One another small addition to StreamingServer showcase/development application: verification for WebCodecs API video streaming. WebCodecs API offers browser applications video decoding capabilities:
The WebCodecs API gives web developers low-level access to the individual frames of a video stream and chunks of audio. It is useful for web applications that require full control over the way media is processed. For example, video or audio editors, and video conferencing.
The API is shipped starting Chrome version 94 (explainer is here). In a nutshell, JavaScript code can handle raw uncontainerized video data and convert that into video frames which can be, in particular, drawn on HTML canvas. This provides a lower level video decoding capability compared to Media Streaming Extensions (MSE): the video stream does not need to be containerized, yet browser provides intefrace into hardware accelerated video decoding for efficient video data processing.
StreamingServer now handles two types of requests in its HTTP/HTTPS interface: /webcodecs-videodecoder-A.html with JavaScript code controlling WebCodecs API for decoding followed by rendering obtained frames on a timer callback, and /webcodecs-videodecoder-A?frame= to send indivudal H.264 encoded on the fly video frame. All together, the code simluates video playback receiving H.264 frames from HTTP server one by one.
The setup is a proof of concept and generates and encodes the full frame set on original request, without actual per frame on demand encoding, so be aware if you happen to request a long sequence.
To check things out, have StreamingServer started and open Chrome Canary version 94+¹, then navigate to one of the following:
- http://localhost/hls/webcodecs-videodecoder-A.html
- http://localhost/hls/webcodecs-videodecoder-A.html?FrameSizeW=720&FrameSizeH=480&FrameRateN=30000&FrameRateD=1001&SegmentDuration=15
The second URL shows the available parameters for video encoding. The JavaScript code can be inspected directly from Chrome’s Developer Tools.
¹ Microsoft Edge self-updated today to Version 94.0.992.31 and it has WebCodecs API available in it as well!
Download links
Binaries:
- 64-bit: StreamingServer.exe (in .ZIP archive)
- License: This software is free to use; builds have time based expiration