RTMPS As An Instrument To Protect Streaming

Each of us does business with broadcasting to some extend, and life will probably get much more tedious without it. Our world dictates its terms, and remote online communication is all we have to be settled for. Whenever it?s not possible to personally attend a particular event, we can simply rely on this advanced solution.

Company owners, who are specifically interested in top-level online streaming content, have to be aware of the latest changes in broadcasting mechanisms. For instance, the Adobe Flash video player is currently replaced with the HTML5 tool, and the RTMP protocol has launched a more advanced and secured option – RTMPS.

In a world where cyber-attacks represent a pretty common phenomenon, RTMPS is able to ensure a better and more sustainable security of the live streaming process. Let?s explore the RTMP technology to figure out how broadcasting could be secured with RTMPS.

Why it makes sense to go for video streaming techniques

It has been proven that sophisticated mobile apps and sites represent a perfect tool for online broadcasting. At the same time, to make sure it all works smoothly, specific protocols happened to be mandatory, so they were created driven by the demand.

The next question is what specific protocols are needed for broadcasting videos to users? gadgets. Is RTMPS the best solution for it?

The decision has to be made with regard to the requirements a particular project has. Moreover, it?s essential to consider the market dynamics in general not to invest in something that will become obsolete within a few years. When it comes to live-streaming app development, one shall consider the below means, so let?s determine why it?s relevant these days.

Real-Time Messaging Protocol

Being powered by Flash Media Server in the first place, RTMP was made in 2000 to transfer diverse data via the net. It was two decades ago, but still, this technology rides high even today.

However, there?s one problem: the Flash video player is actually incompatible with broadcasting from mobile gadgets. It is a big deal since every year the application of smartphones is significantly increasing. Apple has come up with a way out, which was?

1. HLS protocol

The mentioned open-source protocol implies HTTP live streaming supporting the well-known HTML5 tool.

Its working principle is rather interesting. When transmission speed changes (accelerating or slowing down), the player is supposed to resort to a designated manifest file to index that piece of video. The player is to define the quality of the video to proceed with, so it requests a relevant index file for loading the given video fragment. Nevertheless, the HLS disadvantage is a 20-30 second delay in broadcasting.

2. Will RTMP disappear?

For sure, no. Experts predict that RTMP, especially its RTMPS version, will stay relevant. Still, there?ll be a few changes.

We all feel that the time of Flash is slowly running out, and official sources state that we shall not expect any updates starting from now. However, those circumstances don?t shrug off the RTMP protocol.

Nowadays, RTMP communication takes place in the following way: we?re dealing with an RTMP stream that is getting encoded into the HLS protocol, so it is provided for the ultimate viewers.

It?s critical to choose the proper encoder. Among the most reliable options, we?d distinguish vMix, Wirecast, VidblasterX, and TriCaster hardware encoders.

3. Conclusion on the existing protocols:

• Being originally made for iOS gadgets, these days HLS is applicable everywhere. However, the issue with the latency in broadcasting hasn?t been resolved yet;
• RTMP represents the best means when real-time video streaming is required.

Speaking of specific figures, HLS is preferred in 45% of cases, and RTMP is applied in 33% of instances.

RTMPS Protocol

RTMP serves as a pretty great instrument, however, it has its downsides as well, and spoofing is the key issue. Having no idea what spoofing is? It?s when a particular cyber fraudster is acting as if he were YouTube, so he?s redirecting the stream to a different server which is far from being reliable. It is actually a big problem.

When you secure your live broadcasting with RTMPS, you protect yourself from spoofing.

As you understand, the ?S? in RTMPS signifies ?Security?. That high level of protection has been ensured due to specific encryption with the application of TLS & SSL implement.

A few more interesting particulars on RTMPS:

• The address bar has been changed as well. Nowadays, ?rtmp://? is replaced with ?rtmps://?;
• The safety has been strengthened. Without getting into all unnecessary details, the stream is getting encrypted between the CDN and the encoder. And that?s only one of multiple examples of how RTMPS guarantees superior protection while broadcasting;
• Multiple well-known platforms trust RTMPS. FB is successfully applying for these protocols when in 2019 they realized how crucial it is to ensure decent protection of the data of its audience. TikTok and Instagram are heavy users of RTMPS as well. Unfortunately, digital attacks turn to be pretty frequent, thus, adequate streaming safety is a must
• RTMPS manages to meet the requirements of networks. The security issue shall not be underestimated, and every time a platform hosts live streaming, its data gets in danger. Thanks to RTMPS, networks can have peace of mind in this regard.

More variants of RTMP Protocols

Actually, there exist more RTMP-powered alternatives to be applied for video streaming.  Here are other fitting means for you to go for:

RTMP Proper:

Here?s the initial and main kind of RTMP, so we?ve already spoken enough about it;

RTMPT:

That would be another RTMP type. Its key objective is to get around firewalls;

RTMFP:

It?s a perfect tool for P2P platforms. Yes, such systems can also require broadcasting functionality. Typically, it implies video communication between individuals in diverse chats. Did you know that famous Zoom and Skype are enjoying RTMFP?

RTMPE:

It can be perceived as an RTMPS-like option, cos the presented instrument provides reliable security. Nevertheless, RTMPS is preferable.

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