The page provides explanations and definitions of specialized terms and concepts you may encounter in the documentation.

AppKey

AppKey is a public identifier for an application created in the CommsEase console. It is used to track usage and control access to APIs and can be embedded in the application's code or configuration.

AppSecret

AppSecret is a confidential key associated with an AppKey. It is used for securing communication between the application and the API server. You can generate authentication tokens or signatures using AppSecret to ensure the security and authenticity of API requests.

Player SDK

A Player SDK (Software Development Kit) is a set of software tools, libraries, and components that you can use to integrate playback capabilities into your applications or services. CommsEase provides you with player SDKs for multiple platforms.

Playback address

When a video is uploaded successfully to a streaming platform or service, the platform generates two types of playback addresses: the source format address and the transcoding format address.

CDN

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a distributed network infrastructure built on top of the existing internet. It operates by deploying a network of server nodes at various locations across the internet's backbone. These server nodes are placed to optimize content delivery and user experience. CommsEase has established a network of over 500 self-built and commercial CDN nodes. These nodes are positioned to provide effective protection and efficient content delivery for users' video distribution.

Storage

Storage capacity for on-demand video and live recording files is measured in bytes. CommsEase offers extensive, highly available, and extremely reliable cloud storage services. To guarantee service continuity, CommsEase employs a fault-tolerant approach, including the use of KeepAlived, Nginx health checks, and built-in error retry mechanisms. This ensures that the availability Service Level Agreement (SLA) exceeds 99.9%. Note that the amount of storage space required forms one of the fundamental components in determining the pricing for CommsEase's video-on-demand service.

Bandwidth

Network bandwidth usage for live streaming and video-on-demand playback is typically measured in bits. Bandwidth consumption plays a pivotal role in determining the pricing for CommsEase's live streaming and video-on-demand services.

Video on Demand

Video on Demand (VOD) entails delivering user-selected video content over the internet. CommsEase offers comprehensive VOD services, encompassing video uploading, transcoding, distribution, playback, and various other capabilities, providing you with a complete suite of VOD-related functionalities.

Resumable upload

Resumable upload involves breaking down the downloading or uploading task, such as a file or a compressed package, into multiple segments. Each segment is processed by a separate thread for uploading or downloading. This approach allows for the seamless continuation of the upload or download process from where it left off in the event of a network failure. There is no need to restart the upload or download from the beginning, saving users both time and increasing transfer speeds. CommsEase's VOD upload service fully supports resumable uploading. For detailed information, please refer to the video-on-demand server API reference.

FLV

FLV, short for Flash Video, is a streaming video format that was developed along side the release of Flash MX. As video-sharing websites proliferated, this format gained widespread popularity. Its compact file size and rapid loading speeds made it a viable choice for delivering video content over the internet. CommsEase offers transcoding services to convert live streams and video files into the FLV format, allowing you to efficiently distribute content on the web.

Anti-hotlinking

To safeguard streaming media resources, CommsEase offers dynamic URL anti-hotlinking protection. When this feature is enabled, the video playback address URL is dynamically generated, ensuring the security of video resources.

Resolution

Resolution is a parameter used to quantify the level of detail in an image, typically denoted as ppi (pixels per inch). CommsEase's transcoding for live streaming and video-on-demand supports a wide range of resolution and bit rate options, offering app users a diverse array of services.

Multipart upload

CommsEase facilitates the upload of large-sized files by splitting them into smaller objects. For specific operations and details, please refer to the API reference.

Thumbnail

CommsEase offers the flexibility to manage video thumbnails either through the API or the console. Users have the option to upload images as thumbnails or generate video screenshots to serve as thumbnails.

HLS

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is Apple's dynamic bitrate adaptation technology primarily designed for audio and video services on both PC and Apple devices. It comprises an m3u/m3u8 index file, TS media slice files, and key encryption string files. CommsEase extends its support for the HLS pull streaming protocol, catering to mobile devices. Additionally, it offers video transcoding into HLS format, allowing you to efficiently distribute content over the network.

HTTP

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is a protocol that enables communication between a client and a server. CommsEase supports live streaming using HTTP.

Playback

You can replay live video after the initial broadcast. CommsEase supports live recording, enabling the playback of previously recorded live streams.

Audio mixing

Audio mixing is a crucial step in music production where sounds from various sources are blended into a stereo or mono track. CommsEase's live streaming service includes support for audio mixing, enabling app users to merge additional audio sources with the track information captured by the SDK.

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging (IM) refers to text-based communication in which two or more individuals engage in a real-time conversation using their computers or mobile devices. CommsEase not only provides customers with live broadcasting service, but also seamlessly accesses the Instant Messaging for interaction during live broadcasting.

Screenshot

CommsEase employs algorithms to capture screenshots during live streaming and Video on Demand (VOD) programs. These screenshots extract content from specific frames within the video, which can then be utilized for video thumbnails and content moderation purposes.

Pull Streaming

Live stream data is transmitted as a continuous stream over the network. Pull-streaming refers to the process of fetching the live stream from the cloud to a local device. Subsequently, the client plays back the live broadcast.

Streaming address

The playback client can access the stream from the cloud through various streaming addresses provided by CommsEase, including RTMP, HTTP, and HLS streaming addresses.

Traffic

The volume of data traffic generated on the network during live streaming and video-on-demand playback is typically measured in bytes. This traffic volume plays a fundamental role in determining the rates for CommsEase's live streaming and video-on-demand services.

Recording

During live streaming, it is possible to make recordings. These recordings can be saved as files and subsequently offered for playback to customers.

Filter

CommsEase offers a range of image processing algorithms that allow for the editing and modification of images during live streaming, enabling the creation of special visual effects. These algorithms provide a selection of filters to enhance the graphics in real-time.

MP4

MP4, formally known as MPEG-4 Part 14, is a versatile multimedia computer file format that utilizes the MPEG-4 codec. It is designed to store digital audio and digital video content, often denoted by the file extension .mp4. CommsEase offers support for transcoding video files into the MP4 format, enabling customers to distribute their content over the network.

Bit rate

The number of bits transmitted per second, typically measured in bit/s, represents the amount of data sent per unit of video time. Bit rate directly impacts the quality of the viewing experience in videos. A higher bit rate results in greater clarity, but it also consumes more bandwidth and can be susceptible to buffering or lag. Conversely, a lower bit rate sacrifices some clarity for smoother playback.

Quick loading

Quick loading refers to the ability of the player to swiftly initiate and load a video, enabling app users to access the live broadcast screen promptly. CommsEase offers the option to configure quick loading for live broadcasting. Activating this feature enhances the overall playback experience, ensuring a smoother and faster start to the live stream.

Channel

A channel in a communication system is the medium used to transmit signals from a sender to a receiver. In a narrow sense, it refers to the transmission medium. In a broader context, it includes the transmission medium and related elements. In the realm of webcasting, a channel pertains to a live streaming channel featuring a fixed push-pull streaming address. Once a channel is established, you can utilize it to create live events for both push and pull streaming purposes.

Channel status

In CommsEase, channels are used for both push and pull streaming, and they can have different statuses indicating their current usage. There are three types of channel statuses: idle, live, and recording.

QoS

Quality of Service (QoS) is a network capability that leverages different underlying technologies to enhance the quality of specific network communications. It serves as a security mechanism, addressing network latency and congestion issues. CommsEase utilizes QoS technology to monitor and prioritize important traffic, preventing delays or packet loss, while maintaining the network's efficient operation.

RTMP

RTMP stands for Real-Time Messaging Protocol. It's a network protocol built on top of TCP, specifically designed for real-time data communication. RTMP is primarily used for audio, video, and data communication between Flash/AIR platforms and streaming/interactive servers that are compatible with the RTMP protocol. CommsEase employs the RTMP protocol for live push streaming, allowing content to be transmitted in real-time, and it also supports pull-streaming playback via the RTMP protocol.

Video encoding

Refers to the conversion of a video format file into another video format file by means of a specific compression technique. The most important codec standards for video streaming are ITU's H.261, H.263, H.264, M-JPEG of the Motion Picture Experts Group, and MPEG of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Motion Picture Experts Group, as well as Real-Networks' RealVideo, Microsoft's WMV, and Apple's QuickTime. Microsoft's WMV, and Apple's QuickTime. The video encoding of CommsEase adopts H.264 encoding standard.

Watermarking

Video watermarking involves adding a static image to a live stream or video-on-demand file, ensuring that the watermark is visible in every frame when the video is played. This technique serves various purposes, including such as copyrights protection and brand exposure.

Push streaming

The content of a live stream is transmitted over the network as a continuous stream of data. Push streaming is a method used to send this content to its destination. It involves encoding the video feed at each video capture terminal and then uploading the encoded video to a specific address on the Internet, ensuring that the video stream is delivered in real-time to the intended audience or platform.

Push streaming address

The push-stream SDK facilitates the transmission of video sources to a designated address in the cloud, commonly referred to as the push-stream address. CommsEase offers support for live streaming using the RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) protocol, which is a popular choice for real-time video streaming over the internet. This combination allows for efficient and reliable live streaming using CommsEase's platform.

Delay

Due to the inherent time required for network transmission and signal processing, there exists a time difference between the screen viewed at the live streaming end and the actual captured signal at the source end. CommsEase provides exceptional performance in terms of live streaming latency, achieving a minimal delay of just 1 to 3 seconds under favorable network conditions.

Audio encoding

By employing specific compression technology, the audio signal obtained is processed according to a specific algorithm, resulting in its conversion into a binary digital signal. CommsEase utilizes the AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) audio encoding format for this purpose. On the CommsEase platform, original Video-On-Demand files can be transcoded.

Frame rate

The frame rate is a metric that quantifies the number of individual frames displayed in a video, video graphic, or game per unit of time. It is typically measured in frames per second (FPS). FPS is used to describe how smoothly and quickly the visual content is played, with higher values indicating smoother motion and better visual quality.

Live streaming

Live streaming is the process of capturing and broadcasting video in real-time. CommsEase offers a comprehensive live streaming service that allows you to perform live broadcast capture, encoding, transmission, and real-time playback, along with various other video-related capabilities.

Transcoding

Video transcoding is the process of converting compressed and encoded video streams into another video format to accommodate varying network bandwidths, diverse terminal processing capabilities, and different user requirements. Transcoding essentially involves decoding the original video and then encoding it into a different format. During this process, the video may undergo changes in encoding methods, bit rates, and other aspects. Transcoding plays a crucial role in making videos more adaptable and convenient for transmission over different types of networks and for meeting the specific needs of users.

Transcoding format

On the CommsEase platform, Video-On-Demand (VOD) files can undergo transcoding, which involves converting them into a different file format. The resulting file format, which emerges after the transcoding process, is referred to as the transcoding format.

Transcoding Templates

CommsEase offers a range of transcoding standards, encompassing various transcoding formats and levels of clarity. To simplify management and customization, these different transcoding standards are made available in the form of transcoding templates. This allows you to flexibly configure your transcoding settings according to specific needs and preferences.