IIS Smooth Streaming Server Manifest (On-Demand)

  • Article

For on-demand scenarios, the server manifest serves three key roles. Those roles are:

  • Specify the group of media files that comprise the presentation.

  • Specify heuristic parameters, such as bit rate and fragment quality index, for each track.

  • Abstract the layout of the tracks into files on disk for consumption by the client.

In addition to enabling consumption of media as a single cohesive presentation, the abstraction provided by the server manifest allows for a variety of management tasks to be performed without altering the underlying media files. Those tasks include:

  • Adding additional language tracks

  • Adding commentary tracks

  • Adding alternate video angles

  • Creating previews/highlights

  • Creating a limited-quality version of the presentation for non-subscription users

Conceptual Organization

Each stream comprises one or more associated media files and a client manifest, which are tied together using a metadata file called the disk manifest. The disk manifest specifies the different quality levels (aggregate bit rates) available to stream content and the tracks that each quality level comprises.