Broadcast Live Video – Live Streaming : HTML5, WebRTC, HLS, RTSP, RTMP

Description

This plugin builds turnkey functionality where site users cam broadcast live streaming channels from various sources (PC webcam, IP cameras, video playlists, iOS/Android and desktop encoder apps).

Demo: VideoNow.Live – Turnkey Streaming Site
Broadcast Live Video – Turnkey Streaming Site Solution

Live channels can be displayed on website pages in web player with chat, tips or plain HTML5 WebRTC / HLS / MPEG DASH live video streaming for mobile. Solution manages unlimited channels, membership types.

Functionality is stand alone (without need to use 3rd party services) so specific streaming hosting is required. Site owner (and users) have full ownership and access control for the live streaming content, without depending on 3rd party platforms and their terms.

For more details see the dedicated site for Broadcast Live Video solution and WordPress Live Video Streaming plugin homepage by VideoWhisper.

WebRTC live video broadcasting and playback is supported, trough media server, as relay, for reliability and scalability. Users can broadcast live video using HTML5 in Chrome and Safari without need of Flash plugin. Streams are available trough media server using HTML5 HLS or WebRTC in supported browsers. WebRTC support involves specific requirements.

Key Features

  • live video channels (custom post type)
  • channel setup and management page in frontend
  • channel listings with live AJAX updates
  • web broadcast with codec and quality settings (H264, Speex)
  • 24/7 IP camera support (restream rtsp, rtmp, rtmps, udp streams) with Setup Wizard
  • transcoding support for plain HTML5 HLS / MPEG DASH live video delivery (on request/auto)
  • WebRTC support for plain HTML5 broadcasting and playback
  • automated detection of iOS/Android Safari/Chrome for HTML5 delivery
  • AJAX chat for viewers to chat while watching stream in HTML5 browser
  • usage permissions by role, email, id, name
  • limit broadcasting and watch time per channel
  • premium channels (unlimited levels)
  • channel stats (broadcast/watch time, last activity)
  • P2P groups support for better, faster video streaming and lower rtmp server bandwidth usage
  • external broadcaster/player support with special RTMP side (Wirecast, Flash Media Live Encoder, OBS Open Broadcaster Software, iOS/Android GoCoder app)
  • generate snapshots for external streams with special RTMP side
  • recording setting per channel, including for WebRTC streams
  • video archive import with Video Share VOD WordPress Plugin
  • playlists support (schedule video files for playback as live stream)
  • paid channel support with myCRED integration (owner sets price)
  • tips to broadcaster (both in Flash and HTML5 views) with myCRED, TeraWallet (WooCommerce Gateways)
  • channel password / access list (owner sets list of user roles, logins, emails)
  • custom floating logo, ads
  • show event details (title, start, end, picture, description) while channel is offline
  • integrates Rate Star Review – AJAX Reviews for Content, with Star Ratings

Use this software for setting up features like on Twitch TV, Justin TV, UStream tv, Mogulus, LiveStream, RealLifeCam, Stickam, YouNow, Blog tv, Live yahoo or their clones and alternatives. Also can be used in combinations with mobile apps similar to Periscope, Meerkat.

Includes a widget that can display online broadcasters and their show names.

Samples: Live Sites and Turnkey Setups

Monetization

  • Membership Ready with Role Permissions: Can be used with membership/subscription plugins to setup paid membership types.
  • Pay Per View Ready with Custom Post Type: Can be used with access control / sell content plugins to setup paid access to live broadcasts.
  • Custom ads right in text chat box, for increased conversion
  • Tips: Users can buy tokens (credits) to tip broadcasters using MyCred credits plugin.
  • Recommended: Paid Membership WordPress Plugin allows members to purchase membership with credits (use same billing system as for tips)

BuddyPress integration

If BuddyPress is installed this will add a Live Stream tab to the group where users can watch live video and chat realtime. Admins can broadcast anytime from Admin > Live Streaming.

Special requirements

This plugin has requirements beyond regular WordPress hosting specifications: HTML5 Live Streaming Hosting is needed for persistent connections to manage live interactions and streaming. More details about this, including solutions are provided on the Installation section pages.
FFmpeg is required on web host for generating live stream snapshots, transcoding, recording. By default, all features that require executing server commands are disabled, for security reasons. Enable only after making sure your server is configured to safely execute server commands like FFmpeg. If you have own server, isolation is recommended with CageFS or similar tools.

WebRTC

WebRTC streaming is done trough media server, as relay, for reliability and scalability needed for these solutions. Conventional out-of-the-box WebRTC solutions require each client to establish and maintain separate connections with every other participant in a complicated network where the bandwidth load increases exponentially as each additional participant is added. For P2P, streaming broadcasters need server grade connections to live stream to multiple users and using a regular home ADSL connection (that has has higher download and bigger upload) causes real issues. These solutions use the powerful streaming server as WebRTC node to overcome scalability and reliability limitations. Solution combines WebRTC HTML5 streaming with relay server streaming for a production ready setup.
Current implementation allows HTML5 broadcasting using WebRTC from Chrome and Safari.

Attributions

Some demo site screenshots show tests with the “Big Buck Bunny” video, available under Creative Commons Attribution at https://peach.blender.org/download/ .

Documentation

  • Plugin Homepage : https://videowhisper.com/?p=WordPress+Live+Streaming
  • Application Homepage : https://videowhisper.com/?p=Live+Streaming
  • Developer Contact : https://videowhisper.com/tickets_submit.php
  • Turnkey Site Project: https://turnkeyclone.com/twitch-tv-script-for-live-broadcasting/

Demo

  • Test it on demo site https://videochat-scripts.com/live-streaming-on-wordpress-by-videowhisper/
  • Test it on live site https://videonow.live

Extra

More information, the latest updates, other plugins and non-WordPress editions can be found at https://videowhisper.com/ .

Screenshots

  • Live Broadcast (for publisher)
  • Live Video Watch (for active viewers, discuss online, see who else is watching)
  • Live Video Streaming (for passive viewers, simple live video)
  • Manage channels features from frontend
  • Channels listing with AJAX live updates, star ratings
  • Playlist: Schedule videos to play as live stream
  • Manage channel videos
  • Broadcast using HTML5 WebRTC and AJAX chat (iPad view)
  • Playback using HTML5 HLS and AJAX chat (iPhone view)
  • Access IP Camera / Re-Stream Setup Wizard

Installation

  • Review this plugin configuration tutorial (with some screenshots):
    BroadcastLiveVideo – Installation Tutorial
  • See application and edition instructions on plugin homepage:
    WP Live Streaming Plugin Homepage
  • Before installing this make sure all hosting requirements are met:
    Live Streaming Hosting Requirements
  • If you have your own server with a supported HTML5 live streaming server installed, deploy the RTMP side application using these instructions:
    RTMP Side Application
  • Install from repository or copy this plugin folder to your wordpress installation in your plugins folder. You should obtain wp-content/plugins/videowhisper-live-streaming-integration .
  • Enable the plugin from WordPress admin area and fill the “Settings”, including RTMP address (compulsory) there.

Reviews

December 1, 2020
They are providing pathetic services after purchasing their license. we have paid them two times for license and also paid additional payment for pushing streams last month. We have provided all access to configure but still they do not configure it. They are also giving reply for every query after 4 to 5 days which is non professional behavior. Second time our license is going to expire again but still they don't complete our setup.
May 23, 2019
Highly suspicious activity forced us to delete this plugin. We added this free plugin as a means to verify and validate UHF/VHF sample test streams. After installation, got a notice from WordPress that this app was sending data without permission to a remote server. Several bad actors with the domain .ru registered to our site. Without permission, or knowledge by the site Admin, this plugin added a top-level menu that was not deleted when the plugin was deleted. All around, this plugin is not trustworthy.
February 4, 2019
After trying out this free plugin nothing really worked on my site without adobe flash, which is pretty much discontinued by Adobe. I tried to upgrade and thats when things got real. I was told i'd need to move my entire site from WPEngine, the most powerful WordPress hosting company in the world, besides WordPress itself and only host with them... Refund request was quickly denied and i was threatened with legal action.... All of this happens inside emails filled with excuses, long enough to write a book.
March 4, 2018
This plugin setup a redirect on my wordpress admin login page so whenever I went to login to wordpress it redirected me to some other site to login. This is a phishing attempt.
October 16, 2017
If you could stop creating AND PUBLISHING new pages without asking me... that would be nice!
Read all 35 reviews

Contributors & Developers

“Broadcast Live Video – Live Streaming : HTML5, WebRTC, HLS, RTSP, RTMP” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

5.5

  • Removed Flash interfaces (discontinued by most browsers)
  • Improved code

5.4

  • Setup Overview page and notifications with requirements, steps
  • Interface class setting for applying inverted (dark mode) or other Semantic UI classes
  • Adaptive streaming bitrate based on resolution
  • 1/2 category selector mode with optional subcategories only
  • Updated BuddyPress integration to create channel post
  • Hosting limits bitrate
  • On demand recording setting per channel using FFmpeg

5.3

  • Admin bar menus for quick plugin access
  • Tips in HTML chat: AJAX updated balance and Tip buttons as configured from backend with image, sound, amount
  • MPEG DASH Shaka Player (by Google) for increased reliability
  • Added support for tipping with WooWallet credits
  • User channel shortcode [videowhisper_channel_user] to create a channel automatically for current user and display broadcasting interface
  • POT translation file
  • Re-Streaming / IP Camera optimizations : Auto-Pause and resume on channel access or owner activity

5.2

  • AJAX Chat with HTML5 stream playback
  • Semantic UI integration for improved interface
  • Integrate Rate Star Review – AJAX Reviews for Content, with Star Ratings
  • Filter by Tags, Name
  • Options to set HTML5 interfaces (WebRTC broadcast, transcoded playback) as available or preferred
  • WebRTC Broadcast with AJAX chat
  • Automatically using most suitable delivery method in HTML5 view (WebRTC if directly available, HLS, MPEG-DASH)
  • IP Camera / Re-Stream Setup Wizard

5.1

  • WebRTC broadcast and playback
  • MPEG DASH transcoding and delivery

4.67

  • Broadcaster layout code

4.66

  • User watch limit: Set watching time limits based on role (membership)
  • Configure parameters by user role (overrides channel settings)
  • Update channel image by uploading picture
  • Event Info: While channel is offline show event title, start, end, description

4.65

  • View Profile context menu in participants lists
  • User avatar in participants context menu
  • Easy webcam/microphone select from dropdowns on preview panel.

4.63

  • Schedule playlists option
  • Toggle default loader, loader static image option
  • Advanced permission lists per channel: group chat, write in chat, view participants, private chat

4.61

  • On demand archiving support in web broadcating app

4.42.1

  • Tips for broadcaster using myCRED

4.32.51

  • Auto transcoding (on HLS request or always)

4.32.41

  • Access Password

4.32.37

  • Unlimited premium channel levels
  • Feature control by user roles/lists:
    ** custom/hide logo
    ** custom/hide ads
    ** transcode

4.32.21

  • myCRED integration: allow selling access to channels
  • channel access list (owner can configure user logins, emails, roles that can access)

4.32.8

  • Improved iOS HLS transcoding reliability (retry and verify automatically)

4.32.8

  • Navigation menus (setup in backend) for Channel Categories

4.32.7

  • Improved channel AJAX listings: list by category in custom order

4.32.6

  • Ban channel interface
  • Web server load optimisation settings
  • New channel meta

4.32.1

  • Broadcasting application v4.32 (w. autopilot reconnect)

4.29.26

  • Report log file usage in stats.

4.29.19

  • Category and tag archive pages also include channels

4.29.17

  • Display warning on channel page when channel time is exceeded or channel is offline

4.29.16

  • Support for VideoWhisper Video Share / Video On Demand (VOD) plugin

4.29.8

  • iOS detection, automated display of direct/transcoded HLS video
  • external encoder authentication, status monitoring with special RTMP side

4.27.4

  • Channel posts with frontend management and automated snapshot
  • Channel management page where users can setup channes from frontend
  • Channels list page, automatically updated with AJAX, pagination
  • Shortcodes watch, video, HTML5 HLS, broadcast

4.27.3

  • Improved admin settings with tabs and more options
  • Control access by roles, ID, email
  • Limit broadcasting and watch time per channel
  • Premium channels with better features and quality
  • Transcoding for iPhone / iPad support
  • Toggle Logo/Watermark
  • Channel statistics
  • Broadcast directly from backend without widget
  • Broadcast link only for logged in users

4.27

  • Broadcaster application v4.27
  • Insert online channel snapshots in posts and pages with [videowhisper livesnapshots] shortcode
  • RTMP web session check support
  • External authentication

4.25

  • Broadcaster application v4.25
  • Video & sound codec settings
  • Floating watermark settings

4.07

  • Broadcaster application v4.07
  • Widget includes counter of room participants for each room

4.05

  • Integrated latest application versions (with broadcaster application v4.05) that include P2P.
  • Added more settings to control P2P / RTMP streaming, secure token if enabled, bandwidth detection.
  • Fixed some possible security vulnerabilites for hosts with magic_quotes Off.

2.2

  • BuddyPress integration: If BuddyPress is installed this will add a Live Stream tab to the group where users can watch live video and chat realtime. Admins can broadcast anytime from Admin > Live Streaming.

2.1

  • Permissions for broadcasters (members, list) and watchers (all, members, list).
  • Choose name to use in application (display name, login, nice name).

2.0

  • Everything is in the plugin folder to allow automated updates.
  • Settings page to fill rtmp address, some broadcaster options.

1.0.2

  • Plugin to integrate live streaming installed in a videowhisper_streaming folder on site root.