Playlist - contents, loading in STB, writing to USB drive

Playlist is a formalized list of video and audio files that can be played back on media player. MAG STBs support the M3U playlist format.
A playlist is a text file with the extension m3u - playlist example.

Playlist channels are added to the STB in IPTV channels section and displayed as IPTV channels list. Usually playlist files are added (imported) to the STB: 1) from external network, by URL; 2) from local network or USB drive, from specific folder. Also, users are able to manually add and edit the IPTV channels list .

Add IPTV list (download playlist from URL)

Adding IPTV list means downloading preset channel list from server:

• Call up the Operations window (tap Menu on RC).
• Select Add IPTV list - that opens Add IPTV list window.
• In Add IPTV list window:
  • Fill in File Encoding option - necessary encoding (utf-8 encoding is usually used in m3u-lists, otherwise - choose necessary encoding);
  • Fill in URL option - address on which channel list is located;
  • Click Save (OK).

Example of filling URL option:

http://192.168.1.1/playlist.m3u

If channel list does not load:

• Address of file (URL) is incorrect;
• There is no connection to server;
• File with this name was not found on server;
• File has wrong format.

Loading playlist from USB drive or via SMB / NFS network

Playlist loading

Playlist is loaded to STB from USB drive or from shared network resource (you must first provide network access to this resource - for example, see Access to network PC (SAMBA).

• • Open Home media.
  • Open required folder containing playlist. The folder can be located on USB drive or shared network resource.
    
  • Open playlist file (*.m3u) by OK button on RC;
  • Select option in appeared window Open playlist:
    • See playlist content (F1 on RC);
    • Start playing all records(F2 on RC);
    • Add all records to IPTV channels(F3 on RC).

Looking through playlist contents

See playlist content option opens playlist for looking through its contents.

In the channel viewing mode (without playback), the following operations with the channels are provided:

• Navigating through the channel list (Down and Up buttons on RC - pass to the next and previous channel, respectively; Left and Right buttons on RC- pass to the beginning and end of the list).
• Copying the required channels and adding them to the list of IPTV channels of Embedded portal:

1. select the channels from playlist (use the F2 button on RC or Select command from Operations menu - it is opened up by Menu button on RC).
2. if you want to select all channels in the list - you must use Select All command from Operations menu.
3. copy selected channels (Copy command from Operations menu).

4. Push TV button on RC - pass to IPTV channels window.
5. In IPTV channels window, paste the copied channels into main IPTV-channel list or in desired folder (press Menu button on RC to open Operations menu, activate Paste command).

• Start playing current channel by pressing OK on RC (description of operations with playlist in playback mode - see below, for Start playing all records option). When you exit the playback mode (by Exit button on RC), you return to playlist viewing mode, to the current channel.

Start playing all records

Start playing all records option starts playback the playlist, starting from the first channel. During channel playback the following operations are available:

• OK button on RC- switches to the channel viewing mode with info-block (reduced window with the playback channel). Return to full-screen mode - by pressing the OK button.
• Down (Up) buttons on RC - go to the next (previous) channel.

Add all records to IPTV channels

Add all records to IPTV channels option saves (adds) the entire contents of the playlist to main list of IPTV channels section of embedded portal.

Export channels (write playlist to USB drive)

Export channels means saving playlist to file on USB-drive in format filename.m3u (filename - is defined by user):

• Open the Operations window (tap Menu on RC).
• Select the command Export channels;
• In the window Export channels:
  • In File Location select the USB-drive;
  • In File name enter the name of playlist;
  • in Save from groups select:
    • ON - export channel data from common list IPTV channels
      and from groups;
    • OFF - export channel data only from common list IPTV channels (not including channels from group).
  • click Save (OK).

Add operator's IPTV list

Add operator's IPTV list feature is used to load in IPTV channel section playlist of certain operator (this feature should be agreed with the operator):

• Open Operations window (tap Menu on RC).
• Select Add operator's IPTV list command;
• In Loading operator playlist window fill in the next options:
  • Country;
  • City;
  • Operator.
• click Save (OK).

Example of playlist (m3u file)

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,HD Media
ffmpeg http://89.208.33.168:8100/
#EXTINF:0,HD Live
ffrt2 rtmp://wms002.pik-tv.com/live/piktv3pik3tv
#EXTINF:0, RBC
ffmpeg mmsh://tv.gldn.net/rbc
#EXTINF:0,ORANGE SPORT INFO TV
ffrt2 mmsh://livewm.orange.fr/live-multicanaux
#EXTINF:0,Радио Гора
ifm http://mirror.radiogora.ru:10040
#EXTINF:0,stream1
ffmpeg http://192.168.2.35:1935/live/1.stream/playlist.m3u8

Playing media content

Opening channel means starting media content playback with STB player. Each channel specifies playback options that determine:

• format of Audio / Video stream
• and decoders required for playback
• network or local address of media content.

Player is controlled via API. For more details see JS API MAG200 (Rev 1.20) (pdf).

Media content playback options

Channel playback options are set and edited in URL option of Edit window.

Format of URL option is as follows:

Solution + Stream address
where:

• Solution - provides player with required format and proper decoders for audio and video stream playback. List of values for Solution is shown in the table below.
• Stream address - network or local address of media content. It can contains IP address, port number, path to file on server.

Detailed information can be found in document: JS API MAG200 (Rev 1.20) (pdf) (Section stb.PlaySolution. page 19.) (Appendix 2. Video content formats and examples of use. page 89)

To play streaming

Streaming specification should be as follows:

rtp space URL

for example:

rtp udp://10.20.30.40:1234
rtp rtp://10.20.30.40:1234 

For access to stream with RTSP-server specification should be as follows:

rtsp space URL

More information can be found in document:JS API MAG200 (Rev 1.20) (pdf) (Section stb.SetupRTSP page 35)

For broadcasting http

for example:

ffmpeg http://10.10.30.40:12434

It is also possible to use the following Solution - fm, ffrt, ffrt2, ffrt3. Depending on type of streaming.

HLS-stream

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) supports live stream and video on demand (VoD) modes. To transfer audio and video data by HLS protocol, the MPEG2-TS transport stream is used. HLS protocol splits transport stream into fragments (files) that are stored on web server along with index-file that contains information about the order in which series files must be played. The index file extension is m3u8. In below example of playlist channel in HLS format is the last entry.