Unda Media Server
The live streaming and broadcast server you run yourself. One program on one Linux server takes your streams in, prepares them for every screen, records them and sends them everywhere they need to go, with a dashboard your whole team can use.
The whole live workflow in one place
A stream is available on every output the moment it arrives, however it came in: sent over SRT, it plays in the browser, in VLC and on a set-top box with nothing to set up.
Take in
- RTMP and RTMPS from OBS, vMix and encoders
- SRT with encryption, for contribution over the internet
- MPEG-TS over UDP or RTP, unicast or multicast
- RIST with packet recovery
- Multi-channel feeds: pick the channels you want
- MPEG-2 and AC-3 from broadcast gear, converted
Prepare
- Adaptive bitrate: up to 8 qualities, planned for each source
- Portrait, 4:3 and widescreen kept in shape, no black bars
- On the CPU, or a GPU encoder (ask us about your card)
- Switched on per stream from the dashboard
Deliver
- A player page per stream, to share or embed
- HLS for websites, apps and smart TVs; MPEG-DASH
- RTMP and SRT for VLC, OBS and vMix
- Restreaming to YouTube, Facebook and other servers
- UDP, RTP and RIST to set-top boxes and partners
Record and schedule
- One-click recording, split every hour, safe against a crash
- Play, download or delete recordings in the browser
- 24/7 channels from your uploaded programmes
- Live shows take over the schedule and hand back
Protect
- A secret stream key per channel
- Signed, expiring playback links for paid or private events
- A limit on devices per link
- Automatic HTTPS, roles, two-factor sign-in, audit log
Watch over
- Stream health: frame rate, keyframes, bitrate, drift
- Alerts and an event log in plain words
- Viewer sessions with history and CSV export
- Prometheus metrics, webhooks and a REST API
Each feature in detail: see all features.
One server, many kinds of live video
The same program fits a church streaming on Sundays and an operator feeding set-top boxes, because every part is switched on only when you need it.
Churches and ministries
Weekly services on your own website and on Facebook and YouTube at once, recorded for later.
Live events
Conferences, concerts, weddings and funerals, with a backup encoder and ticketed links when you need them.
Internet TV
A channel on air all day from your own programmes, with live shows and adaptive quality.
Schools and training
Lessons and graduations for students only, with signed links that expire.
Production companies
Many clients on one server, each with their own channel, key and account.
Companies
Town halls and announcements for staff, kept private and off public platforms.
IPTV operators
Channels taken in over UDP, SRT or RTP and sent to set-top boxes, unicast or multicast.
Broadcasters
Constant-bitrate SD and HD transport streams with channel names, for multiplexers and partners.
How each one comes together: see the solutions.
On your server, in Docker, or run by us
Your Linux server
One command installs it on Ubuntu or Debian, gets an HTTPS certificate and starts it as a service. Re-running it upgrades, with a backup first.
Install guide →Docker
A ready image for Intel/AMD and ARM servers, with Compose files to copy, including one with a web server in front.
Docker setup →Managed for you
We run the server and keep it updated; your team signs in and streams. Ask us about hosting in your region.
Ask about managed hosting →Standard protocols, in and out
Unda is not tied to one encoder or player. See what works with Unda for the equipment we have tested.
| Protocol | In | Out |
|---|---|---|
| RTMP / RTMPS | OBS, vMix, ffmpeg, most encoders and phone apps | Players (VLC, OBS, vMix); YouTube, Facebook and other platforms |
| SRT | Contribution over the internet, encrypted | Players that pull over SRT; other servers |
| HLS | — | Browsers, apps and smart TVs, with adaptive bitrate |
| MPEG-DASH | — | DASH players, with adaptive bitrate |
| UDP / RTP | Encoders, receivers and IPTV headends; multicast | Set-top boxes, multiplexers, partners; with FEC on RTP |
| RIST | Contribution with packet recovery | Partners and other servers |
| MPTS | Multi-channel feeds: choose the channels | Several channels bundled in one transport stream |
Light on the server, so your bandwidth is the limit
Passing streams through costs very little. What we measured on a test machine:
- 10 incoming 720p streams with 25 viewers: about a quarter of one CPU core
- 200 viewers of a 1080p stream (about 1 Gb/s): about a quarter of one core
- 24 hours unattended on a cloud server, with no restart and flat memory
Making extra qualities is the expensive part: plan about one CPU core per stream with adaptive bitrate, or use a GPU.
| A typical server | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 4 cores |
| Memory | 8 GB |
| Upload | 100 Mb/s or more: about 25 viewers at 3 Mb/s |
| System | Ubuntu or Debian, or anything that runs Docker |
| Name | A domain name pointing at the server, for HTTPS |
The details
Live input
- RTMP, RTMPS, SRT (caller and listener, AES encryption), UDP and RTP (unicast, multicast), RIST Simple Profile
- H.264 video with AAC passed through untouched
- MP2 and AC-3 audio converted to AAC; MPEG-2 video converted to H.264 on multi-channel inputs
- Packet loss, continuity and TR 101 290 checks on transport streams
Delivery
- HLS with a built-in player and quality menu; MPEG-DASH
- RTMP and SRT playback; GOP cache for a fast start
- Restreaming over RTMP, RTMPS, SRT, UDP, RTP and RIST, each destination independent
- Broadcast outputs: 576p, 720p50 or 1080i25, H.264, HEVC or MPEG-2, constant bitrate
- Multi-channel transport streams with DVB channel names and now/next guide
Adaptive bitrate
- Up to 8 qualities, 4K down to 144p by default, with aligned keyframes
- Planned per source: size, shape, frame rate and bitrate
- On the CPU; NVIDIA, Intel and AMD GPU encoders through FFmpeg (ask us about your card)
Recording and 24/7 channels
- Recording to MPEG-TS files, split hourly, safe against a crash, optional clean-up
- Media library with resumable uploads
- Schedules with fixed and following items, daily repeat, live takeover, as-run log
Reliability
- Backup encoders and other streams as backup sources, with automatic return
- A slow viewer or destination never holds up the others
- Alerts on the dashboard and by webhook
Access and security
- Accounts with roles: owner, admin, operator, streamer
- Two-factor sign-in, invitations, API keys, audit log
- Signed playback links with device limits
- Automatic HTTPS (Let's Encrypt) or your own certificate
Management
- Web dashboard, light or dark, on desktop and phone
- REST API for everything the dashboard does
- Prometheus metrics and an hour of history in the dashboard
Running it
- One program for Linux on Intel/AMD and ARM; Docker image
- FFmpeg for adaptive bitrate, 24/7 channels and conversions
- Database backed up automatically before every upgrade
Find the package that fits
Packages differ in live streams, team members and tools. Every one has unlimited viewers.