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Getting Started

Set up your first stream in under 5 minutes

Quick Start (5 Minutes)

Follow these five simple steps to get your first stream up and running:

  1. Login to your panel — Access your StreamDev dashboard at https://your-server-ip:8000 using the credentials provided during installation.
  2. Click "Add Stream" — Find the button at the top of your Streams page to open the stream creation dialog.
  3. Enter stream name and source URL — Give your stream a descriptive name and paste the source URL (e.g., rtsp://camera-ip:554/stream).
  4. Click Start — Hit the green Start button to begin processing your stream. The status indicator will turn green when active.
  5. Copy the HLS URL and share — Your output URL will look like https://your-server/live/stream-name/index.m3u8. Share this with your viewers or embed it in your website.

Tip: The HLS output URL works on virtually any device and browser — no special player or plugin required.

Supported Input Protocols

StreamDev supports all major streaming protocols as input sources:

Protocol Example URL Use Case
RTSP rtsp://ip:554/stream IP cameras, surveillance systems
HTTP/HTTPS https://source.com/live.ts Web-based sources, TS streams
HLS https://source.com/live.m3u8 Restreaming existing HLS feeds
SRT srt://ip:port Low-latency, reliable transport
RTMP rtmp://ip:1935/live/key Encoders, OBS Studio, social media

Output Format

All streams are converted to Universal HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) for playback on any device — desktops, mobiles, smart TVs, and set-top boxes. No plugins or special software needed on the viewer side.

Dashboard Overview

Your StreamDev dashboard provides a comprehensive real-time overview of your entire streaming infrastructure:

  • Active Streams: Total number of currently running streams with individual status indicators
  • Bandwidth Usage: Real-time inbound and outbound bandwidth consumption
  • CPU & Memory: Server resource utilization with visual gauges
  • Stream Health: Per-stream bitrate, frame rate, and error counters
  • Quick Actions: Start, stop, or restart streams directly from the dashboard

Tip: The dashboard auto-refreshes every 2–5 seconds, giving you near-real-time visibility into your streaming operations.

First Stream Checklist

Before going live, make sure you have completed the following:

  • Server is installed and accessible via the web panel
  • Source URL is reachable from your server (test with ffprobe)
  • Firewall ports are open (80, 443 for HTTP/HTTPS output)
  • SSL certificate is installed for HTTPS delivery
  • Stream name is set (no spaces or special characters recommended)
  • Transcoding settings are configured (or passthrough mode selected)
  • Output HLS URL is tested in a player (VLC, browser, etc.)

Important: Always verify your source URL is accessible from the server before creating a stream. Network firewalls or authentication may block access.

Test your source URL

ffprobe -v quiet -print_format json -show_streams "rtsp://your-source-url"

Explore More

Continue learning about StreamDev with these documentation sections:

Live Streams Transcoding & Quality Troubleshooting