ZEC Outputs
1 min
ZEC supports the following output types:
- UDP – Delivers the output stream as a UDP or RTP stream over unicast or multicast. This output type is commonly used in managed networks where low latency is required and packet loss can be tolerated or handled downstream.
- RTMP – Outputs the stream using the Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP). RTMP streams can be ingested by systems and platforms that accept RTMP as an input format and are commonly used for delivery into content delivery networks (CDNs) and live streaming platforms.
- RTMPS - Provides RTMP output over a TLS/SSL–secured connection. RTMPS is functionally identical to RTMP while adding transport-level encryption for secure stream delivery.
- Push Stream – Outputs the stream using the Zixi protocol and pushes it to a Zixi Broadcaster instance operating in Accept Mode. This output type enables reliable, low-latency transport with Zixi’s advanced error correction and congestion control.
- TCP – Outputs the stream over TCP, providing reliable, lossless delivery. TCP dynamically adapts to available bandwidth and congestion conditions, ensuring complete frame delivery while remaining fair to other TCP traffic on the network. The stream can be pushed directly to a TCP socket or to an HTTP server.
- HTTP Push – Outputs the stream over HTTP, encapsulated as HLS or DASH. The output is based on a predefined Adaptive Group configured in the ZEC Adaptive Groups screen. Configuration options include managing segment lifecycle, such as automatically deleting outdated fragments on the destination server. Streams can be pushed to one or more ZEC instances.
- AWS – Outputs the stream as HLS or DASH and pushes it to AWS-based storage and delivery services, including Amazon S3 buckets or AWS Elemental MediaStore. This output type is commonly used for cloud-based distribution and downstream processing workflows.
- SRT (Listener / Pull) – Configures ZEC as an SRT listener, allowing an SRT-enabled device to pull the stream from ZEC. This output type is configured through ZEN Master or the ZEC API. SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) is an open-source video transport protocol designed to deliver high-quality streams over unpredictable networks using encryption, retransmission, and efficient firewall traversal..
- SRT (Caller / Push) – Pushes the output stream from ZEC to an SRT-enabled destination device. This output type is configured through ZEN Master or the ZEC API and uses the same Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol to ensure reliable, low-latency delivery over challenging network conditions.
- RIST – Outputs the stream using the Reliable Internet Stream Transport (RIST) protocol, supporting both push and pull workflows with RIST-enabled devices. RIST builds reliability on top of UDP by combining retransmissions and forward error correction (FEC), delivering high-performance, low-latency transport without the inefficiencies of TCP..
When ZEC pulls a stream, a Pull stream definition is generated automatically in ZEC, the stream is identified in the Name and Destination columns of ZEC with the ID and IP address of the ZEC that pulls the stream.
Automated Output Configuration with Output Templates
Instead of manually creating an output and then connecting the output to an input, you can define output templates with rules for automatic creation of outputs with predefined settings. The template includes an Input pattern. When an input pattern matches the pattern of an incoming input stream, the output is created automatically. For more information about Output Templates, see ZEC Using Output Templates.