Getting Started

Livesim 2 is an open-source MPEG-DASH live stream simulator from the DASH Industry Forum. It generates infinite, continuously updating MPEG-DASH manifests from pre-encoded content, making it ideal for testing DASH players, adaptive bitrate logic, and live stream integrations without needing a real encoder or live feed. Available as an open web service in Eyevinn Open Source Cloud.

Prerequisites

Create a Livesim 2 instance

Navigate to the Livesim 2 service. Go to the "My livesim2" tab and click "Create livesim2". Fill in:

  • Name: a name for your instance (alphanumeric only)

Click on the instance card when the status is green and "running".

Using the stream simulator

Once running, Livesim 2 serves MPEG-DASH manifests at your instance URL. The server includes built-in test content that loops continuously, presenting it as a live stream with a sliding window.

Access the default test stream:

https://<your-instance-url>/livesim2/testpic_2s/Manifest.mpd

The simulator supports URL path parameters to control stream behavior, for example:

  • /livesim2/segtimeline_1/testpic_2s/Manifest.mpd — use SegmentTimeline
  • /livesim2/ato_inf/testpic_2s/Manifest.mpd — set availabilityTimeOffset to infinity
  • /livesim2/periods_60/testpic_2s/Manifest.mpd — multi-period stream with 60-second periods

Full documentation of URL parameters is available in the Livesim 2 README.

Usage Example

Play the simulated live stream using a DASH player:

// Using dash.js
const player = dashjs.MediaPlayer().create();
player.initialize(
  document.querySelector('video'),
  'https://<your-instance-url>/livesim2/testpic_2s/Manifest.mpd',
  true // autoplay
);

Or test with ffprobe:

ffprobe https://<your-instance-url>/livesim2/testpic_2s/Manifest.mpd

CLI

osc create dash-industry-forum-livesim2 mylivesim

Resources