by seconds of garbage, then resumes normal playback.
• It cannot be edited (e.g with avidemux).

These problems do not happen in the medium quality (853x480) downloads.

Do you have sufficient bandwidth? Try downloading the video using hls or hds instead of rtmp.

[anctop]

I've downloaded a copy in high quality mode, but the resultant .flv seems to have some synchronization problems :

• When played with MPC-HC, the clip does not start normally. I have to move forward a distance, click "stop", then click "play" as usual.
• When played with VLC, the clip plays normally for a few seconds, then followed by seconds of garbage, then resumes normal playback.
• It cannot be edited (e.g with avidemux).

These problems do not happen in the medium quality (853x480) downloads.

Do you have sufficient bandwidth? Try downloading the video using hls or hds instead of rtmp.

I've not heard about "hls" nor "hds".

Could you show me how to use tem to download the high quality version of the episode from http://mytv.tvb.com/tc/cat_lifestyle/braingames2/236859 ?

[ponens]

Could you show me how to download the high quality version of the episode from
http://mytv.tvb.com/tc/cat_lifestyle/braingames2/236859 ?

View json at

http://api.mytv.tvb.com/rest_user_subscription_api/video_path/format/json?id=236859

Note "hd" quality in listing ("ts=" and "sig=" values will be changed)

hd":{"Cantonese":"rtmpe://wowza.stream.tvb.com/vipo/_definst_/mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874156.mp4?ts=1455779331&sig=77e34e1e7713d952f51c7d27461cad26&audioindex=0

Add "ts=" and "sig=" values to hls url

http://streaming.tvb.com/vipo/_definst_/vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874156.mp4/playlist.m3u8?ts=xxxxxxxxxx&sig=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Use livestreamer or ffmpeg with hls url

livestreamer "hlsvariant://http://streaming.tvb.com/vipo/_definst_/vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874156.mp4/playlist.m3u8?ts=xxxxxxxxxx&sig=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" best -o output.ts

[sysanin]

ponens thank you, everything works fine

[anctop]

ponens, thank you for your method.

[anctop]

ponens, many thanks for your help, I've finally fetched the clip.

I'm curious about how to find the two "magic" url's :

http://api.mytv.tvb.com/rest_user_subscription_api/video_path/format/json?id=236859

http://streaming.tvb.com/vipo/_definst_/vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874156.mp4/playlist.m3u8?ts=xxxxxxxxxx&sig=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What additional tools are required for their determination ?

[lolworld]

Could you show me how to download the high quality version of the episode from
http://mytv.tvb.com/tc/cat_lifestyle/braingames2/236859 ?

View json at

http://api.mytv.tvb.com/rest_user_subscription_api/video_path/format/json?id=236859

Note "hd" quality in listing ("ts=" and "sig=" values will be changed)

hd":{"Cantonese":"rtmpe://wowza.stream.tvb.com/vipo/_definst_/mp4:vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874156.mp4?ts=1455779331&sig=77e34e1e7713d952f51c7d27461cad26&audioindex=0

Add "ts=" and "sig=" values to hls url

http://streaming.tvb.com/vipo/_definst_/vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874156.mp4/playlist.m3u8?ts=xxxxxxxxxx&sig=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Use livestreamer or ffmpeg with hls url

livestreamer "hlsvariant://http://streaming.tvb.com/vipo/_definst_/vipo/34/6758/675716/000000874156.mp4/playlist.m3u8?ts=xxxxxxxxxx&sig=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" best -o output.ts

Thanks ponens, this worked well till Sep 23, 2016.
Can you help?