Is it possible to stream chunks from a mpegts video file to VLC Player if so, then how I can format UDP packets in MPEG-TS format?

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I’m actively looking for a thorough explanation of the underlying structure within MPEG-TS encoded UDP packets because my project uses VLC Player to transmit MPEG-TS video over UDP. My goal is to fully comprehend the complex structure of these UDP packets that include MPEG-TS content, including the headers and data segments.
The effective completion of my project depends on this information, thus I’m keen to understand the technical nuances involved. I need a detailed explanation of the MPEG-TS encoded UDP packets’ structure. The technical knowledge and skills in this subject are highly regarded and essential to the development of my project.

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Yes, it is possible to stream segments of an MPEG-TS (MPEG Transport Stream) video file to a VLC Player using UDP. A popular video streaming format, particularly across networks, is MPEG-TS. To achieve accurate packetization and transmission, precise standards must be observed while formatting UDP packets for the MPEG-TS structure.

Here is a general guide for configuring MPEG-TS video file chunk streaming via UDP to VLC Player:

1. Make the video file ready.

  • Verify that the MPEG-TS encoding on your video is active. If you need help, you might need to use the appropriate software to convert it to MPEG-TS format.
  • Organize your video into manageable chunks, sometimes known as segments or packets. These chunks will be transmitted as separate UDP packets.

2. UDP Packet Formation

  • The MPEG-TS standard separates the content into fixed-size packets called transport packets or TS packets.
  • Each TS packet has an exact size of 188 bytes and is made up of a 4-byte header and 184 bytes of content.
  • A packet identifier and synchronization data are both contained in the header.
  • Packetize your video content into these TS packets accurately.

3. Transmission of UDP Packets

  • Use a specialist streaming tool or a computer language like Python to send the TS packets via UDP.
  • In Python, you may create and send UDP packets using modules like Socket. Each packet should contain TS packet data.

Here is an example of how to use Python to deliver MPEG-TS packets over UDP:

import socket

# Configure UDP connection
udp_ip = "127.0.0.1"  # Destination IP address (VLC player's IP)
udp_port = 1234      # Destination UDP port
sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)

# Read and dispatch TS packets
with open("segment1.ts", "rb") as ts_file:
    while True:
        ts_packet = ts_file.read(188)  # Read 188 bytes (one TS packet)
        if not ts_packet:
            break
        sock.sendto(ts_packet, (udp_ip, udp_port))

sock.close()

4. VLC Player Setup

  • Open VLC Player\
  • Navigate to Media > Open Network Stream.
  • Input the UDP stream URL in this pattern: udp://@:1234, where 1234 represents the UDP port used for packet transmission.

It should be noted that this is a simplistic example and those real-world situations would include error handling, appropriate synchronization, and possibly more sophisticated streaming features, such as managing numerous segments and adjusting playback timelines.