MP4 Video Encoding Using ASP.NET
ASP.NET Media Handler Pro can be use to encode any format video to high quality mp4 video and audio file, add meta information to prepare it for web streaming and and make it compatible to be played on different devices and players including HTML5 and Flash.
This topic will provide sample code that can be used to
- Create mp4 videos using libx264 codec with presets
- Apply meta information in order to stream properly on the web.
C# Sample Code
Sample code below will generate mp4 video using libx264 codec and libx264-baseline.ffpreset preset file. You can use other preset files to generate mp4 video for ipod, iphone or high definition for computers.
Note: In case you are using free version of media handler pro, just comment properties like parameters if not supported.
MediaHandler _mhandler = new MediaHandler(); string RootPath = Server.MapPath(Request.ApplicationPath); _mhandler.FFMPEGPath = HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~\\ffmpeg\\ffmpeg.exe"); _mhandler.InputPath = RootPath + "\\contents\\original"; _mhandler.OutputPath = RootPath + "\\contents\\mp4"; _mhandler.FileName = "Wildlife.wmv"; string presetpath = RootPath + "\\ffmpeg\\presets\\libx264-baseline.ffpreset"; _mhandler.OutputExtension = ".mp4"; _mhandler.OutputFileName = "canon_temp"; _mhandler.VCodec = "libx264"; _mhandler.Parameters = " -s 320x240 -fpre " + presetpath + ""; _mhandler.Video_Bitrate = 500; _mhandler.Channel = 2; _mhandler.Audio_SamplingRate = 48000; _mhandler.Audio_Bitrate = 192; _mhandler.FrameRate = 25; VideoInfo info = _mhandler.Process(); // start encoding mp4 video via process method
This check will make sure whether video is successfully published or failed due to any reason returned through error code.
if (info.ErrorCode > 0) { Response.Write("Video processing failed, Error code " + info.ErrorCode + " generated"); Response.Write("<br />" + info.FFMPEGOutput + ""); return; }
Add Meta Information to Mp4 Video
Once mp4 video published, it still have lack of streaming on the web. In order to stream it properly, you must add meta information to mp4 video to make it streameable and buffering properly.
For adding meta information and make it streameable mp4 video, we used mp4box utility with asp.net media handler pro.
Sample code below
string _mp4_org_path = "\"" + _mhandler.OutputPath + "\\canon_temp.mp4\""; // Set mp4box path _mhandler.MP4BoxPath = RootPath + "\\mp4box\\mp4box.exe"; // Prepare mp4box meta information parameters _mhandler.Parameters = "-isma -hint -add " + _mp4_org_path + ""; // Set final mp4 video path _mhandler.FileName = "Sample_Final.mp4"; // Set path of folder where final mp4 video will store _mhandler.InputPath = _mhandler.OutputPath; // Start mp4 meta information process _mhandler.Set_MP4_Buffering();
All Code in One Step
Sample code shown below will publish mp4 video and set meta information for mp4 video in one step.
Two steps involve in publishing and setting meta information.
- Publish mp4 video as temp video e.g sample_temp.mp4
- Generate streameable mp4 video from temp mp4 video.
- Delete temp mp4 video.
Sample code below
MediaHandler _mhandler = new MediaHandler(); string RootPath = Server.MapPath(Request.ApplicationPath); _mhandler.FFMPEGPath = HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~\\ffmpeg\\ffmpeg.exe"); _mhandler.InputPath = RootPath + "\\contents\\original"; _mhandler.OutputPath = RootPath + "\\contents\\mp4"; _mhandler.FileName = "Wildlife.wmv"; string presetpath = RootPath + "\\ffmpeg\\presets\\libx264-baseline.ffpreset"; _mhandler.OutputExtension = ".mp4"; _mhandler.OutputFileName = "canon_temp"; _mhandler.VCodec = "libx264"; _mhandler.Parameters = " -s 320x240 -fpre " + presetpath + ""; _mhandler.Video_Bitrate = 500; _mhandler.Channel = 2; _mhandler.Audio_SamplingRate = 48000; _mhandler.Audio_Bitrate = 192; _mhandler.FrameRate = 25; VideoInfo info = _mhandler.Process(); // start encoding mp4 video via process method // set meta information for mp4 video string _mp4_org_path = "\"" + _mhandler.OutputPath + "\\canon_temp.mp4\""; // Set mp4box path _mhandler.MP4BoxPath = RootPath + "\\mp4box\\mp4box.exe"; // Prepare mp4box meta information parameters _mhandler.Parameters = "-isma -hint -add " + _mp4_org_path + ""; // Set final mp4 video path _mhandler.FileName = "Sample_Final.mp4"; // Set path of folder where final mp4 video will store _mhandler.InputPath = _mhandler.OutputPath; // Start mp4 meta information process _mhandler.Set_MP4_Buffering(); // delete temp mp4 video if (System.IO.File.Exists(temp_mp4_path)) System.IO.File.Delete(temp_mp4_path); // retrieve valudes if (info.ErrorCode > 0) { Response.Write("Video processing failed, Error code " + info.ErrorCode + " generated"); Response.Write("<br />" + info.FFMPEGOutput + ""); return; }
Retrieve Video Information
Once published asp.net media handler pro will returned source and published video information as VideoInfo object. Sample information shown below
StringBuilder str = new StringBuilder(); str.Append("File Name= " + info.FileName + "<br />"); str.Append("Video Duration= " + info.Duration + "<br />"); str.Append("Video Duration in Seconds= " + info.Duration_Sec + "<br />"); // Input values str.Append("<strong>Input Values</strong><br />"); str.Append("Video Codec= " + info.Input_Vcodec + "<br />"); str.Append("Audio Codec= " + info.Input_Acodec + "<br />"); str.Append("Video Bitrate= " + info.Input_Video_Bitrate + "<br />"); str.Append("Audio Bitrate= " + info.Input_Audio_Bitrate + "<br />"); str.Append("Audio Sampling Rate= " + info.Input_SamplingRate + "<br />"); str.Append("Audio Channel= " + info.Input_Channel + "<br />"); str.Append("Width= " + info.Input_Width + "<br />"); str.Append("Height= " + info.Input_Height + "<br />"); str.Append("Video FrameRate= " + info.Input_FrameRate + "<br />"); // Output values str.Append("<strong>Output Values</strong><br />"); str.Append("Video Codec= " + info.Vcodec + "<br />"); str.Append("Audio Codec= " + info.Acodec + "<br />"); str.Append("Video Bitrate= " + info.Video_Bitrate + "<br />"); str.Append("Audio Bitrate= " + info.Audio_Bitrate + "<br />"); str.Append("Audio Sampling Rate= " + info.SamplingRate + "<br />"); str.Append("Audio Channel= " + info.Channel + "<br />"); str.Append("Width= " + info.Width + "<br />"); str.Append("Height= " + info.Height + "<br />"); str.Append("Video FrameRate= " + info.FrameRate + "<br />"); str.Append(".................................<br />"); str.Append("FFMPEG Output:" + info.FFMPEGOutput + ""); str.Append("Error Code= " + info.ErrorCode + "<br />"); Response.Write(str.ToString());
