Live missions
STServer provides several live playback modes. The available modes depend on the enabled services, user group permissions, and license.
| Mode | Delivery | Recording required | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live | WebRTC | No | Low-latency playback. Video may be transcoded or passed through, depending on the source and configuration. |
| HQ | Live HLS | No | Playback at the source quality, with buffering delay. Requires USE_LIVE_RTSP_HLS=true and the associated service. |
| DVR | Recorded HLS | Yes | Playback from an active recording, with seeking and pause controls. |
| Preview | WebSocket preview | No | A low-latency preview supplied by StSupervisor. Quality and resolution depend on the preview configuration. |
WebRTC latency depends on encoding, network conditions, and buffering. HLS playback must wait for a playlist and several segments to become available; its delay depends on segment duration. Treat latency as deployment-dependent rather than a fixed value.
Recording and viewing are separate actions. You can view an available live feed without creating a recording. DVR becomes available only after recording has produced enough segments.
Configuring video sources
Each platform can have one or more video sensors. Define their sources in data/platforms.yml, or use the platform configuration editor.
Viewing a live stream
Open Live and select a sensor in the platforms table. Selecting a platform displays its available sensors. When the stream contains the required metadata, the map shows the platform position and sensor footprint. You can also open 3D View from the playback toolbar.
The sensor status icon indicates stream availability:
- Unknown: the stream monitor has not started or is unavailable.
- Offline: no stream is detected.
- Online: a stream is available.
- Lost: the previously detected stream has stopped arriving. The monitor subsequently returns to the offline state.
The optional Supervisor provides more stream details.
Starting a recording
- Open the platforms controls and choose a platform or sensor.
- Click its Record control.
- Enter the mission information and click Ok.
A platform-level control starts recording for its selected sensors. A sensor-level control starts only that sensor. The server creates the live mission if needed and records the selected streams into it.
As segments are finalized and ingested, geographic coverage and tracks become available for review and queries.
Stopping a recording
Use the control for the scope you want to stop:
- Mission/platform: stop its active sensors and finalize the live mission.
- Sensor: stop that sensor while keeping the mission open. You can restart a sensor later to add another clip to the same mission.
Allow the recorder to finalize its playlists and ingest the last segments. Stopping a recording does not stop the incoming video source.
See Sensor configuration for advanced recording parameters.
Switching playback modes
Use the Live, HQ, and DVR controls above the video, when available. In DVR mode, use the playback slider to seek within the recording or pause playback while recording continues.
Granting access
Administrators can view all platforms. Other users can view platforms assigned to their user groups. Open Admin > Platforms > Manage access to assign platform groups, then add users to those groups in Manage users.
Updating platform configuration
Use Edit configuration, Download configuration, or Upload configuration in the Platforms card on the Admin page. Saving configuration stops active recordings; see Admin for the reload behavior.