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How to Extract DVR Clips with the Wowza Streaming Engine API

Convert an existing Wowza nDVR recording to MP4 using the REST converter action or Java API example. Learn the different boundary formats, prerequisites, and common fixes.
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To export part of an existing Wowza nDVR recording as an MP4, identify its DVR store and call Wowza Streaming Engine’s REST converter action with the clip’s boundaries. REST start and end values are UTC Unix timestamps by default; duration is specified in milliseconds and cannot be combined with start or end. A separate Wowza Java API example uses offsets in milliseconds from the beginning and end of a store. These are different routes with different time semantics, so choose one deliberately.

Extraction converts material that nDVR has already recorded. It cannot recover footage that was never stored. The instructions below follow Wowza’s REST guide, Java API example, and REST API reference; confirm behavior against your Engine build and configuration.

Before you convert: confirm an nDVR store exists

Wowza nDVR records a live stream as it is ingested, creating a store that can later be converted. Engine must be licensed and configured for nDVR, and the relevant recording must still be available. Wowza warns that a disconnected live source may prevent recording. First confirm the store and its time span; a playback URL or DVR playback controls are not an MP4 extraction operation.

Wowza’s setup documentation describes DVR playback over HLS and MPEG-DASH, using ?DVR in the playback URL. That is for playback with controls such as pause and rewind, not for creating an MP4 file.

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Choose the API route that matches your integration

Route Clip boundaries Version guidance Operational notes
REST converter action UTC Unix timestamps for start/end by default; duration in milliseconds; optionally choose DVR time Wowza’s guide says Engine 4.3.0 or later; the REST reference lists the converter action for builds 15942 or later Direct store action; guide also documents grouped ABR store conversion and converter options
Java API converter example startoffset and endoffset in milliseconds, measured from opposite ends of the store Wowza’s example says Engine 4.4.0 or later Requires an Engine-side Java HTTP provider; conversion settings can remain cached for up to 30 minutes

Use REST for a direct documented API operation unless your integration specifically needs the Java provider example. Do not substitute Java offsets for REST timestamps or vice versa.

REST method: locate the store and start conversion

1. Set the deployment-specific path

The endpoint pattern is:

http://127.0.0.1:8087/v2/servers/{serverName}/vhosts/{vhostName}/applications/{appName}/instances/{instanceName}/dvrstores

Replace each brace-delimited value with your Engine server, virtual host, application, instance, and store identifiers. The API reference gives _definst_ as the default instance name. The local address and port above are the guide’s illustrative pattern, not a universal public endpoint. The REST API uses basic authentication; do not expose credentials in shared shell history, scripts, logs, or public examples.

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2. List stores for the application

Issue an authenticated GET to the path ending in /dvrstores. The result lets you identify available stores before selecting a recording. Use the exact path for your deployment and the authentication method configured for your Engine.

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3. Inspect the target store

Issue a GET to the same path with /{dvrStoreName} appended. Check the store’s identity and status, audio and video availability, live status, DVR time boundaries, UTC boundaries, duration, and conversion status. Use the returned time information to select a clip on the intended clock.

4. PUT the converter action

For a single store, send a PUT request to:

/v2/servers/{serverName}/vhosts/{vhostName}/applications/{appName}/instances/{instanceName}/dvrstores/{dvrStoreName}/actions/convert

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Wowza’s guide describes a success response indicating that conversion has started. Treat that as confirmation that the action began, not by itself as proof that the finished MP4 is present or playable; check the resulting conversion status and output in your deployment.

Set the clip boundaries without mixing time bases

REST start and end

By default, REST dvrConverterStart and dvrConverterEnd are UTC Unix timestamps. Use these when you have wall-clock boundaries in the expected UTC timestamp format. If you need DVR time instead, set dvrConverterTimeType=DVR. Do not assume a wall-clock timestamp and a DVR-time value are interchangeable.

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REST duration

dvrConverterDuration is measured in milliseconds. It cannot be combined with either start or end: choose a duration-based request or a start/end-bounded request, not both. The REST reference documents additional optional converter parameters, including an output filename and audio/video synchronization options. The default output directory is based on the application’s StorageDir.

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Meaning and limits of timestamps

Wowza distinguishes DVR time, packet time, and UTC time. DVR time starts 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 record of when they left the encoder. For a clip tied to a real-world event time, account for that distinction rather than assuming UTC precisely marks the encoder’s output.

Optional conversion tolerances and interleave delay

In Engine 4.7.5 and later, the REST reference documents dvrConverterTolerance, with a default of 1000 milliseconds, to allow conversion to run past the specified duration while applying the last nDVR GOP. Do not interpret this as a promise of frame-accurate endpoints or a guaranteed output duration. The REST guide says the interleave-delay setting is available from Engine 4.7.0.01, enabled by default at 100 ms, and adjustable from 0 to 2000 ms. Higher values increase conversion time while reducing storage I/O saturation.

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Convert an ABR group with REST

For an adaptive-bitrate group, Wowza’s guide uses the collection-level route /dvrstores/actions/convert rather than the single-store route. Supply the comma-separated dvrConverterStoreList query parameter with the stores to convert. Verify the store names and group membership before issuing the request; the guide’s grouped operation is not the same URL shape as converting one store.

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Java API method: use store-relative offsets

Wowza’s Java API article demonstrates a custom converter HTTP provider enabled through the Engine virtual-host configuration and compiled with the Wowza IDE. Its sample endpoint is http://[wowza-ip-address]:1935/converter. This is not the REST action endpoint.

In this example, startoffset is milliseconds from the beginning of the nDVR store, while endoffset is milliseconds from the end. Zero means use the beginning or end, respectively. Follow the Java article’s convert, status, and expire commands for that provider; do not pass these offset values as REST UTC start/end parameters.

The Java example says conversion request settings can be cached for up to 30 minutes. If you change parameters and repeat a conversion for the same store, expire or clear the conversion 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.

Check the result and troubleshoot common failures

  • No store appears: Confirm the application and instance path, nDVR configuration and license, and whether the source was connected while the recording was expected. Extraction cannot create missing source footage.
  • The request is rejected: Check the HTTP method, route, exact deployment names, REST authentication, and Engine build. The REST guide and API reference state different version/build thresholds, so verify the applicable documentation for your installed build.
  • The requested interval is wrong: Confirm whether your values are UTC Unix timestamps, DVR time, or Java store-relative millisecond offsets. For REST duration, remove start and end parameters because duration cannot be combined with them.
  • Changed Java parameters appear ignored: Expire the converter settings cache for that store; Wowza’s Java example says settings may be cached up to 30 minutes.
  • The clip’s wall-clock alignment is imperfect: UTC in nDVR indicates roughly when packets entered Wowza, not exactly when they left the encoder. DVR time also omits gaps in the circumstances Wowza documents.
  • Conversion performance or boundaries differ from expectation: Check the selected tolerance and interleave-delay settings against the Engine version that supports them. The documented tolerance allows the final GOP to be applied beyond a requested duration, so do not promise frame-accurate output.

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StreamNeo is a separate service for keeping an uploaded-video YouTube stream live 24/7; it does not extract clips from Wowza nDVR recordings. To use it, upload your video or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. The cloud keeps the stream running without a home computer or connection staying on. Your upload streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; automatic recovery is available if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card.

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