Membrane HLS Plugin

Adaptive live streaming plugin (HLS) for the Membrane Framework, used in production.

Features

Source Element

• Reads existing HLS streams from master playlists
• Supports multiple renditions (video, audio, subtitles)
• Handles dynamic playlist updates for live streams
• Built-in storage abstraction for different backends

Sink Element (SinkBin)

• Multiple Container Formats:

  • CMAF segments (default) - Modern fragmented MP4
  • MPEG-TS segments - Traditional transport stream
  • Packed AAC - Audio-only streams
  • AAC over TS - ⚠️ Experimental: Audio streams packed in Transport Stream containers
  • WebVTT - Subtitle tracks

• Stream Types Supported:

  • H.264 video encoding
  • AAC audio encoding
  • Text subtitles (WebVTT format)

• Operating Modes:

  • Live Mode: Real-time streaming with sliding window playlists
    • Configurable safety delays
    • Automatic playlist synchronization
    • Discontinuity handling for stream interruptions
  • VOD Mode: Video-on-demand with complete playlists

Advanced Features

• Codec Serialization: Automatic codec string generation (avc1, hvc1, mp4a)
• Segment Management: Configurable target segment durations
• Timeline Handling: PTS shifting and discontinuity markers
• Multi-track Support: Audio, video, and subtitle tracks in single pipeline

Architecture

The plugin is built on the Membrane Framework and integrates with the kim_hls library for playlist management:

• Membrane.HLS.SinkBin - Main bin for processing input streams into HLS segments
• Membrane.HLS.Source - Source element for reading HLS playlists and segments
• Various sink implementations for different container formats
• Automatic codec detection and stream format handling

Dependencies

Key dependencies include:

• membrane_core - Core Membrane Framework
• kim_hls - HLS playlist and segment management
• membrane_mp4_plugin - MP4/CMAF container support
• membrane_aac_plugin - AAC audio processing
• membrane_h26x_plugin - H.264/H.265 video processing
• membrane_mpeg_ts_plugin - MPEG-TS container support

Copyright and License

Copyright 2025, KIM Keep In Mind GmbH Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0