Name is required.
Email address is required.
Invalid email address
Answer is required.
Exceeding max length of 5KB

HLS Android live stream

Hi,
We've just upgraded our client to latest JW Player 6.9 (they've been using 6.8 previously) and we're testing enabled HLS streaming on Android 4.1 and above. VOD streams work fine, but livestream on the main page is not - the players displays buffer icon for a while and after few seconds comesback with Play icon (not error icon). Any ideas why is that? The website is http://nowa.pomorska.tv and the m3u8 playlist generated for livestream looks like this:

#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=1332000,RESOLUTION=640x360
http://stream.trefl.com/hls-live/livepkgr/_definst_/livestream_1/livestream_1.m3u8
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=512000,RESOLUTION=320x180
http://stream.trefl.com/hls-live/livepkgr/_definst_/livestream_2/livestream_2.m3u8
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=132000,RESOLUTION=160x90
http://stream.trefl.com/hls-live/livepkgr/_definst_/livestream_3/livestream_3.m3u8

Both VOD and live HLS streams work fine on iOS devices. Thanks in advance for your help!

14 Community Answers

Up Down

Andrew

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Hi,

I am not seeing where your player exists on this page via Android. Where does this exist?

Up Down

tecnico.cbol

User  
0 rated :

Im having a similar problem after upgrading to 6.9 . Desktop player video freezes during 2 seconds every 10 seconds. I was using Premium version, HLS via Akamai.

After downgrading to 6.8 it works fine.

Up Down

Andrew

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Hi,

Any chance of getting a test page with this issue? I’d be happy to take a look! If you’d like, you can also email us via the link on your dashboard.

Up Down

cholyst

User  
0 rated :

Andrew,

The live stream is on page http://nowa.pomorska.tv under Livestream link (which is usually linked as default home page, but over weekend it was not).

The VOD stream is basically any article with video in it, ie: http://nowa.pomorska.tv/informacje/materialy/sporty-i-rekreacja/rolki-na-nogi-i-w-droge

VOD stream works fine in 6.9 on Android, but livestream works as described above in the OP post.

Player is self hosted, but there're no modifications done to the js file: http://nowa.pomorska.tv/player/jwplayer.js

Up Down

cholyst

User  
0 rated :

Please also take note that the same livestream works just fine in Chrome on Android when opened directly via a href link on Android: http://nowa.pomorska.tv/android/live/

So the stream itself seems to be configured properly for Android, as it plays in both Chrome and native player when m3u8 playlist is opened directly via link, but in JW Player it starts to load the stream (you can even get audio and sometimes a glimpse of video) and after few seconds returns to play icon.

Of course we're talking about Android 4.x in both examples (test page with direct link and website with JW Player 6.9).

Up Down

tim

User  
0 rated :

Hello,

Just wanted to mention we are seeing the exact same behaviour.

JW 6.9 will load, buffer, then play perhaps a few seconds of live video before returning to play or re-play icon.

We are also running an unmodified version of the self-hosted player.

Any help appreciated!

Up Down

tim

User  
0 rated :

Just an update - I have it working, but I need to be using Wirecast's x264 profiles in order for it to work.

Using direct H.264 Main (or Baseline) from either Wirecast or our Viewcast results in an unplayable HLS for JW6.9 + Android.

Using the x264 Wirecast encoding, (either Baseline or Main) with quality setting at '3' seems to work for Androids.

(Sending 25fps with keyframes every 2 seconds)

Hope this helps - and hope JW can become a bit more robust for androids soon, too :)

Up Down

cholyst

User  
0 rated :

Tim,

Thanks for your update, that info is helpful. Seems that JW Player 6.9 on Android plays only one keyframe of HLS livestream and then stops.

We would like though to keep the livestreams down to two versions (RTMP and HLS), without creating another subversion encoding for HLS for Android only...

Andrew, is there any chance on fixing this issue in the JW Player, since we know livestream runs fine in the native Android player/Chrome when linked directly to m3u8 source?

Up Down

Andrew

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Hi,

I’m not seeing any issues with this VOD file playing on either Android or desktop. Also, can I ask why you have two different player setups being used here? You can use sources here to fall back to HLS in the event that Flash is not installed on a device.
http://support.jwplayer.com/customer/portal/articles/1413113-configuration-options-reference#playlist

Might be a bit more simple in this case. :)

Up Down

arczynski

User  
0 rated :

Andrew,

1) HLS VOD stream is working fine on Android in JW 6.9, as I've stated in OP and following posts.

It's the HLS Livestream that stops on Android after first segment is loaded and played (sometimes we don't even get the video, only audio for few seconds) but reverts to Play icon, not Error one (so there's no error in the livestream I assume, since it is also working when loaded in native Android player via direct link to m3u8 playlist).

The livestream is available here: http://nowa.pomorska.tv/livestream (first block under menu).

Any ideas/fix/solution for that?

2) As for the two setups - it's due to some differences in the site's player setup options for desktop and mobile devices (different skins and option variables based on the agent). We know about the fallback feature :)

Up Down

cholyst

User  
0 rated :

Andrew, Ethan - any response to the above please?

Up Down

cholyst

User  
0 rated :

Andrew, Ethan - any response to the above please? I'm happy to provide you with more details about the stream if needed - just tell me what you need to investigate this further.

Up Down

Andrew

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Hi,

Are you attempting to use an API call to invoke the stream? If so, this might be causing the problem. Setting the player up on a standalone page with no attempt to autostart is working?

Up Down

jroch

User  
0 rated :

HI

Having the same issue here using Elemental Encoders and Akamai (rtmp in , HLs out)

With 6.9 we have a freeze every 10 seconds, using 6.8 correct the issue

This happens in Live only, using DVR or VOD is fine

Any clues ?

This question has received the maximum number of answers.