Set advanced properties with the Wowza Video REST API

Modify default configurations used by the Wowza Video™ service and access additional functionality with advanced transcoder and stream target properties.

You set a property through the REST API by specifying the property's key/value pair and the section of the transcoder or stream target configuration table the property is stored in.

"property": {
     "key": "rtpTransportMode",
     "section": "rtsp",
     "value": "udp"

Some functionality available through the advanced properties include:

• Transcoder — configuring VOD, recording, and file streaming settings; enabling AES 128 encryption; and more.
• Stream target — Further configuration of an HLS stream and modifying the playlist.

Refer to the transcoder properties and stream target properties sections of this document for detailed information about the properties in each category.

Transcoder properties

When you set a transcoder property, you set a key/value pair and specify the section of the transcoder configuration table where the key and value are stored, as shown in the following example.

"property": {
     "key": "rtpTransportMode",
     "section": "rtsp",
     "value": "udp"

Transcoder properties exist in the following configuration table sections, which also categorize what the properties affect:

• asset_management — Saves a stream to Asset Management.
• cupertino — Configures HLS streams.
• ezdrm — Enables stream protection with a 3rd-party DRM provide, EZDRM.
• file — Perform actions on files used as video source.
• output — Modifies output renditions of a transcoder.
• recording — Enables recording of source streams.
• rtmp — Configures RTMP streams.
• rtsp — Configures RTSP streams. Particularly helpful for troubleshooting playback issues for transcoded streams from a camera connected to Wowza Video over RTSP/RTP.
• vod_stream — Performs actions on VOD streams.

The following tables list the specific properties available in each transcoder configuration section.

asset_management

Use the asset_management property to save a stream to Asset Management.

cupertino

Use the cupertino properties to configure HLS streams.

Learn more

• Secure HLS streams with AES-128 external encryption using the Wowza Video REST API

ezdrm

Use the ezdrm properties to integrate with EZDRM, a third-party digital rights management (DRM) service you can use to protect content from unauthorized viewing.

Learn more

• Use EZDRM FairPlay Streaming DRM with Wowza Streaming Engine
• Protect streams for Google Widevine and Microsoft PlayReady devices with EZDRM and the Wowza Video REST API

file

Use the file properties to configure the stream when a file is the video source.

Learn more

• Stream a file with the Wowza Video REST API

output

Use the output properties to perform actions on output renditions.

recording

Use the recording properties to configure recordings on the transcoder.

rtmp

Use the rtmp properties to configure RTMP streams.

Learn more

• Use EZDRM FairPlay Streaming DRM with Wowza Streaming Engine
• Protect streams for Google Widevine and Microsoft PlayReady devices with EZDRM and the Wowza Video REST API

rtsp

Use the rtsp properties to configure RTSP streams.

vod_stream

Use the vod_stream properties to configure video-on-demand streams.

Example transcoder property requests

Configure properties when creating a transcoder

Endpoint Reference

curl -X POST \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
-d '{
   "transcoder": {
     "billing_mode": "pay_as_you_go",
     "broadcast_location": "us_west_california",
     "buffer_size": 4000,
     "delivery_method": "push",
     "low_latency": true,
     "name": "MyABRtranscoder",
     "protocol": "rtsp",
     "transcoder_type": "transcoded",
     "properties": [
      {
        "key": "avSyncMethod",
        "section": "rtsp",
        "value": false
      },
      {
        "key": "debugRtspSession",
        "section": "rtsp",
        "value": true
      }
    ]
   } 
}' "${WV_HOST}/api/${WV_VERSION}/transcoders"

This request creates a transcoder and updates the avSyncMethod and debugRtspSession properties. The details of the trancoder's configuration are listed in the response, which does not include transcoder properties. To view the transcoder's properties, send a GET\transcoders\\ID\]\properties request. See Related requests for more information.

Configure a property for an existing transcoder

You can configure a single transcoder property or an array of properties. See the API reference linked below for examples of each. This example configures a single property.

Endpoint Reference

curl -X POST \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
-d '{
   "property": {
     "key": "rtpTransportMode",
     "section": "rtsp",
     "value": "udp"
   } 
}' "${WV_HOST}/api/${WV_VERSION}/transcoders/[transcoder_id]/properties"

The command updates the rtpTransportMode property for the transcoder. The details of the transcoder property are listed in the response, which should look something like this:

{
  "property": {
    "key": "rtpTransportMode",
    "section": "rtsp",
    "value": "udp"
  }
}

Related requests

• View all properties on a transcoder — GET/transcoders/ID/properties
• View the details of a specific property on a transcoder — GET/transcoders/ID/properties/ID
• Delete a specific property on a transcoder — DELETE/transcoders/ID/properties/ID

Stream target properties

When you set a stream target property, you set a key/value pair and specify the section of the stream target configuration table where the key and value are stored, as shown in the following example.

  "property": {
    "key": "chunkSize",
    "section": "hls",
    "value": 2
  }

Stream target properties exist in the following configuration table sections, which also categorize what the properties affect:

• hls — Configures an HLS stream.
• playlist — Modifies the playlist.

The following tables list the specific properties available in each stream target configuration section.

hls

Use the hls properties to configure an HLS output stream.

Learn more

• Create custom media playlists with the Wowza Video REST API
• Ingest and convert timed metadata with the Wowza Video REST API

playlist

Use the playlist properties to configure a stream's media playlist.

Learn more

• Create custom media playlists with the Wowza Video REST API
• Configure nDVR using the Wowza Video REST API

Example stream target property requests

Configure a property for a stream target

You can configure a single property or, if the stream target is a Wowza CDN on Fastly, an array of properties. See the API reference linked below for examples of each. This example configures a single property.

Endpoint Reference

curl -X POST \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
-d '{
  "property": {
    "key": "chunkSize",
    "section": "hls",
    "value": 2
  }
}' "${WV_HOST}/api/${WV_VERSION}/stream_targets/[stream_target_id]/properties"

The command assigns a media segment size of 2 to the target. The details of the target's property are listed in the response, which should look something like this:

{
   "property": {
     "key": "chunkSize",
     "section": "hls",
     "value": 2
   }
}

Related requests

• View all properties on a stream target — GET/stream_targets/ID/properties
• View the details of a specific property on a stream target — GET/stream_targets/ID/properties/ID
• Delete a specific property on a stream target — DELETE/stream_target/ID/properties/ID

More resources

• Best practices for setting the segment duration
• Encoding best practices for Wowza Video