Setting Up Publishing Point for Live Streaming using Wowza on Premise Streaming Server

A Publishing point refers to the physical location of a streaming server where live video feeds are delivered (ingested) from an encoder, and playback URLs are used by the VIDIZMO player to play the live stream (egress), effectively hosting the stream for viewers. Publishing points allow for fine-tuning and reusing playback URLs for recurring live events.

A publishing point consists of an ingest point(s) within the Streaming Server, which receives input from the encoder and a playback URL provided by the streaming server for content playback. The quality of playback content depends on the streaming server's ability to transcode different renditions for the player.

VIDIZMO Streaming Servers excel at simultaneously transcoding ingested streams into different qualities (e.g., 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p), consolidating them into a unified source or manifest file. Manifest files store stream metadata that facilitates the delivery of high-quality streams by VIDIZMO players. Leveraging the available bandwidth, the player intelligently selects the most suitable quality based on information extracted from the manifest file.  

Follow the steps below to configure a Publishing Point using Wowza On-Premise Streaming Server for live streaming in VIDIZMO.

Before You Begin

To successfully set up a publishing point for live streaming, there are certain prerequisites and preparations that need to be fulfilled. This section outlines the key requirements and steps to follow before proceeding with the configuration process.

Prerequisites:

• Ensure that you have the necessary permissions (Administrator or Manager role) to add a Publishing Point for live streaming in VIDIZMO.
• Setting up the ECDN Node: To establish a publishing point, you need to configure an ECDN node using Wowza On-Premise streaming server. While VIDIZMO supports integration with multiple streaming servers (with the option to add more), this guide focuses on setting up Wowza as the streaming server provider. Follow the steps outlined in the "How to Configure ECDN Node using Wowza On-Premise Streaming Server Provider" documentation before creating a publishing point.
• To ensure seamless communication between the servers, both your VIDIZMO Portal and Wowza Streaming Engine should utilize the same protocol, either HTTP or HTTPS.
• Configuring Transcoder Settings: Before initiating live stream publishing with Wowza On-Premise Streaming Engine, it is essential to configure the transcoder settings to align with the chosen playable renditions during Publishing Point configuration in the VIDIZMO application. For example, if you select renditions of 160p, 480p, and 720p for the Publishing Point, the transcoder in Wowza Streaming Engine must be configured to support these specific encoding presets. To learn more, refer to Set up and run Transcoder in Wowza Streaming Engine documentation.

By following these prerequisites and ensuring proper configurations, you will be ready to proceed with the setup of your publishing point for live streaming using the Wowza On-Premise Streaming Server in the VIDIZMO platform. 

Adding a Publishing Point

Accessing the Portal's Homepage:

1. Click on the Menu icon at the screen's top left to open the left navigation pane.
2. Expand the Admin section by clicking on the down arrow.
3. Click on Control Panel.

Navigating to the Publishing Point:

1. Select the Live Streaming tab within the Control Panel navigation pane to view the available options.
2. Click the Publishing Point tab to open the corresponding screen on the right-hand side.
3. To add a Publishing Point for your streaming server, click the "Add Publishing Point" button.

Creating a Publishing Point:

1. On the "Add Publishing Point" screen, enter a suitable "Title" for the Publishing Point.
2. Choose a "Server" from the dropdown list; the available options are populated from the "Title" field when setting up the ECDN in the Control Panel at Admin > Control Panel > ECDN > Add ECDN. Choose the Wowza On-Premise Streaming Server node you configured following the instructions in "How to Configure ECDN node using Wowza On-Premise Streaming Server Provider." 

   
   

   Note: The below following options provide assistance in configuring and managing your Live Application in Wowza Streaming Engine. For detailed information about these options and their functionalities, refer to the "Live Application Configuration" documentation.

   
   

3. Specify the desired "Stream name."
4. For optimal streaming experience with reduced lag, select the "Low-latency" option when the application is intended for publishing and playing live video content in scenarios like video chat. 
5. Select the desired "Stream Qualities" for playback. Ensure that the Wowza Transcoder settings align with the selected renditions. For instance, if you opt for 160p, 480p, and 720p quality renditions, you must configure the transcoder in Wowza Streaming Engine accordingly to support the chosen encoding presets. 
6. Enable "Authentication" if login credentials are required for pushing a stream to the ingest point of the Wowza streaming server. When you enable the Authentication checkbox, login credentials become necessary during the encoder setup to push the stream to the streaming server. Once the checkbox for Authentication is enabled, both User Name and Password are mandatory for publishing the live stream into the ingestion point of the Wowza streaming server. This functionality allows users to establish username/password credentials, granting them access to the Live stream through this specific Publishing Point.
7. Add a Description to your Publishing Point for better clarity and understanding.
8. Choose the appropriate Wowza "Transcoder" template for configuring the content against this Publishing Point. For detailed information on these templates and instructions on configuration, refer to the "Set up and run Transcoder in Wowza Streaming Engine" documentation. Please ensure that the chosen template has encoding presets enabled for all the stream qualities previously selected.
9. To allow source connections from specific IP addresses to bypass authentication, enter the IP addresses as a comma-separated list in the Publish IP Whitelist box. All connections from other IP addresses must pass authentication. Limiting output through IP whitelisting ensures that only trusted IPs are used to allow streaming from the origin server. 
10. To restrict "source" connections from specific IP addresses, specify the IP addresses as a comma-separated list in the "Publish Blacklist IP" box. All connections from other IP addresses must pass authentication.
11. To prevent "playback" connections from specific IP addresses, specify the IP addresses in the "Blacklist IP" box.
12. To allow "playback" connections from specific IP addresses to bypass authentication, specify the IP addresses in the "Whitelist IP" box.
13. Use the "Maximum Playable Connections" setting to limit the number of concurrent viewers for the live stream. To learn more, refer to Limit maximum connections.
14. Set a "Stream Duration Limit" in seconds to define the maximum duration for the live stream. Once the duration limit is reached, the live stream will be automatically disconnected. 
15. Specify a "Bandwidth Limit" in kilobytes per second (KB/sec) to restrict inbound bandwidth for the live stream. This limitation prevents the streaming server from being overwhelmed by high bandwidth streams by monitoring and disconnecting the RTMP source if the stream bitrate exceeds the set limit. 
16. Click "Add" to create the Publishing Point.

Limitations and Default Settings for Live Streaming:

1. Please be aware of the limitations, such as maximum connections, stream duration, and bandwidth, as exceeding these limits can cause buffering or interruptions during the live stream. 
2. Pre-configured publishing point "Vidizmo On-premise Wowza" with the default Wowza On-Premise Streaming Server node is available in the portal for trial account holders, enabling seamless live streaming without the need to configure an ECDN Node or create a publishing point with the Streaming Server Provider. Furthermore, users can configure additional publishing points against the existing ECDN Node, empowering them to expand their live streaming capabilities as needed.
3. Trial accounts have default limitations that cannot be modified:

• Maximum Playable Connections: 5
• Stream Duration Limit: 900 seconds (15 minutes)
• Bandwidth Inbound Limit: 500 KB/sec