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HLS or DASH over CMAF

Below are the parameters accessed in the HLS or DASH over CMAF output.

ParameterDescription
Output nameOutput name. The name you want to use for the output.
Naming schemeNaming scheme for DASH manifests.
Timeline mode: every fragment is listed and requested by the player.
trun v1Enable trun version 1 for fragments allowing negative CTO (Composition Time Offset) values
Enable thumbnailsEnable thumbnails generation

Related information
HLS or DASH over CMAF output configuration

ParameterDescription
NameName of the manifest/playlist generated for the current output.. Default value is index (for HLS) or manifest (for DASH). If a filtering has been applied to the manifest/playlist, it is recommended to use a name that clearly identifies the defined filtering.
Important: The manifest name must be unique and different from any other manifest name.
ParameterDescription
Audio streams filterBuild a filter to select the audio streams that will be included in manifest/playlist.
Applicable filters: bitrate in kbps and Language
Video streams filterBuild a filter to select the video streams that will be included in manifest/playlist.
Applicable filters: bitrate in kbps, codec (H.264 or HEVC) and No video
Subtitle streams filterBuild a filter to select the subtitle streams that will be included in manifest/playlist.
Applicable filters: bitrate in kbps and Language
Thumbnail streams filterBuild a filter to select the thumbnail streams that will be included in manifest/playlist.
Applicable filters: width and height in pixels
ParameterDescription
NameName of the manifest/playlist generated for the current output. Default value is index (for HLS) or manifest (for DASH).
Recommendation: If a filtering has been applied to the manifest/playlist, it is recommended to use a name that clearly identifies the defined filtering.

Important: The manifest name must be unique and different from any other manifest name.

ParameterDescription
Audio streams filterBuild a filter to select the audio streams that will be included in manifest/playlist.
Applicable filters: bitrate in kbps and Language
Video streams filterBuild a filter to select the video streams that will be included in manifest/playlist.
Applicable filters: bitrate in kbps, codec (H.264 or HEVC) and No video
Subtitle streams filterBuild a filter to select the subtitle streams that will be included in manifest/playlist.
Applicable filters: bitrate in kbps and Language
Thumbnail streams filterBuild a filter to select the thumbnail streams that will be included in manifest/playlist.
Applicable filters: width and height in pixels
ParameterDescription
Access URLPortion of the complete access URL that defines the service.
Prefer URI unreserved characters (alphanumerical characters plus (, ), -, _, .). Declaring a subpath (a/b) is possible but may impact performance.
Example: https://[Server IP or FQDN]/packaging/[Output Access URL]/[Live Packaging Service Access URL]/[index.m3u8 OR manifest OR manifest.mpd]
ParameterDescription
KeyAES key used for encrypting the content.
Key IDIdentifier used to uniquely identify the key within the system.
PlayReadyEnables PlayReady encryption.
WidevineEnables Widevine encryption.
FairplayEnables Fairplay encryption.

PlayReady mode enabled:

ParameterDescription
License acquisition URLLicense acquisition URL to be used by the player.
License UI URLNonsilent license acquisition URL to be used by the player.
Domain service IDDomain service identifier.<br>Microsoft provides a unique identifier to the PlayReady technology supplier.

Widevine mode enabled:

ParameterDescription
ProviderName of the content provider. Also used as the name of the signer.
PolicyUsage rules for the encypted output.
ParameterDescription
Key server URLURL of the server that will deliver the encryption keys.
PlayReadyEnables PlayReady encryption.
WidevineEnables Widevine encryption.
FairplayEnables Fairplay encryption.
MediaroomEnables Mediaroom encryption.
ClearkeyEnables Clearkey encryption.

Key rotation

ParameterDescription
Enable key rotationEnable key rotation. Leaving key rotation disabled means a single key is requested and used for the whole output.
PeriodKey rotation period. Choose a value and a unit for the period
Start timeDate and time of the first occurrence. All crypto periods are aligned on this date and time, modulo the period: it fixes the phase of the period grid rather than the timestamp of an actual, one-time key request.
Time spreadDuration (in seconds) of the time window for spreading key requests out in time. The actual offset is a pseudo-random value in that window, so it is stable for a given output but different across outputs — this staggers key requests instead of having every channel hit the key server at the same instant.
Period modeChoose mode for rotation keys. Possible values are Index and Start/end (default). In Index mode, the CPIX request/response identifies a crypto period by an integer index. In Start/end mode, it is identified by its actual validity window.
Number of key periods to request Number of key periods to request in advance from the key server. Requesting more than one fetches the current key plus the upcoming one(s) from the key server in a single round trip; the extra keys are cached and reused so no additional request is needed when the next crypto period starts.

Key usage rules

ParameterDescription
Track filters/FilteringBuild a filter to select the streams that will be included in Cpix track.
Applicable filters: streamType (video or audio), width (in pixels), height (in pixels) and codec (H.264 or HEVC)
Track typeType of a track associated to the track.
Only AZaz09 _,;:@ and space character are accepted
LabelsList of labels associated to the track
Only AZaz09 _,;:@ and space character are accepted
Disable audio encryptionDisables audio encryption for the output.
This setting overrides any encryption setting received from the key provider.

Related information
See CPIX key rotation and track keys below for details on how these settings shape the key requests sent to the key server.

ParameterDescription
KeyAES key used for encrypting the content. Unit: hexadecimal.
Initialization vectorInitialization vector to be used with the key.
Key IDIdentifier used to uniquely identify the key within the system.
PlayReadyEnables PlayReady encryption.
WidevineEnables Widevine encryption.
FairplayEnables Fairplay encryption.

PlayReady mode enabled:

ParameterDescription
License acquisition URLLicense acquisition URL to be used by the player.
License UI URLNonsilent license acquisition URL to be used by the player.
Domain service IDDomain service identifier.
Microsoft provides a unique identifier to the PlayReady technology supplier.

Widevine mode enabled:

ParameterDescription
ProviderName of the content provider. Also used as the name of the signer.
PolicyUsage rules for the encypted output.

Fairplay mode enabled:

ParameterDescription
URIURI to be used by the player.
Key formatSpecify how the key is declared in the resource specified in the URL.

Key usage rules

ParameterDescription
Disable audio encryptionDisables audio encryption for the output.
This setting overrides any encryption setting received from the key provider.
ParameterDescription
Key server URLURL of the server that will deliver the encryption keys.
PlayReadyEnables PlayReady encryption.
WidevineEnables Widevine encryption.
FairplayEnables Fairplay encryption.
MediaroomEnables Mediaroom encryption.
ClearkeyEnables Clearkey encryption.

Key rotation

ParameterDescription
Enable key rotationEnable key rotation. Leaving key rotation disabled means a single key is requested and used for the whole output.
PeriodKey rotation period. Choose a value and a unit for the period
Start timeDate and time of the first occurrence. All crypto periods are aligned on this date and time, modulo the period: it fixes the phase of the period grid rather than the timestamp of an actual, one-time key request.
Time spreadDuration (in seconds) of the time window for spreading key requests out in time. The actual offset is a pseudo-random value in that window, so it is stable for a given output but different across outputs — this staggers key requests instead of having every channel hit the key server at the same instant.
Period modeChoose mode for rotation keys. Possible values are Index and Start/end (default). In Index mode, the CPIX request/response identifies a crypto period by an integer index. In Start/end mode, it is identified by its actual validity window.
Number of key periods to request Number of key periods to request in advance from the key server. Requesting more than one fetches the current key plus the upcoming one(s) from the key server in a single round trip; the extra keys are cached and reused so no additional request is needed when the next crypto period starts.

Key usage rules

ParameterDescription
Track filters/FilteringBuild a filter to select the streams that will be included in Cpix track.
Applicable filters: streamType (video or audio), width (in pixels), height (in pixels) and codec (H.264 or HEVC)
Track typeType of a track associated to the track.
Only AZaz09 _,;:@ and space character are accepted
LabelsList of labels associated to the track
Only AZaz09 _,;:@ and space character are accepted
Disable audio encryptionDisables audio encryption for the output.
This setting overrides any encryption setting received from the key provider.

The Compatible CPIX ext. key provider (CENC or CBCS) delegates key generation to an external key server through the DASH-IF CPIX protocol. Two independent CPIX mechanisms are available on top of a single fixed key: key rotation, which periodically requests a new key over time, and track keys, which requests distinct keys for different tracks of the same output.

When key rotation is enabled, the packager requests a new key from the key server for every crypto period instead of a single key for the whole output:

  • The period and its unit set the crypto period duration (converted to seconds for the key request).
  • The start time anchors the period grid: period boundaries fall at start time + n × period, for every integer n. Only the start time’s position within one period matters.
  • The time spread adds jitter on top of that grid. Rather than requesting a key exactly on the period boundary, the packager offsets the request by a pseudo-random duration somewhere inside the spread window. This avoids many outputs sharing the same period and start time from all hitting the key server at the same instant, while keeping the offset stable for a given output.
  • The period mode controls how the current crypto period is identified in the CPIX exchange:
    • Index — the request/response carries an integer period number.
    • Start/end (default) — the request/response carries the period’s actual validity window.
  • The number of key periods to request lets the packager fetch more than the current key in one CPIX round trip — the current key plus one or more upcoming (lookahead) keys.

Setting the crypto period to 0 (or leaving key rotation disabled) means a single key is requested and used for the entire output — none of the other key rotation parameters apply in that case.

By default, a single CPIX key applies to every track of an output. Declaring one or more entries in Tracks requests one key per entry instead, so different tracks (e.g. UHD video vs. SD video vs. audio) can be encrypted with different keys — a common requirement for tiered DRM policies (for example restricting 4K playback to devices with a stronger security level).

Each track entry combines two independent things:

  • Track type and Labels are sent to the key server as the CPIX usage rule for that track’s key. Both are free-form strings with no built-in normalization — their meaning is a convention agreed with the key server.
  • Filtering is evaluated locally by the packager only — it is never sent to the key server — to decide which of the output’s actual streams that track key applies to. It supports streamType (video or audio), width and height (in pixels), and codec (H.264 or HEVC). The first track whose filter matches a given stream wins; a track without any filtering has no local restriction.

Important: the key server may return a different key ID and key periods than the one the packager sent for a given track — always match tracks and keys on the identity returned in the CPIX response, not on the request.

Key rotation and track keys can be combined: the packager then requests one key per (track, crypto period) combination — for example, 2 tracks with 3 lookahead periods results in 6 keys in a single CPIX exchange. In that case, each <ContentKeyUsageRule> additionally carries a <KeyPeriodFilter periodId="…"/> element tying that specific track’s key to the crypto period it is valid for.

Related information
HLS or DASH over CMAF output configuration
HLS over TS output configuration

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