This script is designed to help automate turing a raspberry pi with a compatible video4linux2 camera into a MPEG-DASH / HLS / RTSP streaming server.
The steps it will attempt to take:
- Install FFmpeg
- Install nginx for DASH / HLS OR install RTSP server if desired
- (DASH/HLS) Update rc.local to run required setup script on reboot
- (DASH/HLS) Create index.html file to view video stream at
- Create systemd service and enable it
This script requires Python 3.6+
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cdgriffith/pi_streaming_setup/master/streaming_setup.py
You could also clone the repo, or use wget, or whatever you desire. You just need the streaming_setup.py file.
DASH is a great way to use your device as standalone streaming server with a easy to view webpage hosted on the Pi. The disadvantage is the delay due to buffering and the way DASH / HLS work with manifest files. You will have a 5~20 second lag from the camera to when you view it.
To use the pre-built FFmpeg and MPEG DASH, just need to run the script as root / sudo then you're good to go:
sudo python3 streaming_setup.py
If you want near instant real time streaming, it's best to use the aptly named Real Time Streaming Protocol, RTSP.
sudo python3 streaming_setup.py --rtsp
If you are connecting to an external RTSP server, pass in the rtsp-url argument.
sudo python3 streaming_setup.py --rtsp --rtsp-url rtsp://192.168.1.123:8554/raspberrypi
sudo python streaming_setup.py --help
usage: streaming_setup [-h] [-v] [--ffmpeg-command] [-d DEVICE] [-s VIDEO_SIZE] [-r] [--rtsp-url RTSP_URL] [-f INPUT_FORMAT] [-b BITRATE] [-c CODEC] [--ffmpeg-params FFMPEG_PARAMS]
[--index-file INDEX_FILE] [--on-reboot-file ON_REBOOT_FILE] [--systemd-file SYSTEMD_FILE] [--camera-info] [--minimal] [--safe]
streaming_setup version 1.7
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-v, --version
--ffmpeg-command print the automated FFmpeg command and exit
-d DEVICE, -i DEVICE, --device DEVICE
Camera. Selected: /dev/video0
-s VIDEO_SIZE, --video-size VIDEO_SIZE
The video resolution from the camera (using 1280x720)
-r, --rtsp Use RTSP instead of DASH / HLS
--rtsp-url RTSP_URL Provide a remote RTSP url to connect to and don't set up a local server
-f INPUT_FORMAT, --input-format INPUT_FORMAT
The format the camera supports (using mjpeg)
-b BITRATE, --bitrate BITRATE
Streaming bitrate, is auto calculated by default. (Will be ignored if the codec is 'copy')
-c CODEC, --codec CODEC
Conversion codec (using 'h264_v4l2m2m')
--ffmpeg-params FFMPEG_PARAMS
specify additional FFmpeg params, MUST be doubled quoted! helpful if not copying codec e.g.: '"-b:v 4M -maxrate 4M -g 30 -num_capture_buffers 128"'
--index-file INDEX_FILE
--on-reboot-file ON_REBOOT_FILE
--systemd-file SYSTEMD_FILE
--camera-info Show all detected cameras [/dev/video(0-9)] and exit
--safe disable overwrite of existing or old scripts
If you want to compile FFmpeg you will need to grab the compile_ffmpeg.py file.
This will take hours on most Raspberry Pi devices!
Note: THERE IS NO NEED TO COMPILE FFMPEG YOURSELF IN MOST CASES. ONLY DO IT IF YOU KNOW YOU NEED AN UNUSUAL ENCODER.
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cdgriffith/pi_streaming_setup/master/compile_ffmpeg.py
I suggest setting the user to pi if making in your home directory.
sudo python3 compile_ffmpeg.py --run-as pi
If you will be compiling while running over SSH, please use in a background terminal like "tmux" or "screen".
Adding --install it will install it to /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg. You can always do this later yourself by
going into the FFmpeg folder and typing make install
If you are compiling FFmpeg, be aware, this will build a NON-REDISTRIBUTABLE FFmpeg. You will not be able to share the built binaries under any license.
MIT License - Copyright (c) 2020-2023 Chris Griffith
Go into raspi-config and up the video memory (memory split) to 256 and reboot. (thanks to #15 rezrov)
- Adding support for 64-bit OSes (aarch64)
- Changing default codec to h264_v4l2m2m (removing h264_omx)
- Splitting out compile_ffmpeg.py into its own file