When a stream goes live i assume the stream=>_id is unique for each stream?
When a non-partnered stream receives quality options. A new stream is started, from what i found the _id does not change. I noticed a change in channel=>updated_at was this a coincidence? If not is this updated_at also updated when a highlight is made?
My questions are being asked because I’m making a utility for streamers to easily track highlights while streaming instead of using a sticky note or pen & paper on their desk as a lot of streamers do.
From my observation the stream=>created_at does not change when a non-partnered streamer gets quality options but it does create a new past broadcast which of course now ruins the original uptime i created using the created_at.
Anything here I’m missing? or any ideas that would help me solve this problem?
This behavior is subject to change as we make changes to our video and web systems.
Each ingested stream of video has a unique ID. We go through a process called transcoding, which takes the source and splits it into multiple different quality video files. Since the original ingest is not disrupted, the ID remains the same.
This however does change properties in our internal systems, hence the updated_at field changing. The creation of highlights does not affect the original video stream, and should not affect the ID or updated_at, but would have some properties of the parent video stream.
Past broadcasts are raw copies of the post-transcode video. Since there is no standard for “have the first half of a VOD be source, and the second half be split into qualities” it is split into a new file.
Hope that helps, please ask for any clarification needed
Thanks I think it does clarify things, but just to be sure…
If my program notices a change from the updated_at field, theoretically I could use this new time as the start time of the second VOD and thus ensure that I have the correct timestamps for creating highlights.
That seems like a reasonable approach. I’m not quite sure what your feature is doing exactly though.
By start time of the second VOD, do you mean the created_at time for it? All VODs start at 00:00:00, irregardless of where they would be at in the continuation of the first VOD. Or do you mean that if the first VOD was 45 minutes, it would tell the user the second VOD is “at 45 minutes” past the first VOD?
Either way, I think you should have enough information to do what you want, though again need to reiterate that these fields meanings could be altered depending on our backend changes to VODs/etc.
Just an application that will “write down” the uptime for the streamer so when they are highlighting things all they do is type a description and the program handles the rest.
I’ve now noticed that even partnered streamers ‘updated_at’ field changes after going live. example…
stream created at: 9/17/2015 20:01:13
channel updated at: 9/17/2015 20:15:45
Thanks @Fugiman. So There’s currently no way to be able to determine through the API when the broadcast is split? (before quality options & after quality options)
