Getting to Know the Video Support Player

Applies To:

HTTP LargeThis platform has been optimized to cache and deliver static content (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, ISO, multimedia, and software downloads, etc.) over HTTP or HTTPS.

The Video Support Player provides the means to playback a stream and then monitor performance statistics. The following illustration highlights key interactive aspects of this tool.

Stream Selection

The stream selection bar at the top of the page allows the playback of:

Live streams
On-demand content
Sample media
Recently played media

If the desired on-demand content is not listed, simply type the desired player URL into the stream bar.

Switching to a different stream will reset all graphs and the raw player log data.

Stream Playback Options

Upon selecting a stream, it will be played back directly below the stream bar. The following playback options are provided directly below the video:

Option	Description
Select Player	By default, streams are played back using a preset media player that varies according to the selected streaming technology. If the Video Support Player allows the selected media to be played back by multiple media players, then those additional media players will be available for selection in this option. Click on a media player to switch playback to it.
POP Location	By default, a stream will be played back from the closest POP. However, an option is provided to choose the POP from which the stream will be played back. This option establishes the means through which location-specific issues may be replicated and diagnosed. POPs are categorized by region. More than one POP may be located in the same city. In order to distinguish between various POPs within a city, a POP code is appended to the city name (e.g., Los Angeles (OXR)).

Option

Description

Select Player

By default, streams are played back using a preset media player that varies according to the selected streaming technology. If the Video Support Player allows the selected media to be played back by multiple media players, then those additional media players will be available for selection in this option. Click on a media player to switch playback to it.

POP Location

By default, a stream will be played back from the closest POP. However, an option is provided to choose the POP from which the stream will be played back. This option establishes the means through which location-specific issues may be replicated and diagnosed.

POPs are categorized by region.

More than one POP may be located in the same city. In order to distinguish between various POPs within a city, a POP code is appended to the city name (e.g., Los Angeles (OXR)).

Switching media players or POP location will reset all graphs and the raw player log data.

Playback Information

The Video Support Player provides the following information on stream playback:

Item	Description
Stream Type	Indicates the streaming technology used to play back the media. Valid values are: HLS \| HTTP Live Streaming MPEG-DASH \| MPEG-DASH Streaming This information is also displayed directly above the player. Additionally, a LIVE tag will indicate whether a live event or on-demand content is being played back.
Codec	Indicates the codec (e.g., h.264) used to encode the media being played back.
Frames/Seconds	Indicates the number of frames per second being played back.
Dropped Frames	Indicates the number of frames per second that were dropped by the encoder. View troubleshooting tips. Check the following on the computer hosting the encoder: Data transmission interference due to a firewall, anti-virus, or router. Hardware specifications/usage (e.g., CPU and memory). Available bandwidth Try: Encoding with a lower bit rate. Encoding on a different drive or partition. Encoding on a different computer.
Hostname	Indicates the hostname from which the stream is being played back.
Server IP	Indicates the IP address of the edge server streaming content to this session. This field may be used by Technical Customer Support to troubleshoot issues that are specific to an individual edge server.
Playback VIP	Indicates the virtual IP address of the edge server streaming content to this session. This field may be used by Technical Customer Support to troubleshoot issues that are specific to an individual edge server.
Client IP	Indicates the IP address of the client requesting the stream.
Geo Location	Indicates the location of the client requesting the stream. Format (United States): City, State Format (International): City, Province
Point of Presence (POP)	Indicates the location of the POP delivering the stream. Format (United States): City, State Format (International): City, Province

Real-Time Playback Statistics

The following real-time data is graphed when playing back a stream:

Data	Description
Bandwidth	Tracks the stream's bandwidth usage (e.g., Mbps or Kbps) over the last minute.
Buffer Size	Tracks size of the available buffer, in seconds, over the last minute Low buffer levels are indicative of conditions that may cause buffering or stuttering issues.
Bit Rate	Tracks the stream's bit rate (e.g., Mbps or Kbps) over the last minute.

Data

Description

Bandwidth

Tracks the stream's bandwidth usage (e.g., Mbps or Kbps) over the last minute.

Buffer Size

Tracks size of the available buffer, in seconds, over the last minute

Low buffer levels are indicative of conditions that may cause buffering or stuttering issues.

Bit Rate

Tracks the stream's bit rate (e.g., Mbps or Kbps) over the last minute.

The current value for a metric is reported directly to the left of its graph. The unit type in which that metric is reported is displayed directly below that value.

Low levels or large fluctuations in any of the above metrics may be indicative of:

Client CPU/bandwidth/network issues
Encoder CPU/bandwidth/network issues

Graphs for all three metrics are shown below. The callouts describe the x and y-axes.

Getting to Know the Video Support Player

Stream Selection

Stream Playback Options

Playback Information

Real-Time Playback Statistics

More Information