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Distribution

When passing on stream data to another location, whether it is at request of the other side or MistServer establishing the connection you can expect MistServer to start at a sensible starting point. VoD content starts at the beginning, while live streams would always be to the closest live point that can be streamed without interruption. Unless specified otherwise MistServer will always be providing the stream in real time speed.

Any conversion between protocol, format, container for streams within MistServer are instant and near free as an operation. The exception however are segmented protocols, they cost slightly more CPU to provide than other protocols due to the nature of the protocol itself.

Getting stream data out of MistServer​

Getting stream data out of MistServer can done through push or pull.

  • Push This is when you set up MistServer to send the stream data onwards to another platform/location.
  • Pull would be when viewers/users contact MistServer and request one of the possible outputs.

When do you use Push or Pull?​

Both methods are perfectly viable ways to get a stream from location A to B, however the environment/circumstances mostly decide which fits best. Typically push or pull mode is determined automatically by the type of operation MistServer of an user is doing.

Pull​

In order to pull from MistServer the only requirement is that MistServer needs to be accessible by the viewer/puller. Whether this is on the public internet or through a private network does not matter, the connection needs to be able to be established. Pulling is also a great fit for anything that does not need to be active 100% of the time, as you can start pulling the stream when it needs to be activated. This could apply to multiple MistServers working together in a CDN setup where an asset only loads in when it's about to be requested by a viewer.

Introduction to pulling from MistServer

Push​

In order to push from MistServer the only requirement is that the other side needs to be accessible by MistServer. MistServer itself does not need to be accessible by the side at all.

Introduction to pushing from MistServer