Getting Started

Test Source HLS Live is an open web service that generates a live HLS test stream using FFmpeg. It is a quick way to get a valid, continuously-updating HLS endpoint for developing and testing video applications without needing a real encoder or camera feed.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Create a Test Source HLS Live instance

Navigate to the Test Source HLS Live service in the OSC web console. Click Create docker-testsrc-hls-live and enter a name for your instance (alphanumeric only, e.g. mytest).

Click Create and wait for the status indicator to turn green.

Step 2: Get the stream URL

Once the instance is running, the service exposes a live HLS stream at:

https://<instance-url>/live/master.m3u8

Click the instance URL in the web console to see the base address of your instance, then append /live/master.m3u8 to get the master playlist URL.

Using the stream

You can play the stream in any HLS-compatible player. For example, using ffplay:

ffplay https://<instance-url>/live/master.m3u8

Or test it with curl:

curl -I https://<instance-url>/live/master.m3u8

The stream generates a test pattern video with timecode overlay, updated continuously. It is suitable for:

  • Testing HLS player implementations
  • Validating stream monitoring and alerting systems
  • Providing a reliable input for transcoding or packaging pipelines during development

CLI usage

osc create eyevinn-docker-testsrc-hls-live mytest

Resources