Dynamic Flash metadata injection with PHP

So, between the summer lull in industry news and my own globe hopping, the blog has been pretty sparse lately. I think things will now begin to normalize, and I figured I’d start it off with a bit of info about a project I’ve been working on.

First, some history. Streaming flash video normally requires an expensive Flash Media Server license. Otherwise, you’re limited to progressive download from http. Some very clever folks have, in the past, figured out how to do streaming over http using php. They accomplish this by adding a bunch of metadata in the flv file which cross references keyframe timestamps with byte offsets. So, if you have a keyframe 50 seconds into your video, they’d include where in the physical file data to find that. This allows you to seek in the video file without having to decode the whole flash video stream – you just need to read the metadata and do an fseek to an appropriate offset.

It gets slightly more complex, in that you need to also rebuild a proper flash header to that the file still has the right format, but for the most part that’s not too difficult either.

There are a number of projects out there to make this pretty easy. Start by taking a look at the phpstream project. These solutions all require you to do the metadata injection with a separate tool, either the closed-source and Windows-only flvmdi, or the open-source, ruby-based flvtool2. Neither of these is optimal if you’re looking to either do injection dynamically, or integrate injection into an existing automation workflow.

Luckily, there is another project, someone neglected, called flv4php. It implements many of the necessary FLV-parsing routines in php, allowing you to build your metadata array directly within php and write it back to the FLV file, or store it separately. You can even do this at runtime, if you’re so inclined. I’d recommend against that particular approach if you’re dealing with long flash videos, as there is a significant amount of processing overhead involved.

If you browse around the source, you’ll find a php4 and php5 version of flv4php. The php4 version has many more features, but the php5 version has sample code for implementing metadata injection. Take a look at the test2.php code to get started. However, for long files, replace the line that says

$ts = number_format($tag->timestamp/1000, 3);

with:

$ts = $tag->timestamp/1000;

To prevent php from adding commas to your timestamps and thus breaking flash.

The test2.php code writes out a .meta file, containing the metadata for your video. That leaves the issue of how to read that data back in and inject it appropriately. That code is below.

To actually view streaming FLVs, you can use JeroenWijering’s free flv player. Take a look at the source if you’re curious how it all works on the client side.

Anyways, here’s how to playback a .meta file in conjuction with an FLV file. $streamPos is the offset within the video that we’re seeking to (it comes from Flash as a byte offset already). A bunch of this was stolen from the php4 tree of flv4php.

$fp = fopen( $targetFile, ‘r’ );

header(‘Content-type: flv-application/octet-streamn’);

header(‘Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=”‘ . $fakeName . ‘”‘);

header(“Pragma: public”);

header(“Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0”);

fseek($fp, 0);

$FLV_HEADER_SIZE = 9;

$hdr = fread( $fp, $FLV_HEADER_SIZE );

fseek($fp, 0);

$bodyOfs = (ord($hdr[5]) << 24) + (ord($hdr[6]) << 16) + (ord($hdr[7]) << 8) + (ord($hdr[8]));

echo fread($fp, $bodyOfs + 4);

$metadataFile = $targetFile . “.meta”;

$metad= file_get_contents($metadataFile);

echo $metad;

$chunkSize = 4096;

$skippedOrigMeta = empty($origMetaSize);

if($streamPos == 0) {

}

else {

fseek($fp, $streamPos);

}

while (! feof($fp))

{

// if the original metadata is present and not yet skipped…

if (! $skippedOrigMeta)

{

$pos = ftell($fp);

// check if we are going to output it in this loop step

if ( $pos <= $origMetaOfs && $pos + $chunkSize > $origMetaOfs )

{

// output the bytes just before the original metadata tag

if ($origMetaOfs – $pos > 0)

echo fread($fp, $origMetaOfs – $pos);

// position the file pointer just after the metadata tag

fseek($fp, $origMetaOfs + $origMetaSize);

$skippedOrigMeta = true;

continue;

}

}

echo fread($fp, $chunkSize);

}

fclose($fp);

Sony HDV “video walkman”

There are many folks with fond memories of the Sony DSR-V10, a small clamshell DVCam deck with an integrated monitor. They were great for in-the-field viewing, and also for use with lipstick cams and other devices without integrated recording. Well, there’s now an HDV successor, the GV-HD700E. Notice however, that it’ll only record to HDV when you feed it a signal over firewire – no component inputs (just like the HVR-1500). Lame, Sony.

Azden four channel field mixer

Anyone who has shopped for a field mixer knows that, more than in many other areas, cheap = crap. Azden’s new FMX-42 field mixer looks to be a pretty good mix of features and value. You get four channels in, two channels out, nice VU meters, battery or wall port and a case to carry it. I also appreciate that it has both a normal XLR output and a stereo mini output for use with lower end cameras. At $750 MSRP ($650 street), it’s a nice alternative to the venerable Shure FP33.

iPhone vs Dash

So, I’m not entirely dead. Just mostly.

I’m finally feeling halfway competent enough to write up my thoughts on the iPhone. In doing so, I figured I’d compare it to my previous phone, the T-Mobile Dash (HTC Excalibur).

Img 8119

Let me begin by pointing out my inherent bias in this discussion – the iPhone was always going to be the God phone in my eyes. That said, it’s not perfect.

Lets start with form factor. The iPhone and the Dash are very similar in size and weight. The Dash is a bit wider, the iPhone is a bit taller. The Dash is a fair svelte device for a smartphone (pre-iPhone), and I’m a huge fan of the rubberized plastic used on the case. The iPhone is far more likely to take an accidental tumble than the Dash. Luckily you’d never be so careless as to put your iPhone in harm’s way.

Img 8127



Taken strictly as a phone, the Dash is also the winner. Much of this is (I believe) down to the fact that my Dash was a T-mobile device, whereas the iPhone is an AT&T device. I’ve had more dropped calls in a week with my iPhone than in 6 months with my Dash. The Dash was by far the best performing phone I’ve used though, so it’d be tough to match. (Other recent phones I’ve used with T-mobile – Nokia 3230, Nokia 3650, Motorola Razr, Siemens S55, Samsung S105). It’s also worth noting that I live in a cave, where any RF reception is tenuous at best.

What about internet functionality? There’s no comparison. The iPhone is by far the best mobile internet experience I’ve ever had. Having a true and proper web browser in your pocket really is a game-changer. Websites render properly and quickly, and navigation is easy, despite the small screen. Similarly, the Email client is fast and easy to use. The Dash webbrowser was slow and problematic, often locking the phone or refusing to render a page. Similarly, the email client always took ages to pull in my mail, and would often fail to complete the process, leaving my mailbox in funny half-present states.

In terms of net connectivity, the iPhone is the first phone I’ve had with proper, usable Wifi. It’s not something you have to think about – any time you make a data request and the iPhone sees a nearby access point, it asks if you want to join. If you say yes, it connects quickly and without drama. If you say no, it uses EDGE. While EDGE is a bit of a bummer compared to the 3G networks, the iPhone is definitely the fastest EDGE device I’ve used. The iPhone also remembers Wifi access points you’ve visited in the past, and automatically joins them next time you’re in range. Nice.

The other smartphone tools are pretty much par for the course. The calendar is functional, the notes tool is a notes tool, and the contact management is “alright,” – no better than other phones. The touch interface makes it all fun, and I have no complaints about the functionality. A todo feature is sorely missing though, and one would hope it would find its way into a software update.

In terms of media playback, there isn’t any comparison between the two. The Dash had a semi-functional version of Windows Media Player which would display tiny little videos and stuttering audio. The iPhone gives you all the functionality of an iPod, with the addition of a beautiful touch interface and high-res screen.

All in all, the iPhone has met my expectations of what an Apple phone should be. It’s beautiful, intuitive, and does a few things far better than anyone has done before. And, like any Apple device, it is also to some extent defined by its limitations. No iChat, no video capture, no third party applications. It’s a good enough device that I can ignore the limitations for now. Because Apple has the ability to push software updates easily and universally, unlike any phone before, I hope the next few months will reveal an ever-improving iPhone that continues to delight and amaze.