4h_tool/README.md

M3U8 to RTMP Streamer

Python script to stream M3U8 (HLS) live streams to RTMP servers using ffmpeg without re-encoding.

Features

• Direct stream passthrough (no re-encoding)
• Supports M3U8/HLS playlists
• Streams to RTMP servers
• Real-time output monitoring
• Graceful shutdown on Ctrl+C

Requirements

• Python 3.7+
• FFmpeg installed and in PATH (or provide path with --ffmpeg)

Installation

1. Install FFmpeg:

   • Windows: Download from https://ffmpeg.org/download.html
   • macOS: brew install ffmpeg
   • Linux: sudo apt install ffmpeg or sudo yum install ffmpeg

2. No Python dependencies required (uses standard library)

Usage

Basic Usage

python stream_m3u_to_rtmp.py <m3u_url> <rtmp_url>

Examples

# Stream from M3U8 URL to RTMP server
python stream_m3u_to_rtmp.py \
  "https://example.com/live/stream.m3u8" \
  "rtmp://live.twitch.tv/app/your_stream_key"

# Stream from local M3U8 file
python stream_m3u_to_rtmp.py \
  "playlist.m3u8" \
  "rtmp://server.com/live/stream_key"

# Specify custom ffmpeg path
python stream_m3u_to_rtmp.py \
  "https://example.com/stream.m3u8" \
  "rtmp://server.com/live/key" \
  --ffmpeg "C:/ffmpeg/bin/ffmpeg.exe"

RTMP URL Format

RTMP URLs typically follow this format:

rtmp://server.com:port/app/stream_key

Examples:

• Twitch: rtmp://live.twitch.tv/app/YOUR_STREAM_KEY
• YouTube: rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/YOUR_STREAM_KEY
• Custom server: rtmp://your-server.com:1935/live/stream_key

How It Works

The script uses ffmpeg with:

• -c copy: Copies all codecs without re-encoding (passthrough)
• -f flv: Outputs in FLV format (required for RTMP)
• -re: Reads input at native frame rate
• Direct stream from M3U8 to RTMP

Notes

• The stream will continue until stopped (Ctrl+C) or the source ends
• No re-encoding means very low CPU usage
• Requires the source stream codecs to be compatible with RTMP/FLV
• If codec compatibility issues occur, you may need to re-encode (remove -c copy)

Troubleshooting

• FFmpeg not found: Install FFmpeg or use --ffmpeg to specify path
• Connection errors: Check RTMP URL and network connectivity
• Codec errors: Source codecs may not be RTMP-compatible, may need re-encoding
• Stream stops: Check source M3U8 URL is accessible and valid