How can I code a server/client video and audio streaming application?

Question

I have to create a client/server system to stream video and audio. It would be very simple. Like youtube style. The server should attend clients providing a list of medias f

Answer 1

Check out the Java Media Framework (it has tutorials): http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/desktop/media/jmf/

Does this even work?

     while(true) {
        Runnable r = new ThreadedEchoHandler(incoming, i);
        Thread t = new Thread(r);
        t.start();
        i++;
     }

I think your code would produce a bunch of threads with incoming socket connections... what you probably want to do is this:

     while(true) {
        Runnable r = new ThreadedEchoHandler(incoming.accept(), i);
        Thread t = new Thread(r);
        t.start();
        i++;
     }

The ThreadedEchoHandler should take a Socket instead of a ServerSocket. Accept blocks until a client connects, otherwise you'll be spawning an infinite number of threads without a connection... I don't think you have anything that will stop you from doing that at the moment.

Answer 2

Guys thank you very much for your answers and for editing title. I'm new here, new on java, new on networking. Why I'm making my skill on streaming? It's a study case. I'm looking at many tutorial about networking and I saw RTP but I didn't read about 'cause I thought (for reading on forums) it was just for real time streming meant as webcam streaming...but it's that I'm just so confused LOL

Lirik of course what you said, I forgot some lines of coding

while(true) {
   Socket incoming = s.accept();
   Runnable r = new ThreadedEchoHandler(incoming, i);
   ...

or as you said

while(true) {
  Runnable r = new ThreadedEchoHandler(s.accept(), i); 
  ...

Taking a look at what you said guys. Kind regards!

Answer 3

For streaming and talking to your clients, you need to define a protocol: Search the web for RTP and RTSP. It should give you a pretty good idea of what you need to implement these protocols or even create your own one.

As for implementing, take a look at the red5 project: http://red5.org/

Take a look at Xuggler as well: http://www.xuggle.com/xuggler/ This project will help you saving lots of lines of code. Note that its development has gone stale.

Cheers.