Streaming a video with PHP

Question

I currently have this code:

function Stream($file)
{
header_remove(); 
$arr = get_headers($file);
foreach ($arr as &$value) {if((strpos($value,'Content-Type')!== false)){header($value);}}

    if (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_RANGE']))  {
        rangeDownload($file);
    }
    else {
header('HTTP/1.1 206 Partial Content');
header("Content-Length:1");
    //foreach ($arr as &$value) {if((strpos($value,'Content-Length')!== false)){header($value);}}
//header("Content-Range:bytes 21056-21056/243957100");
        readfile($file);
    }
}

function rangeDownload($file) {

    $fp = @fopen($file, 'rb');

    $size   = filesize($file); // File size
    $length = $size;           // Content length
    $start  = 0;               // Start byte
    $end    = $size - 1;       // End byte
    // Now that we've gotten so far without errors we send the accept range header
    /* At the moment we only support single ranges.
     * Multiple ranges requires some more work to ensure it works correctly
     * and comply with the spesifications: http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec19.html#sec19.2
     *
     * Multirange support annouces itself with:
     * header('Accept-Ranges: bytes');
     *
     * Multirange content must be sent with multipart/byteranges mediatype,
     * (mediatype = mimetype)
     * as well as a boundry header to indicate the various chunks of data.
     */
    header("Accept-Ranges: 0-$length");
    // header('Accept-Ranges: bytes');
    // multipart/byteranges
    // http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec19.html#sec19.2
    if (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_RANGE'])) {

        $c_start = $start;
        $c_end   = $end;
        // Extract the range string
        list(, $range) = explode('=', $_SERVER['HTTP_RANGE'], 2);
        // Make sure the client hasn't sent us a multibyte range
        if (strpos($range, ',') !== false) {

            // (?) Shoud this be issued here, or should the first
            // range be used? Or should the header be ignored and
            // we output the whole content?
            header('HTTP/1.1 416 Requested Range Not Satisfiable');
            header("Content-Range: bytes $start-$end/$size");
            // (?) Echo some info to the client?
            exit;
        }
        // If the range starts with an '-' we start from the beginning
        // If not, we forward the file pointer
        // And make sure to get the end byte if spesified
        if ($range0 == '-') {

            // The n-number of the last bytes is requested
            $c_start = $size - substr($range, 1);
        }
        else {

            $range  = explode('-', $range);
            $c_start = $range[0];
            $c_end   = (isset($range[1]) && is_numeric($range[1])) ? $range[1] : $size;
        }
        /* Check the range and make sure it's treated according to the specs.
         * http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec14.html
         */
        // End bytes can not be larger than $end.
        $c_end = ($c_end > $end) ? $end : $c_end;
        // Validate the requested range and return an error if it's not correct.
        if ($c_start > $c_end || $c_start > $size - 1 || $c_end >= $size) {

            header('HTTP/1.1 416 Requested Range Not Satisfiable');
            header("Content-Range: bytes $start-$end/$size");
            // (?) Echo some info to the client?
            exit;
        }
        $start  = $c_start;
        $end    = $c_end;
        $length = $end - $start + 1; // Calculate new content length
        fseek($fp, $start);
        header('HTTP/1.1 206 Partial Content');
    }
    // Notify the client the byte range we'll be outputting
    header("Content-Range: bytes $start-$end/$size");
    header("Content-Length: $length");

    // Start buffered download
    $buffer = 1024 * 8;
    while(!feof($fp) && ($p = ftell($fp)) <= $end) {

        if ($p + $buffer > $end) {

            // In case we're only outputtin a chunk, make sure we don't
            // read past the length
            $buffer = $end - $p + 1;
        }
        set_time_limit(0); // Reset time limit for big files
        echo fread($fp, $buffer);
        flush(); // Free up memory. Otherwise large files will trigger PHP's memory limit.
    }

    fclose($fp);

}

I can see that all 3 requests are made and the file download begins yet instead of the video screen appearing the stream cancels. I have tried mimics standards apache headers without success, I am trying to have it serve video content with the widest possible support (e.g. content type detection).

Answer 1

I just had to go through the same thing for a job I was asked to do. I had no issues making it work for chrome/firefox but I had issues with Safari on the Mac/iPad. I had referenced multiple sources and tried many things, in the end I threw everything I had to get a clean slate, and decided to try fix the issue using the code that was in this issue since it was very similar to what I already had, but different enough to give me more clarity.

Here is the final working version using the code from the original question as a base but with the necessary fixes that worked for me. Hopefully this helps someone else.

if (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_RANGE'])) {
  header('Content-Type: video/'.$ext); // reference your own mime variable here
  $fp = @fopen($filepath, 'rb');

  $size   = filesize($filepath); // File size
  $length = $size;           // Content length
  $start  = 0;               // Start byte
  $end    = $size - 1;       // End byte
  // Now that we've gotten so far without errors we send the accept range header
  /* At the moment we only support single ranges.
   * Multiple ranges requires some more work to ensure it works correctly
   * and comply with the spesifications: http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec19.html#sec19.2
   *
   * Multirange support annouces itself with:
   * header('Accept-Ranges: bytes');
   *
   * Multirange content must be sent with multipart/byteranges mediatype,
   * (mediatype = mimetype)
   * as well as a boundry header to indicate the various chunks of data.
   */
  header("Accept-Ranges: 0-$length");
  // multipart/byteranges
  // http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec19.html#sec19.2
  $c_start = $start;
  $c_end   = $end;
  // Extract the range string
  list(, $range) = explode('=', $_SERVER['HTTP_RANGE'], 2);
  // Make sure the client hasn't sent us a multibyte range
  if (strpos($range, ',') !== false) {
    // (?) Shoud this be issued here, or should the first
    // range be used? Or should the header be ignored and
    // we output the whole content?
    header('HTTP/1.1 416 Requested Range Not Satisfiable');
    header("Content-Range: bytes $start-$end/$size");
    // (?) Echo some info to the client?
    exit;
  }
  // If the range starts with an '-' we start from the beginning
  // If not, we forward the file pointer
  // And make sure to get the end byte if spesified
  if ($range == '-') {
    // The n-number of the last bytes is requested
    $c_start = $size - substr($range, 1);
  }
  else {
    $range  = explode('-', $range);
    $c_start = $range[0];
    $c_end   = (isset($range[1]) && is_numeric($range[1])) ? $range[1] : $size;
  }

  /* Check the range and make sure it's treated according to the specs.
   * http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec14.html
   */
  // End bytes can not be larger than $end.
  $c_end = ($c_end > $end) ? $end : $c_end;
  // Validate the requested range and return an error if it's not correct.
  if ($c_start > $c_end || $c_start > $size - 1 || $c_end >= $size) {
    header('HTTP/1.1 416 Requested Range Not Satisfiable');
    header("Content-Range: bytes $start-$end/$size");
    // (?) Echo some info to the client?
    exit;
  }
  $start  = $c_start;
  $end    = $c_end;
  $length = $end - $start + 1; // Calculate new content length
  header('HTTP/1.1 206 Partial Content');
  // Notify the client the byte range we'll be outputting
  header("Content-Range: bytes $start-$end/$size");
  header("Content-Length: $length");

  // Start buffered download
  $buffer = 1024 * 8;
  fseek($fp,$start);
  while(!feof($fp) && ($p = ftell($fp)) <= $end) {
    if ($p + $buffer > $end) {
      // In case we're only outputtin a chunk, make sure we don't
      // read past the length
      $buffer = $end - $p + 1;
    }
    set_time_limit(0); // Reset time limit for big files
    echo fread($fp, $buffer);
    flush(); // Free up memory. Otherwise large files will trigger PHP's memory limit.
  }

  fclose($fp);
}

This is the ENTIRE code that I use, with the exception of a few variables before it to build the filepath and video extension/mime type. This has been tested on Chrome(latest), Firefox(latest), Safari 7.0.6 on macbook pro, Safari on iOS 7

Answer 2

The issue is in the range download function.In this function you are headers are correct.but you are printing the complete file as the response.

These changes should fix your problem.

// Notify the client the byte range we'll be outputting
header("Content-Range: bytes $start-$end/$size");
header("Content-Length: $length");

Here you need to seek the file to start specified in the content-range headers.

fseek($fp,$start) /* MISSING CODE */ 

Inserting the above line should fix your problem.

// Start buffered download
$buffer = 1024 * 8;
while(!feof($fp) && ($p = ftell($fp)) <= $end) {

    if ($p + $buffer > $end) {

        // In case we're only outputtin a chunk, make sure we don't
        // read past the length
        $buffer = $end - $p + 1;
    }
    set_time_limit(0); // Reset time limit for big files
    echo fread($fp, $buffer);
    flush(); // Free up memory. Otherwise large files will trigger PHP's memory limit.
}

fclose($fp);