encoded_video_ingest

Author: stephen-derosa

CMakeLists.txt

@@ -94,3 +94,4 @@ add_subdirectory(simple_joystick_receiver)
 add_subdirectory(ping_pong_ping)
 add_subdirectory(ping_pong_pong)
 add_subdirectory(user_timestamped_video)
+add_subdirectory(encoded-video-ingest)

encoded-video-ingest/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Copyright 2026 LiveKit, Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+add_executable(EncodedVideoIngestProducer
+  producer.cpp
+)
+
+target_include_directories(EncodedVideoIngestProducer PRIVATE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
+target_link_libraries(EncodedVideoIngestProducer PRIVATE ${LIVEKIT_CORE_TARGET})
+
+if(WIN32)
+  target_link_libraries(EncodedVideoIngestProducer PRIVATE ws2_32)
+endif()
+
+livekit_copy_windows_runtime_dlls(EncodedVideoIngestProducer)
+
+add_executable(EncodedVideoIngestConsumer
+  consumer.cpp
+  ../simple_room/sdl_video_renderer.cpp
+  ../simple_room/sdl_video_renderer.h
+)
+
+target_include_directories(EncodedVideoIngestConsumer PRIVATE
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../simple_room
+)
+target_link_libraries(EncodedVideoIngestConsumer PRIVATE ${LIVEKIT_CORE_TARGET} SDL3::SDL3)
+
+livekit_copy_windows_runtime_dlls(EncodedVideoIngestConsumer)

encoded-video-ingest/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+# encoded-video-ingest
+
+End-to-end encoded video ingest demo for the LiveKit C++ SDK. GStreamer serves
+an encoded bytestream over TCP; the producer reads that stream, splits complete
+frames, pushes them into an encoded `VideoSource`, and publishes a normal local
+video track. The consumer subscribes to the decoded track and renders it with
+SDL.
+
+This example intentionally does not use the removed `EncodedTcpIngest` helper.
+TCP reconnect and bytestream framing are application code; the SDK surface is
+`VideoSource(width, height, EncodedVideoSourceOptions{codec})` plus
+`captureEncodedFrame`.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- A LiveKit server, such as `livekit-server --dev`.
+- GStreamer 1.22+ with `good`, `bad`, `ugly`, and `libav` plugins.
+- Producer and consumer tokens for the same room.
+
+```bash
+export LIVEKIT_URL=ws://localhost:7880
+export PRODUCER_TOKEN="$(lk token create -r encoded-video-demo -i encoded-sender --join --publish)"
+export CONSUMER_TOKEN="$(lk token create -r encoded-video-demo -i encoded-receiver --join --subscribe)"
+```
+
+## H.264
+
+Start a camera pipeline that serves AUD-delimited Annex-B H.264 on TCP port
+5005:
+
+```bash
+gst-launch-1.0 -v \
+  avfvideosrc device-index=0 ! \
+  video/x-raw,width=640,height=480,format=NV12,framerate=30/1 ! \
+  videoconvert ! \
+  x264enc tune=zerolatency speed-preset=ultrafast bitrate=1000 key-int-max=60 aud=true ! \
+  h264parse config-interval=1 ! \
+  video/x-h264,stream-format=byte-stream,alignment=au ! \
+  tcpserversink host=0.0.0.0 port=5005 sync=false async=false
+```
+
+Linux: replace `avfvideosrc device-index=0` with
+`v4l2src device=/dev/video0`. Windows: use `mfvideosrc device-index=0`.
+
+Run the producer:
+
+```bash
+LIVEKIT_URL=ws://localhost:7880 LIVEKIT_TOKEN="$PRODUCER_TOKEN" \
+  ./build-release/cpp-example-collection/encoded-video-ingest/EncodedVideoIngestProducer \
+    --tcp-host 127.0.0.1 --tcp-port 5005 \
+    --width 640 --height 480 \
+    --codec h264
+```
+
+Run the consumer:
+
+```bash
+LIVEKIT_URL=ws://localhost:7880 LIVEKIT_TOKEN="$CONSUMER_TOKEN" \
+  ./build-release/cpp-example-collection/encoded-video-ingest/EncodedVideoIngestConsumer \
+    --from encoded-sender \
+    --track-name encoded-h264
+```
+
+## Other Codecs
+
+H.265 uses the same Annex-B framing path:
+
+```bash
+gst-launch-1.0 -v \
+  avfvideosrc device-index=0 ! \
+  video/x-raw,width=640,height=480,format=NV12,framerate=30/1 ! \
+  videoconvert ! \
+  x265enc tune=zerolatency speed-preset=ultrafast bitrate=1000 key-int-max=60 \
+    option-string="aud=1:repeat-headers=1" ! \
+  h265parse config-interval=1 ! \
+  video/x-h265,stream-format=byte-stream,alignment=au ! \
+  tcpserversink host=0.0.0.0 port=5005 sync=false async=false
+```
+
+Pass `--codec h265` and use `--track-name encoded-h265` on the consumer.
+
+VP8 and AV1 use IVF framing:
+
+```bash
+gst-launch-1.0 -v \
+  avfvideosrc device-index=0 ! \
+  video/x-raw,width=640,height=480,format=NV12,framerate=30/1 ! \
+  videoconvert ! \
+  vp8enc deadline=1 target-bitrate=1000000 keyframe-max-dist=60 ! \
+  ivfmux ! \
+  tcpserversink host=0.0.0.0 port=5005 sync=false async=false
+```
+
+Pass `--codec vp8` and use `--track-name encoded-vp8`. For AV1, replace the
+encoder with `av1enc`, `svtav1enc`, or `rav1enc`, pass `--codec av1`, and use
+`--track-name encoded-av1`.
+
+VP9 is intentionally omitted from this example because the current passthrough
+path does not yet provide the VP9 RTP descriptor plumbing needed for reliable
+ingest.