Using FFmpeg with THEOlive
FFmpeg is a free open-source software project with command-line tools for handling video, audio, and other multimedia. It is common practice to use Ffmpeg in production workflows when broadcasting from a media file on disk.
Broadcasts are started using the ffmpeg command-line to forward a source using RTMP broadcast contribution protocol to stream content to THEOlive.
See the official ffmpeg.org documentation for installation instructions and additional support.
Common Settings
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| -stream_loop -1 | Loop the video indefinitely |
| -vb 4500k | Video Bitrate setting of 4.5 Mbps |
| -c:a copy | Copy the audio codec from the input |
| -bf 0 | Disable bframes |
| -g 60 | Group of pictures (GOP) size |
| -f flv | Package flash video |
| -preset veryfast | Video encoding speed to compression ratio preset |
| -tune zerolatency | Good for fast encoding and low-latency streaming |
| -vprofile main | H264 video profile |
Do not use the -re flag when the input is an actual capture device or a live stream as it may cause packet loss and higher latency.
Start the stream
Run the following command with the proper settings in order to start publishing to your channel.
MEDIA_FILE="/path/to/file.mp4"
RTMP_PUBLISH_URL="rtmps://rtmp.<region>.theo.live/live"
RTMP_STREAM_KEY="Your stream key"
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i $VIDEO_FILE_PATH \
-vcodec libx264 \
-preset veryfast \
-bf 0 \
-g 60 \
-vb 4500k \
-vprofile main \
-tune zerolatency \
-level 3.0 \
-c:a copy \
-f flv \
-rtmp_playpath $RTMP_STREAM_KEY \
-rtmp_live live $RTMP_PUBLISH_URL
Make sure that your encoder has a stable connection and enough upload bandwidth. This will ensure all data is correctly sent to the THEOlive channel.