As @PhilipDAth announced in his post yesterday, we've added support for low-latency HLS (LHLS) to second generation cameras (models ending in "2") running camera 4.8 beta firmware. We know this was a much awaited feature, and we are excited to make it available! I wanted to share some additional details with everyone, as well as provide a bit of background on how MV cameras stream video for those that are new.
Meraki MV cameras use HTTP live streaming (HLS) as the delivery mechanism for video. It's a protocol that was designed by apple for streaming media, and works by creating a collection of small files which are downloaded by the web browser and seamlessly played back. Video delivered this way is simple for the browser to interpret, and removes the need for special software or browser plugins to stream video.
The simplicity is why we chose to use it for our video streaming, but the downside is that there is a delay. The buffering period required by HLS can lead to a delay between 5-10 seconds for LAN direct streams. In many cases, this delay is acceptable, but it can become a concern in some live monitoring scenarios where seconds count for reaction time.
LHLS reduces this stream delay to less than 2 seconds when streaming on the LAN. (The delay when using a cloud-proxy stream is also reduced, but it is dependent on the path the video takes from the camera to the viewing device.) This makes it ideal for real-time monitoring situations, like
- Healthcare workers monitoring patients
- First responders working in emergency situations
- Security guards or other personnel monitoring live video or video walls
All networks running 4.8 will have LHLS enabled by default for all second generation cameras, and all live video features will continue to work with LHLS. This includes:
- Audio playback
- MV32 in warped and dewarped mode
- Video walls
- Live link sharing
LHLS is not yet supported on the iOS app, and is not supported on first generation MV cameras (MV21 and MV71). For more information, please see the Viewing Video article on the documentation site.
For those of you that have tested out LHLS already, what has been your experience so far? We'd love to hear any thoughts or feedback you have to share!
