Redirecting streams in version 1.1.1

In version 1.1.1 of nginx-rtmp-module stream redirect feature is added. Now you can change currently played or published stream in realtime through control request. The following call changes subscriber stream name to newname. The subscriber is found in myapp application by the IP address 127.0.0.1.

http://server.com/control/redirect/subscriber?app=myapp&addr=127.0.0.1
&newname=newname

The above example changes stream for a single client. To change it for all clients use pull and change its source end. You can pull certain streams from VOD applications as well.

application myapp {
  live on;
  hls on;
  hls_path /var/hls;
  pull rtmp://localhost/src/default name=myapp static;
}

application src {
  live on; 
  pull rtmp://localhost/vod/title.mp4 name=default;
  pull rtmp://localhost/vod/ad.mp4 name=ad;
}

application vod {
  play /var/videos;
}

The myapp stream starts with title.mp4. Now switch to cam1 (which should be published to src application)

http://server.com/control/redirect/subscriber?app=src&addr=127.0.0.1
&newname=cam1

Now show ad.mp4

http://server.com/control/redirect/subscriber?app=src&addr=127.0.0.1
&newname=ad

Back to cam1

http://server.com/control/redirect/subscriber?app=src&addr=127.0.0.1
&newname=cam1

Now show cam2

http://server.com/control/redirect/subscriber?app=src&addr=127.0.0.1
&newname=cam2

The new stream starts immediately in RTMP. In HLS the stream is usually slightly delayed due to the nature of HLS.

Limitations:

• The feature only works in single-worker mode. You can easily create a streaming backend with a single worker to pull from.
• MPEG-DASH engine cannot handle stream discontinuities so the feature will not work properly with DASH