How to stream video data to a video element?

Question

I have a Node.js process which outputs a video stream into my Node.js app.

On the client end, there is a tag. I would like to stream the video

Answer 1

I've actually tried this at a hackathon two weeks ago. I ended up barely getting this flv stream to work, which I've posted below. My intent was to make a library to automate much of the processes this would entail.

As you can see, I've opened a new port on the server to handle the separate stream of data flowing to the client. This is reflected in the client's src tag.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED:

1. This Linux version of ffmpeg.

2. Flowplayer on the js side.

3. npm fluent-ffmpeg

   // StreamServer.js

   var express = require('express'),
     app = express(),
     ffmpeg = require('fluent-ffmpeg');
   
   module.exports = function () {
       app.stream(req, res)
       {
           res.contentType('flv');
           // make sure you set the correct path to your video file storage 
           var pathToMovie = '/path/to/storage/' + req.params.filename;
           var proc = ffmpeg(pathToMovie)
             // use the 'flashvideo' preset (located in /lib/presets/flashvideo.js) 
             .preset('flashvideo')
             // setup event handlers 
             .on('end', function () {
                 console.log('file has been converted succesfully');
             })
             .on('error', function (err) {
                 console.log('an error happened: ' + err.message);
             })
             // save to stream 
             .pipe(res, { end: true });
   
       };
   
   }
   

   //routes.js

   'use strict';
   var stream = require('../controllers/streaming.server.controller'),
    streamServer = require('../controllers/StreamServer.js'),
   express = require('express');
   

   //streaming.server.controller.js

   module.exports = function (app) {
       app.get('/api/stream', function (req, res) {
           streamServer.stream(req, res);
       });
   };
   
   var path = require('path'),
    express = require('express'),
    app = express(),
    routes = require('../routes/routes.js')(app),
    ffmpeg = require('fluent-ffmpeg');
   
   app.listen(4000);
   

EDIT: Client side part:

https://github.com/fluent-ffmpeg/node-fluent-ffmpeg/tree/master/examples/flowplayer

(Just change the href attribute)