To export part of an existing Wowza nDVR recording as an MP4, identify the correct nDVR store and run Wowza Streaming Engine’s converter. The REST API accepts UTC Unix timestamps for start and end by default, or a duration in milliseconds; its optional DVR time mode changes the time basis. Wowza’s Java API example uses different parameters: offsets in milliseconds from the store’s beginning and end. Choose the route and clock deliberately—conversion exports footage already recorded in a store; it cannot recover footage that was never recorded.
Before converting: confirm the nDVR recording exists
Wowza nDVR records a live stream as it is ingested. The conversion API works on a recorded store, so first confirm the intended stream was recorded and that its store covers the period you need. Wowza’s setup documentation notes that a disconnected live source may prevent recording. Engine must be licensed and configured for nDVR. See Wowza’s nDVR store guide and nDVR setup documentation.
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DVR playback and file extraction are separate operations: playback with DVR controls is supported over HLS and MPEG-DASH, while exporting a shorter MP4 uses the converter. The setup guide describes using ?DVR in a playback URL for DVR controls; that is not the converter endpoint.
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| Route | Clip boundaries | Version and operational notes |
|---|---|---|
| REST converter action | UTC Unix start/end timestamps by default, or duration in milliseconds; can select DVR time instead of UTC. | Wowza’s guide says Engine 4.3.0 or later; the API reference lists the converter action for builds 15942 or later. Supports a single store and documented grouped ABR conversion. |
| Java API converter example | startoffset and endoffset in milliseconds, measured from the store’s beginning and end respectively. |
Wowza’s example says Engine 4.4.0 or later. It uses a custom Engine-side HTTP provider and caches conversion settings for up to 30 minutes. |
The REST workflow below is the direct documented operation when you want to invoke conversion through the Engine REST API. Use the Java example when its custom provider and offset model suit your integration; its endpoint and parameter names are not interchangeable with REST. Sources: Wowza’s REST conversion guide, Java API converter example, and REST API reference.
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Extract a clip with the REST API
- Set the deployment-specific path values. The route uses your server name, vhost, application, instance, and nDVR store name. In the API reference, the instance defaults to
_definst_; use the actual instance configured on your Engine. Wowza’s guide shows local examples athttp://127.0.0.1:8087as templates, not universal endpoint details. The REST API reference specifies basic authentication; keep credentials private and use the authentication and network protections appropriate to your deployment. - List stores for the application instance. Send a GET request to
/v2/servers/{serverName}/vhosts/{vhostName}/applications/{appName}/instances/{instanceName}/dvrstores. Select the store corresponding to the recording you intend to export. - Inspect the selected store. Send a GET request to that same path with
/{dvrStoreName}appended. Check the returned audio/video availability, live status, DVR time boundaries, duration, UTC boundaries, and conversion status. Confirm the store spans the desired clip before requesting conversion. - Send a conversion request. Use PUT on
/v2/servers/{serverName}/vhosts/{vhostName}/applications/{appName}/instances/{instanceName}/dvrstores/{dvrStoreName}/actions/convert. A successful response indicates that conversion started; it is not itself confirmation that a finished MP4 is available. - Supply the clip selection and output options. Add the documented converter query parameters for the desired time range, output filename, or other conversion settings. Check the status through the store endpoint and the conversion status information before treating the export as complete.
These are route templates: substitute values from your own Engine configuration. Do not expose a publicly reachable unauthenticated endpoint or credentials in scripts, logs, or shared examples. Wowza documents additional converter options, including the default output directory based on the application’s StorageDir, audio/video synchronization options, and store lists in the REST API reference.
Selecting the time range
- Start and end:
dvrConverterStartTimeanddvrConverterEndTimeuse UTC Unix timestamps by default. Supply the intended absolute UTC boundaries, not offsets from the store’s beginning. - Duration:
dvrConverterDurationis in milliseconds. It cannot be combined with either start or end, so choose duration-based selection or boundary-based selection rather than mixing them. - DVR time: Set
dvrConverterTimeType=DVRwhen selecting by DVR time rather than the default UTC basis. Verify that the timestamps you provide match the selected time type.
For an ABR group, Wowza’s guide uses the collection route /dvrstores/actions/convert with a comma-separated dvrConverterStoreList query parameter. Follow the guide’s grouped-store syntax for your deployment rather than assuming the single-store action automatically converts every rendition.
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Conversion tolerances and interleave delay
Wowza documents dvrConverterTolerance in Engine 4.7.5 and later. Its default is 1,000 milliseconds, allowing conversion to run past the specified duration while applying the last nDVR GOP; do not assume this produces an exact frame-level boundary. The guide also documents an interleave-delay setting from Engine 4.7.0.01: it is enabled by default at 100 milliseconds and can be adjusted from 0 to 2,000 milliseconds. Higher values increase conversion time while reducing storage I/O saturation. Consult the REST guide for the exact option name and syntax supported by your build.
Understand the time basis before choosing clip boundaries
Wowza describes three relevant clocks: DVR time, packet time, and UTC. They do not mean the same thing. DVR time begins at zero and advances in milliseconds, but does not include gaps when a source stops sending or when append mode is used. Packet time preserves encoder timestamps. UTC is assigned as packets enter the nDVR module; it is only a rough indication of when Wowza received them, not an exact timestamp for when they left the encoder. See Wowza’s nDVR setup documentation.
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If you need a clip around a real-world wall-clock event, UTC may help locate the approximate period, but it does not prove the encoder-origin time exactly. Check store boundaries and preview the resulting file in your workflow. Do not assume the REST timestamp inputs and Java offsets refer to the same clock.
Use Wowza’s Java converter example when offsets fit better
Wowza’s Java API example provides a converter HTTP provider that a developer compiles with the Wowza IDE and enables in the Engine virtual-host configuration. Its sample endpoint is http://[wowza-ip-address]:1935/converter; this is the example’s custom provider, not the REST action route. Follow the Java converter instructions for compiling, enabling, and issuing the example’s convert, status, and expire commands.
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In that example, startoffset is milliseconds from the beginning of the store, and endoffset is milliseconds from the end. A zero offset means use the beginning or end, respectively. Conversion settings are cached for up to 30 minutes; if you change parameters and repeat a conversion for the same store, use the example’s expire command to clear the cache before expecting the new settings to take effect. For version-archive storage, use the base stream name rather than a version-specific suffix so all versions are included.
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- No matching store or the desired period is missing: list and inspect stores before converting. Check store name, stream, status, duration, and time boundaries; conversion cannot create unrecorded footage.
- The clip covers the wrong time: verify whether the REST request is using default UTC or explicitly selected DVR time. For the Java example, re-check that offsets are measured from opposite ends of the store, both in milliseconds.
- Duration and boundary parameters conflict: remove
dvrConverterDurationwhen using start or end; duration cannot be combined with either boundary parameter. - Changed Java parameters appear to have no effect: clear the converter cache with the example’s expire command. Its settings may remain cached for up to 30 minutes.
- Conversion starts but the file is not where expected: check conversion status and the application’s
StorageDir-based default output location, or verify the output filename and configured options in the REST reference. - The result differs slightly from the requested duration: review the applicable GOP tolerance behavior and Engine version. Wowza documents a default 1,000 ms tolerance for the relevant setting in Engine 4.7.5 and later; exact frame-level output is not established by these API descriptions.
- Recording stopped or has a gap: investigate the ingest connection and nDVR recording setup. Wowza notes a disconnected live source may prevent recording; an export cannot bridge footage that was not stored.
Copyright and YouTube reuse considerations
Extracting a clip does not grant rights to the underlying audio or video. Before publishing or redistributing an MP4, confirm you have permission for the material and any music, performances, or third-party footage it contains. If you plan to loop a recorded video as a YouTube live stream, review the rights and platform requirements for that use; an API export is not a copyright clearance.
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Or let it run in the cloud
For the separate task of keeping uploaded videos live on YouTube, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos rather than streaming from a camera, and it does not replace Wowza’s nDVR clip-extraction API.
Quick Recap
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