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How to Resolve “Error: Duration is Out of Bounds, Marking as Discontinuity” in Wowza Streaming Engine

Encountering the “Error: Duration is Out of Bounds, Marking as Discontinuity” message in Wowza Streaming Engine? This guide helps you understand the causes and provides step-by-step solutions to resolve this error, ensuring smooth video streaming.

Introduction

The “Error: Duration is Out of Bounds, Marking as Discontinuity” message can disrupt your video streaming experience. This article explains what this error means, the common causes, and how to troubleshoot and resolve it in Wowza Streaming Engine.

What Does This Error Mean?

This error typically indicates that there is a discrepancy in the expected duration of a video segment, causing Wowza Streaming Engine to mark it as a discontinuity. This can lead to playback issues and interruptions in the streaming experience.

Common Causes of the Error

  1. Incorrect Encoder Settings: Misconfigured encoder settings can cause duration mismatches.
  2. Network Instability: Fluctuations in network stability can lead to discrepancies in video segment durations.
  3. Source File Issues: Corrupted or improperly formatted source files can trigger this error.

Cupertino Settings in Wowza Streaming Engine

Overview

For HTTP-based playback protocols like Apple HLS, each chunk requires a keyframe to start. This means the keyframe interval of your source stream directly affects the chunk duration. In Wowza Streaming Engine version 4.8.15, a new boundary for keyframe intervals was introduced.

Keyframe Interval Boundary

The keyframe interval boundary is set to 3 times the cupertinoChunkDurationTarget value.

Example Scenarios

Before Streaming Engine 4.8.15:

  • If the cupertinoChunkDurationTarget is set to 1000 milliseconds:
    • A source with a 1-second keyframe interval results in 1-second chunks.
    • A source with a 2-second keyframe interval results in 2-second chunks.
    • A source with a 4-second keyframe interval results in 4-second chunks.

After Streaming Engine 4.8.15:

  • With the same cupertinoChunkDurationTarget of 1000 milliseconds:
    • A source with a 4-second keyframe interval exceeds the boundary of 3 times the target (3 x 1000ms = 3000ms). This results in unplayable streams due to discontinuities in every chunk.

Troubleshooting Steps

  1. Adjust Keyframe Interval: Ensure the keyframe interval of your source stream is within the new boundary (3 times the cupertinoChunkDurationTarget value).
  2. Increase cupertinoChunkDurationTarget: If the target value has been reduced from the default of 10000 milliseconds, consider increasing it to accommodate longer keyframe intervals.

By following these steps, you can resolve issues related to keyframe intervals and ensure smooth playback in Wowza Streaming Engine.

Additional Resources