User Guides

Playback URLs for Channels and Live Events

Build playback URLs for virtual linear playlists, live channels and live events, by GUID or external ID.

Virtual Linear Playlists

Manage virtual linear playlists through the Virtual Linear Playlist API. Upon creating a virtual linear playlist, it is assigned a 32-character hexadecimal unique identifier. Use this ID, known as a playlist ID, when constructing a playback URL.

Smartstart provides a virtual linear experience for a single asset. Use the Bulk Smartstart endpoint to enable Smartstart on one or more asset(s) by creating a virtual linear playlist for each asset. This type of virtual linear playlist is assigned the same system-defined ID as its asset. This facilitates playback implementation, since it allows you to use this shared ID when constructing a playback URL.

HLS Syntax:
https://content.uplynk.com/playlist/{Playlist ID}.m3u8

DASH Syntax:
https://content.uplynk.com/playlist/{Playlist ID}.mpd

Sample playback URL (HLS):
Use the following playback URL to stream a playlist with an ID of 7771125f336c4e229c20f7307f8c3122 via HLS.

https://content.uplynk.com/playlist/7771125f336c4e229c20f7307f8c3122.m3u8

Key information:

  • Use the virtual linear playlist's skip_drm property to determine whether a digital signature is required. This property overrides an asset's Require a token for playback setting.

  • Use the virtual linear playlist's studio_drm_required property to determine whether it will be protected by Studio DRM. This property overrides an asset's Require studio approved DRM for playback setting.

  • If you plan on implementing a timeline within your player, use the dmm.schemas.top and pltl query string parameters to include timeline data within the manifest. Learn more.

    📘

    The pltl query string parameter is optional for Smartstart-enabled assets.

  • Learn more about virtual linear playlists and Smartstart.

Live Channels

The two types of playback URLs for a live channel are:

  • Channel ID (GUID): Identifies a live channel by its system-defined ID.
  • External ID (Channel): Identifies a live channel by its external ID.

Channel ID (GUID)

Upon creation, a live channel is assigned a 32-character hexadecimal unique identifier. You can view this ID, known as a channel ID, from within the CMS.

Find a Live Channel ID

  1. From the CMS, select the Live Channels tab.
  2. Select the desired live channel. Basic options and live channel information appear on the Details tab.
  3. Find the live channel's system-defined ID under the GUID label.

Generate a playback URL for a live channel by including its channel ID.

HLS Syntax:
https://content.uplynk.com/channel/{Channel ID}.m3u8

DASH Syntax:
https://content.uplynk.com/channel/{Channel ID}.mpd

Sample playback URL:
The following sample playback URL plays a live channel with an ID of cd772adbd60a4e898d1c3b1f46c58cea.

https://content.uplynk.com/channel/cd772adbd60a4e898d1c3b1f46c58cea.m3u8

External ID (Channel)

Construct a playback URL by including both of the following values:

  • Workspace ID: Your Workspace ID. This was formerly known as User ID.

    Find my Workspace ID:

    1. Load the Settings page via Settings > General.
    2. Your Workspace ID is listed under the Workspace ID label.

  • External ID (Channel): A custom ID assigned to a live channel. Typically, this ID reflects a unique value defined in an external database.

    Key information:

    • An external ID may only consist of alphanumeric characters, dashes, and underscores. All other characters, including spaces, are disallowed.
    • External IDs are not tested for validity or uniqueness. An arbitrary matching live channel will play back when multiple live channels within the same account share the same external ID.

Find a live channel's external ID:

  1. From the CMS, select the Live Channels tab.
  2. Select the desired live channel. Basic options and live channel information appear on the Details tab.
  3. The live channel's external ID is listed under the External ID option.

HLS Syntax:
https://content.uplynk.com/channel/ext/{Workspace ID}/{External ID}.m3u8

DASH Syntax:
https://content.uplynk.com/channel/ext/{Workspace ID}/{External ID}.mpd

Sample playback URL:
The following sample playback URL plays a live channel with an ID of live_feed_east provided that it belongs to a user whose Workspace ID is f8c29a5f6c4e229c20f7307f8c3122ab.

https://content.uplynk.com/channel/ext/f8c29a5f6c4e229c20f7307f8c3122ab/live_feed_east.m3u8

Live Events

The two types of playback URLs for a live event are:

  • Event ID (GUID): Identifies a live event by its system-defined ID.
  • External ID (Event): Identifies a live event by its external ID.

Event ID (GUID)

An event ID is automatically generated upon creating a live event.

An alternative method for scheduling a live event is via the Live Events Integration API. An event ID is reported by the id response parameter when creating, updating, or retrieving a live event.

Find a live event ID

  1. Navigate to the Live Events page via Events > Live Events.
  2. Select the desired live event.
  3. Verify that the Details tab is selected.
  4. Find the live event's system-defined ID under the GUID label.

Generate a playback URL for a live event by including its event ID.

HLS Syntax: https://content.uplynk.com/event/{Event ID}.m3u8

DASH Syntax: https://content.uplynk.com/event/{Event ID}.mpd

Sample playback URL: The following sample playback URL plays a live event with an ID of f21c3336c35f47baa59345e2879b6edb.

https://content.uplynk.com/event/f21c3336c35f47baa59345e2879b6edb.m3u8

External ID (Event)

Construct a playback URL by including both of the following values:

  • Workspace ID: Your Workspace ID. Prior to Accounts 2.0, this was known as User ID.

    Find my Workspace ID:

    1. Load the Settings page via Settings > General.
    2. Your Workspace ID is listed under the Workspace ID label.

  • External ID (Event): A custom ID assigned to a live event. Typically, this ID reflects a unique value defined in an external database.

    Key information:

    • An external ID may only consist of alphanumeric characters, dashes, and underscores. All other characters, including spaces, are disallowed.
    • External IDs are not tested for validity or uniqueness. An arbitrary matching live event will play back when multiple live events within the same account share the same external ID.

Find a live event's external ID

  1. Navigate to the Live Events page via Events > Live Events.
  2. Select the desired live event.
  3. Verify that the Details tab is selected.
  4. Find the live event's system-defined ID under the External ID label.

HLS Syntax:
https://content.uplynk.com/event/ext/{Workspace ID}/{External ID}.m3u8

DASH Syntax:
https://content.uplynk.com/event/ext/{Workspace ID}/{External ID}.mpd

Sample playback URL: The following sample HLS playback URL plays a live event with an ID of live_feed_east provided that it belongs to a user whose Workspace ID is 1855369d5db040539700c6cb724d1f16.

https://content.uplynk.com/event/ext/1855369d5db040539700c6cb724d1f16/live_feed_east.m3u8

Updated about 1 hour ago

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