Nimble Streamer and Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)

Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) capabilities in Nimble Streamer is a powerful tool that enables live streaming and video processing. Nimble Streamer supports announced RTSP streams that are published to the platform, as well as streams that are available via a public RTSP URL. The Nimble Streamer has a robust set of features for processing RTSP streams, including interleaving compensation, support for LATM and ADTS AAC headers, and full-featured TCP interleaved playback.

In addition to RTSP processing, Nimble Streamer also allows for the creation of HLS and MPEG-DASH streams. The platform includes a transmuxing engine that enables re-packaging of RTSP content into other protocols, such as RTMP, SRT, NDI, SLDP, MPEG2TS, and Icecast audio. The platform also has a set of APIs that allow for control and management of RTSP streams, including a RTSP publish control framework, a stream availability push API, and a set of WMSPanel APIs.

Nimble Streamer DVR feature set allows for recording of incoming RTSP live streams for later playback. The pull by request feature enables creating RTMP and HLS streams on demand. Overall, Nimble Streamer's RTSP capabilities make it a powerful tool for live streaming and video processing, and it is an essential component of the Softvelum's suite of products.

Specifications for Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) in Nimble Streamer

Nimble Streamer allows processing any of allowed RTSP stream types:

announced RTSP streams published to Nimble
streams available via public URL (i.e. pulled streams) through TCP, UDP and over HTTP (VAPIX)

Content may also be taken as input via RTMP, SRT, NDI, WebRTC, MPEGTS, Icecast and even convert HLS to RTSP.

Enhanced interleaving compensation can be set up in event audio and video are unsynchronized.
BothLATM and ADTS AAC headers are supported.

Codecs

Supported video codecs include H.264, H.265, VP8 and VP9.
Audio codecs are AAC, AC3, E-AC3, MP3 and PCM G.711 (a-law and μ-law).
Read more about supported codecs

Producing HLS and MPEG-DASH

Nimble Streamer transmuxes RTSP into HLS and DASH stream.
Nimble supports fallback for multiple RTSP pull sources for redundancy purposes.
Failover for published RTSP streams can be set using hot swap.
These streams can be used for ABR streams combination via easy-to-use web UI.

Playback

Nimble Streamer supports RTSP TCP inteleaved playback for outgoing streams with full set of features like paywall and aliases. This enables Nimble to provide RTSP stream for both viewership and further re-transmission.

Recording

Nimble Streamer has DVR feature set which allows recording of incoming RTSP live streams for further playback via HLS and MPEG-DASH.

Pull by Request

Nimble Streamer can create RTMP and HLS streams by request from pulled RTSP sources in case you have streams which you do not want to pull 24/7.
Pull by Request is helpful when you have many stations or cameras which are not required to be transmuxed all the time.

Republishing

You can set up RTSP republishing for incoming announced and pulled streams.
This will allow you to bring live streams to edge servers to provide robust streaming.

Re-package into Other Live Protocols

Same transmuxing engine allows re-packaging RTSP content into the following protocols.

Hot Swap

Hot swap capabilities allow switching between source origin and substitute streams with no glitches or artifacts.

Emergency hot swap to cover cases like U.S. Emergency Alert System.
Failover hot swap to show tuning table or other active channel in case the stream goes down.

API and Control

RTSP streaming can be controlled in a few other ways besides WMSPanel web UI settings.

RTSP publish control allows to secure your ingest points from unwanted streams. It has several levels of control including custom handler web app to apply your business logic to your broadcasting process. This is a must-have feature for mobile broadcasting.
Read this overview article to learn more about benefits of publish control framework and check the detailed setup description to see it in action.
Stream availability push API allows getting notifications about RTSP streams publishing and unpublishing.
Set of WMSPanel APIs allows controlling RTSP settings.