Apple QuickTime Streaming Server Darwin Streaming Server manual Playlists

Playlists

Playlists are sets of media files in the QTSS or DSS media folder specified to play one after the other or in random sequence. This section provides basic information on creating and working with playlists.

Using Playlists to Broadcast Prerecorded Media

You can create a virtual “radio station” or video broadcast by setting prerecorded QuickTime media, MPEG-4, or MP3 files to play in a specified order (a playlist). Setting up a series of playlists broadcasts the media to the streaming server, which sends the media to viewers in the sequence you set up (random or ordered). Although the media is prerecorded, it appears to viewers as a live broadcast. All viewers see the same media when they tune in to the broadcast.

To broadcast media in a playlist:

1Prepare QuickTime, MPEG-4, or MP3 media.

2Create a playlist.

3Start broadcast service by clicking the Play button for each playlist.

4Tell users how to connect to the broadcast.

For movie playlists, provide an RTSP URL. For MP3 playlists, provide an HTTP link.

Working With Playlist Settings

You can change playlist settings in the Playlists pane of Streaming Server Admin.

To see a playlist’s settings, click Playlists, then click the name of the playlist you want to see in the Available Playlists pane, and click Edit Playlist.

“Name” is the name you give your playlist and the name that appears in the Available Playlists pane.

“Mount Point” is the path section of the URL you give to clients (or that you embed in a web page). You must give the mount point a name (often the same name as the playlist). Spaces are automatically converted to underscores and “.sdp” is appended to the name of the file.

Don’t use the “.sdp” extension if this is an MP3 playlist.

The playlist name and mount point must be unique. No two broadcasts can use the same name.

“Play Mode” can be one of three types:

“Sequential” broadcasts the media in the order in which it appears in the playlist file. When the last media file has ended, the broadcast stops.

“Sequential Looped” broadcasts the media in the order in which it appears in the playlist file. When the last media file has ended, the playlist repeats in the same order.

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