This guide explains how to broadcast an online meeting kMeet in a separate stream accessible via a unique URL thanks to Streaming Vidéo Infomaniak.

Preamble

• Broadcasting a conference-type meeting in a Video Streaming stream rather than within the kMeet application offers several advantages:
  • Large-scale public broadcasting without having to restrict access to an audience limited to invited persons.
  • Attract a wider audience, such as conferences, webinars or live events where hundreds or thousands of spectators can follow the event without joining a private call.
  • Allows to reach an unlimited number of spectators.
  • No need to manage access for each participant, the stream is simply viewable via a link.
  • A simple web browser is sufficient to access the streaming stream.
  • Passive access: spectators are not forced to actively participate or interact; they can simply watch the event without registering or logging in, which is better suited for large events.
  • No vocal interruptions or disruptions related to microphone management; this allows for a more fluid stream focused on the speaker.
  • Higher broadcast resolution when kMeet can be limited by bandwidth constraints and lower video quality to avoid network overload.

Create the Streaming Video share link

Prerequisites

• Streaming a kMeet video stream within a Streaming Video stream is only possible with the kSuite Pro or Enterprise offer.
• You must be a moderator of kMeet to create a live broadcast link, but it is not necessary to have an Infomaniak Streaming Vidéo offer.

Next:

1. Start kMeet via kmeet.infomaniak.com or from one of the applications for computers or mobile devices.
2. Once in the meeting, click on the action menu ○○○ in the kMeet toolbar.
3. Choose to Start live streaming:
   
4. Click the button to Start:
   
5. Wait for the video stream to be created:
   
6. In the same place, once the stream link is displayed, click on the icon on the right to copy the URL corresponding to the live stream; paste the URL into a message for the participants or anyone who needs to watch the live broadcast.
7. An icon displayed on kMeet along with an audible signal indicates the start of the broadcast via Streaming Vidéo:
   

The stream is broadcast continuously for a maximum of 24 hours and will no longer be accessible as soon as the kMeet meeting is stopped.

This guide explains how to live stream a list of videos from the VOD service using the Streaming video product.

Preamble

• This feature allows you to use the **VOD service** to create a playlist of videos and then use the **Streaming video service** to broadcast it live, for example, as part of a music video channel, teleshopping, documentaries, etc.
• It is possible to insert advertisements between each video, manually or via the use of VAST tags.
• The playlist will loop indefinitely until the user stops it.

Stream a VOD playlist live

Prerequisites

• Have a VOD service (at least the free VOD space with the Streaming video service).
• Have a Streaming vidéo service within the same Organization and managed by the same account.

To create the playlist, import a few videos:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Click on the Select button (in the Quick Import section).

Once the videos are imported:

1. Click on Media in the left sidebar.
2. Click on Playlists / WebTV in the left sidebar.
3. Click the button to add a new playlist.
4. Name the playlist and determine if it should be automatic (linked to a folder) or manual.
5. Select the folder or specific videos to use to create the playlist.
6. Click on the Create a live stream button:
   
7. Choose the stream from the **Video Streaming** service that will broadcast the playlist and set your preferences:
   

Some usage examples

Broadcasting a playlist can serve as a fallback solution as soon as a live stream is interrupted (voluntarily or involuntarily) and in this case take over the air. As soon as the live encoder pushes a stream, it takes back control of the playlist. This allows for the broadcasting of alternative content if there is a problem with the live stream or if the user only broadcasts true live content in the evening, for example, they can automate the broadcasting of content from playlists for the rest of the day.

It is also possible to schedule the broadcast of a playlist from the Streaming video scheduling tool. This way, you can choose to broadcast unique or different playlists in advance, or on a recurring basis. The live encoder will be automatically disconnected for the entire duration of the playlist broadcast; once the time slot is over, the encoder will reconnect and its content will be broadcast.

This guide explains how to restrict access to Infomaniak Video Streaming streams using a unique key (hash).

Preamble

• This method offers the highest level of protection and allows you, for example, to restrict your broadcasts to a members-only area requiring authentication.
• The way to generate this code is specific to each site, so it will be necessary to implement the required PHP functions and adapt the integration code of your player accordingly.

Restrict access to broadcasts by unique key (hash)

To do this:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Click on Settings in the left sidebar.
4. Click on Restrictions in the left sidebar.
5. Click on the Unique hash restriction tab:
   

How restrictions work

This method requires retrieving information related to the configuration of your stream and the user who is connecting.

First, you need to set a password (a key) in the Infomaniak Manager. As soon as this key is added, connected viewers and those attempting to watch your stream will be instantly blocked (refer to this other guide to customize the replacement image offered to blocked viewers).

Here is the procedure to follow to authorize access to your stream:

• Design an authentication system of your own (e.g. a member space).
• Take the password configured above on the Manager.
• Retrieve the IP of users via $_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"] for example.
• Get the identifier of the stream to target.
• Retrieve the current date and time (without minutes and seconds).

These elements will then be hashed by the code provided in the Manager to generate a unique token specific to each user that will be transmitted to the stream at the time of loading. The streaming platform will then check the validity of the hash to authorize or reject the connection.

Important notes

• To ensure the security of access to the stream, the validity of each token is time-limited.
• It is important to disable caching on the pages that allow access to the stream; indeed, if the token generation is cached, other users will attempt to authenticate with someone else's hash, which will cause them to be rejected even if they are authorized to consume the stream.

This guide explains how to do a 360° live stream with Infomaniak's video streaming service.

Prerequisites

• Have a 360 camera compatible with one of the following formats:
  • equirectangular 360 monoscopic (2D)
  • 360° equirectangular stereoscopic (3D) side by side (left/right separation)
  • equirectangular 360 stereoscopic (3D) top/bottom (top/bottom separation)
• Your encoder or your camera must also be able to send a stream via an RTMP connection (learn more).
• Finally, note that a 360° video stream requires a source with a high bitrate and a bitrate control set to CBR mode; the bitrate will depend on the type of content and data consumption, which will also be higher than with a standard stream.
   

Create a 360° player

Broadcasting a 360° live stream requires a 360° player. This option is free and can be activated quickly:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Click on Integration then on Players in the left sidebar to create or edit an existing player.
4. Check the Player 360 box and configure the projection (360 format):
   
5. Click the Save button.
6. All content broadcasted by this player (whether it is in 360° format or not) will now be interpreted as 360°.

This guide explains how to record or archive all of your Streaming vidéo, which can be useful for creating TV replays or reviewing videos recorded by surveillance cameras, for example.

Manage automatic recording of live broadcasts

To enable this option:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Activate live recording using the toggle switch from the stream dashboard:
   

Once this feature is activated, the stream will be automatically and perpetually recorded from the moment it is sent to (or pulled by) the Infomaniak platform.

Be mindful of your FTP space, which could quickly become saturated. If needed, you also have the option to manually schedule recordings using the scheduling tool.

How automatic recordings work

Once this option is activated, an mp4 file will be automatically generated after each broadcast, which will be transferred to the FTP or VOD space configured by you.

Important details:

• A broadcast is defined as the time between connection and disconnection to the video encoder.
• Quality of recordings: in the case of a multi-bitrate stream, the maximum source quality will be preserved.
• File size limitation: In case of continuous streaming, you have the possibility to define the maximum duration of each mp4 file; this option allows you to avoid generating files that are too large and to ensure the recording of your archives to the FTP or VOD space of your choice (and once the duration is reached, the recording is automatically stopped then sent by FTP and a new recording is launched).

Customization of recording names

To allow you to easily identify and organize your archives, the recording names can be dynamically customized using parameters specified within curly braces.

Example:

template_{stream_id}_{date|format:YYYY-MM-dd_hh:mm:ss}_{fragment_id|from:1|prefix:fragment_(|suffix:)}.{extension}

• stream_id = represents the stream identifier as a string.
• date|format: ISO 8601 = date of the recording day.
• time|format: ISO 8601 = time of the recording.
• datetime|format: ISO 8601 = date and time of the recording.
• fragment_id|from:number|prefix:string|suffix:string: = fragment number in case a recording is split, with the possibility to prefix and/or suffix it.
  • Each fragment will be incremented, "from" indicating which will be the first reference fragment.
• extension = final file extension.

These parameters and their options are optional and their order is completely free. They can be used as many times as desired. If you provide the same option multiple times, only the last one will be considered. Any unrecognized option will simply be ignored.

Example 1

Situation: you have two daily schedules, the first starts at 10:00 and the second at 20:05. By configuring the file naming in this way template_{date|format:hh:mm:ss} you will get the following file names:

For the day of December 5, 2019:

• The first recording at 10:00 will be named: template-10:00:00.mp4
• The second recording at 20:05 will be named: template-20:05:00.mp4

For the day of December 6, 2019:

• The first recording at 10:00 will be named: template-10:00:00.mp4
  The recording from the previous day with the same name will be overwritten and replaced by this one.
• The second recording at 20:05 will be named: template-20:05:00.mp4
  The recording from the previous day with the same name will be overwritten and replaced by this one.
• etc.

This logic can be particularly useful for having a loop recording system, for example for video surveillance. The user will retrieve the video only if needed and this avoids archiving a potentially infinite number of videos at the risk of saturating the FTP space.

Example 2

Situation: this time you have a perpetual recording, 24/7, with a file duration limit set to 360 minutes. By configuring the file naming in this way template_{date|format:YYYY-MM-dd}_{fragment_id|from:1|prefix:fragment_(|suffix:)}.{extension} you will get the following file names:

• The first file of the day at 00:00 will be called: template_2019-02-05.mp4
• The second file of the day at 6:00 AM will be named: template_2019-02-05_fragment(1).mp4
• The third file of the day at 12:00 will be called: template_2019-02-05_fragment(2).mp4
• The fourth file of the day at 18:00 will be called: template_2019-02-05_fragment(3).mp4

By configuring the file naming in this way template_{date|format:YYYY-MM-dd}_{fragment_id|from:0|prefix:fragment_(|suffix:)}.{extension} you will get the following names:

• The first file of the day at 00:00 will be called: template_2019-02-05_fragment(0).mp4
• The second file of the day at 6:00 AM will be named: template_2019-02-05_fragment(1).mp4
• The third file of the day at 12:00 will be called: template_2019-02-05_fragment(2).mp4
• The fourth file of the day at 18:00 will be called: template_2019-02-05_fragment(3).mp4

This guide explains how to activate and use the Timeshift function (also called DVR) on your live video broadcasts. This feature allows your viewers to rewind if they did not have the opportunity to watch your live broadcast from the beginning.

Enable the Timeshift (DVR) function

To access the video streaming service:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Click on Configure under Timeshift from the dashboard:
   
4. Enable Timeshift.
5. Set the duration for which your viewers can rewind (max. 240 min.).
6. Click the Activate button:
   

Customize the Timeshift function

It is possible to activate this option via the scheduling tool for a specific time slot and thus limit this possibility to certain programs. The parameters set in the scheduling tool will override the default state set from the dashboard.

To better understand this, imagine a TV broadcasting a football match from 10 am to 12 pm.

1. The TV wants to activate Timeshift only during the match

With this configuration, viewers who join the live stream at 11:59 AM will be able to rewind to the start of the match at 10:00 AM, but they will not be able to rewind to shows that aired before 10:00 AM. For reference, the maximum duration of Timeshift is 240 min. (4 hours).

2. The TV wants to activate a 20 minute Timeshift during the match

With this configuration, viewers who join the live stream at 11:30 will be able to rewatch the previous 20 minutes, but they will not be able to rewatch the start of the match; only the last 20 sliding minutes will be accessible throughout the duration of the match.

3. The TV wants to disable Timeshift during the match

With this configuration, viewers will not be able to rewatch parts of the match. They will only be able to watch the programs that precede the match if the Timeshift function has been activated by default from the stream dashboard.

In summary, there are therefore 2 use cases

1. Enable Timeshift permanently, except for specific events.
2. Disable Timeshift permanently, except for specific events.

The default status is managed from the stream dashboard and exceptions from the scheduling tool.

Learn more about how it works

If you have set a one-hour Timeshift and just activated it, the return time will gradually increase to the chosen duration from the moment of activation.

If specific time slots are defined for geographical restrictions, these will always be respected. In the case where a TV with a 4h Timeshift reserves its sports program for Swiss visitors from 10am to 12pm, an Italian viewer who connects to the stream at 1pm could only re-watch the shows from 9am to 10am.

This guide explains how to restrict access to Infomaniak video streaming flows to your own site only.

Restrict access to broadcasts to a domain

For this:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the product in question.
3. Click on Settings in the left sidebar.
4. Click on Restrictions in the left sidebar.
5. Click on the Domain Restriction tab:
   
6. Specify the site(s) that are specifically authorized to load the stream.
7. Click on the Save button.

Refer to this other guide to customize the replacement image offered to blocked viewers.

This guide explains how to display a countdown before the next live broadcast or during a scheduled interruption.

Scheduling interruption feature

Once scheduled, the countdown works in correlation with stream cuts if you set one (or several in a row, thus managing the overlap). Note: it takes 2 minutes for a scheduled interruption to be reflected on the countdown.

This guide explains how to customize a Player for Streaming vidéo Infomaniak so that an image of your choice is offered to viewers, especially in case of stream restrictions.

Preamble

• A video stream can be restricted:
  • Scheduled interruption of the broadcast (possibility to display a countdown before the broadcast resumes)
  • Geographical restrictions or other restrictions (IP blocking, domain(s), token, etc.)

Customize the Video Streaming Player

To do this:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Click on Integration in the left sidebar.
4. Click on Players in the left sidebar.
5. Click on the name of the Player to customize.
6. Click on the tab (or dropdown menu) Thumbnails:
7. Customize the desired thumbnails:
   

This guide explains how to manage any overconsumption of Streaming vidéo Infomaniak.

Preamble

• In case of exceeding the plan, an overage bill will be generated, which may result in a more or less significant additional cost.
• It is therefore important to choose the right option that will be applied in case of overconsumption.

Act before exceeding

To access the Video Streaming service:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click on the action menu ⋮ to Manage the Streaming Video product.
3. Click on Manage Overuse:
   
    

The 3 options in case of overuse are:

• A. stop the live stream
• B. set a limit (in GB or TB) before interrupting live streams
• C. keep broadcasting