How Do I setup Media Servers with OBS?

To set up a cost-effective and reliable media server for streaming with OBS, leveraging AWS services can be a viable solution. Here’s a detailed plan to achieve this:

Solution Overview

1. AWS EC2 for OBS and NGINX: Use an EC2 instance to host OBS and NGINX with RTMP.
2. AWS S3 and CloudFront for Distribution: Use S3 and CloudFront to serve the streams if you want to scale.
3. Remote Access: Access OBS remotely using a WebSocket server or similar setup.
4. Cost Management: Choose cost-effective instance types and use spot instances if suitable.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Set Up an EC2 Instance

1. Launch an EC2 Instance:

• Go to the EC2 Dashboard.
• Click on "Launch Instance".
• Choose an instance type based on your requirements (t3.medium or t3.large for a balance of cost and performance).
• Configure instance details, add storage (EBS), and configure security groups to allow SSH (port 22) and RTMP (port 1935).

2. Install Required Software:

• Connect to your instance using SSH.
• Update the instance and install NGINX with RTMP module.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx
sudo apt install libnginx-mod-rtmp

3. Configure NGINX for RTMP:

• Edit the NGINX configuration file to add RTMP settings.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

• Add the following RTMP configuration:

rtmp {
    server {
        listen 1935;
        chunk_size 4096;

        application live {
            live on;
            record off;
        }
    }
}

4. Install OBS:

• Install OBS on the EC2 instance. This might require adding a repository and installing OBS using a package manager.

sudo apt install ffmpeg
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:obsproject/obs-studio
sudo apt update
sudo apt install obs-studio

Step 2: Configure Remote Access to OBS

1. Install OBS WebSocket Plugin:

• Download and install the OBS WebSocket plugin to allow remote control.

sudo apt install obs-websocket

2. Configure OBS WebSocket:

• Open OBS and configure the WebSocket settings (port and authentication).

3. Set Up Remote Control:

• Use an iOS app that supports OBS WebSocket to control OBS remotely.

Step 3: Streaming Setup

1. Set Up OBS for Streaming:

• Open OBS and set up the streaming settings to stream to the NGINX RTMP server.
• Use the RTMP URL rtmp://<your-ec2-public-ip>/live.

2. Start Streaming:

• Start streaming from OBS on your local machine to the EC2 instance.

Step 4: Optimize for Cost and Performance

1. Instance Type:

• Use a burstable performance instance (e.g., t3.medium) for cost-effectiveness.
• Consider spot instances for further cost savings.

2. Storage and Bandwidth:

• Monitor storage and bandwidth usage. Use CloudWatch to set up alarms for high usage.
• Consider using S3 for storing stream recordings if needed.

3. Auto-scaling:

• If you expect varying traffic, set up auto-scaling groups to handle peak loads.

Alternative: AWS Media Services

If you want AWS to handle the media streaming:

1. AWS MediaLive and MediaPackage:

• Use AWS MediaLive to ingest and process live video streams.
• Use AWS MediaPackage to prepare and protect your video for delivery.

2. Workflow:

• Stream from OBS to AWS MediaLive.
• MediaLive processes the stream and sends it to MediaPackage.
• MediaPackage delivers the stream via CloudFront.

Example AWS MediaLive Setup

1. Create a MediaLive Channel:

• Go to AWS MediaLive.
• Create an input for your stream (RTMP).
• Create a channel and configure it to use the input and output to MediaPackage.

2. Create a MediaPackage Channel:

• Go to AWS MediaPackage.
• Create a channel and endpoints for HLS or DASH.

3. Stream to MediaLive:

• Configure OBS to stream to the MediaLive RTMP endpoint.

4. Distribute via CloudFront:

• Set up a CloudFront distribution for the MediaPackage endpoints.

Conclusion

Setting up a media server on AWS can provide flexibility and scalability for your streaming needs. Using an EC2 instance for NGINX and OBS offers a cost-effective solution, while AWS MediaLive and MediaPackage provide a more managed and scalable approach. Choose the setup that best fits your requirements and budget.