Probe.dev API Documentation

Overview

Probe.dev provides comprehensive analysis capabilities for streaming media formats and protocols. Whether you’re working with adaptive streaming formats like HLS and DASH, or live streaming protocols such as RTMP, RTSP, and SRT, our API can extract detailed technical information to help optimize your streaming workflows.

Streaming analysis supports video, audio, and caption tracks across all formats and protocols, providing the same level of detail as traditional file analysis. For adaptive streaming formats (HLS/DASH), each quality variant appears as a separate track in the results.

Adaptive Streaming Formats

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)

HLS is Apple’s adaptive streaming protocol that delivers content over HTTP using playlists and media segments.

Master Playlist Analysis

Analyze multi-bitrate HLS streams to understand the available quality levels:

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://probelibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/hls/sample/big_buck_bunny.m3u8" \
  --data-urlencode "inject_json=true"

Key Information Extracted:

Variant streams and their bitrates
Resolution and frame rate for each quality level
Audio and subtitle track information
Codec details (H.264, AAC, etc.)
Segment duration and structure

Each HLS variant (quality level) appears as a separate track in the analysis results, with the same field structure as single file analysis. You’ll receive detailed codec, resolution, and bitrate information for each variant stream.

Media Playlist Analysis

For individual quality levels, you can analyze specific media playlists:

{
  "url": "https://example.com/hls/720p.m3u8",
  "mediainfo": {
    "enabled": true,
    "output": "JSON"
  }
}

Use MediaInfo for HLS analysis as it provides excellent support for playlist parsing and segment information.

DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP)

DASH is an international standard for adaptive streaming that uses XML manifests to describe media presentations.

MPD (Media Presentation Description) Analysis

Analyze DASH manifests to understand adaptation sets and representations:

curl -X POST https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://cdn.bitmovin.com/content/assets/art-of-motion-dash-hls-progressive/mpds/f08e80da-bf1d-4e3d-8899-f0f6155f6efa.mpd",
    "inject_json": true,
    "mediainfo": {
      "enabled": true,
      "output": "JSON"
    },
    "ffprobe": {
      "enabled": true,
      "show_streams": true,
      "show_format": true
    }
  }'

Key Information Extracted:

Adaptation sets for video, audio, and text
Multiple representations within each adaptation set
Codec profiles and levels
Segment templates and timelines
Accessibility features

Each DASH representation (quality variant) within adaptation sets appears as a separate track in the analysis results. You’ll receive the same detailed field structure as single file analysis for each representation.

Live vs VOD DASH Analysis

DASH manifests can represent both live and video-on-demand content:

{
  "manifest_type": "static",
  "duration": "PT634S",
  "profiles": "urn:mpeg:dash:profile:isoff-main:2011"
}

HLS Validation with MediaStreamValidator

Apple’s HLS Compliance Checking

MediaStreamValidator provides industry-standard HLS compliance validation using Apple’s official tooling. This dedicated endpoint validates HLS streams against Apple’s technical specifications, essential for App Store submissions and debugging playback issues.

HLS Compliance Validation

Validate HLS playlists for Apple compliance:

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/mediastreamvalidator \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://probelibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/hls/sample/big_buck_bunny.m3u8" \
  --data-urlencode "parse_playlist_only=true"

Deep Stream Analysis

For comprehensive validation including segment analysis:

curl -X POST https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/mediastreamvalidator \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/master.m3u8",
    "parse_playlist_only": false,
    "enable_cli_output": true,
    "timeout": 650000
  }'

Key Validation Features:

Apple HLS specification compliance
Segment integrity verification
Bitrate ladder validation
Codec compatibility checking
Accessibility compliance (closed captions)

Common Use Cases:

Pre-publish HLS validation
App Store submission requirements
Debugging playback issues across Apple devices
Quality assurance workflows
CI/CD pipeline integration

MediaStreamValidator analysis typically takes 12-15 seconds to complete due to comprehensive stream validation. Use selectively during staging or pre-publish workflows.

Use parse_playlist_only=true for faster playlist-only validation, or false for complete segment analysis including media content validation.

Live Streaming Protocols

RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol)

RTMP is widely used for live streaming and video-on-demand delivery.

Live Stream Analysis

Analyze active RTMP streams:

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=rtmp://live.example.com/stream/stream_key" \
  --data-urlencode "only=ffprobe" \
  --data-urlencode "timeout=30000"

VOD Content Analysis

Examine RTMP video-on-demand content:

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=rtmp://matthewc.co.uk/vod/scooter" \
  --data-urlencode "inject_json=true"

Common RTMP URL Patterns:

rtmp://server.example.com/live/stream_key
rtmp://server.example.com/vod/video_name
rtmp://server.example.com/app/playpath
rtmps://secure.example.com/live/stream_key (SSL)

RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)

RTSP is commonly used for IP cameras and surveillance systems.

Camera Stream Analysis

Analyze IP camera feeds:

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=rtsp://camera.example.com:554/stream1" \
  --data-urlencode "ffprobe[show_streams]=true" \
  --data-urlencode "ffprobe[timeout]=15000"

Common RTSP URL Patterns:

rtsp://camera.example.com/stream
rtsp://camera.example.com:554/live/stream
rtsp://username:password@camera.example.com/stream
rtsps://secure.camera.example.com/stream (SSL)

SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)

SRT provides low-latency, secure streaming with error recovery.

SRT Stream Analysis

Analyze SRT streams for technical specifications:

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=srt://server.example.com:1234" \
  --data-urlencode "only=ffprobe"

SRT URL Formats:

srt://server.example.com:port
srt://server.example.com:port?streamid=stream_name
srt://server.example.com:port?passphrase=secret&latency=200

Analysis Tools Comparison

Different tools provide varying levels of detail for streaming formats:

Tool	HLS	DASH	RTMP	RTSP	SRT	Best For
FFprobe	✅ Basic	✅ Basic	✅ Full	✅ Full	✅ Full	Live streams, technical details
MediaInfo	✅ Full	✅ Full	✅ Full	✅ Full	❌ Limited	Playlist/manifest analysis
Probe Report	✅ Enhanced	✅ Enhanced	✅ Enhanced	✅ Enhanced	✅ Enhanced	Comprehensive analysis
MediaStreamValidator	✅ Compliance	❌ N/A	❌ N/A	❌ N/A	❌ N/A	Apple HLS specification validation

For streaming formats, we recommend using MediaInfo for playlist/manifest analysis and RTMP/RTSP streams, FFprobe for SRT and detailed live protocol analysis, and MediaStreamValidator for HLS compliance validation.

Performance Considerations

Timeout Settings

Streaming analysis may require longer timeouts:

{
  "url": "rtmp://live.example.com/stream",
  "timeout": 30000,
  "queue_timeout": 60000,
  "ffprobe": {
    "timeout": 25000
  }
}

Recommended Timeouts by Protocol

Protocol	Recommended Timeout	Reason
HLS/DASH	30-60 seconds	Playlist parsing + segment analysis
RTMP Live	15-30 seconds	Connection establishment + buffering
RTSP	10-20 seconds	Network latency + authentication
SRT	15-25 seconds	Handshake + initial packet analysis

Use Cases and Examples

Streaming Quality Monitoring

Monitor HLS stream quality across different bitrates:

Analyze Master Playlist

Extract all available quality levels and their specifications.

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://stream.example.com/master.m3u8" \
  --data-urlencode "only=mediainfo"

Check Individual Quality Levels

Analyze specific bitrate streams for consistency.

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://stream.example.com/720p.m3u8" \
  --data-urlencode "inject_json=true"

Validate Segment Integrity

Ensure segments are properly encoded and accessible.

Verify consistent codecs, resolution, and timing across all quality levels.

Live Stream Health Check

Monitor live streaming endpoints for availability and quality:

# Monitor RTMP publish endpoint
curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=rtmp://live.example.com/stream/health_check" \
  --data-urlencode "timeout=15000"

Multi-Protocol Analysis

Compare the same content across different delivery methods:

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://stream.example.com/content.m3u8"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Connection Timeouts

Authentication Failures

Incomplete Analysis

Error Handling

When streaming analysis encounters issues, Probe.dev returns the actual error messages from the underlying analysis tools (FFprobe, MediaInfo) along with their exit codes. Common error patterns include:

Connection errors - Network issues or unreachable streams
Protocol errors - Unsupported or malformed URLs
Timeout errors - Analysis duration exceeded configured limits
Authentication errors - Access denied by streaming server
Format errors - Unrecognized or corrupted stream format

Check the error field in the tool response for specific details from FFprobe or MediaInfo.

Best Practices

Performance

Set appropriate timeouts for each protocol
Use specific analysis tools for each format
Monitor API usage for streaming endpoints
Cache results for frequently analyzed streams

Reliability

Implement retry logic for live streams
Validate stream availability before analysis
Handle intermittent connection issues
Use health check endpoints when available

Next Steps

Media Sources Guide

Learn about all supported media source types

Report Types

Choose the right analysis tools for your streams

Sample Library

Try streaming examples with our test sources

MCP Integration

Use streaming analysis with AI assistants

Core Concepts

Streaming & Validation

Advanced Integration

​Overview

​Adaptive Streaming Formats

​HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)

​Master Playlist Analysis

​Media Playlist Analysis

​DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP)

​MPD (Media Presentation Description) Analysis

​Live vs VOD DASH Analysis

​HLS Validation with MediaStreamValidator

​Apple’s HLS Compliance Checking

​HLS Compliance Validation

​Deep Stream Analysis

​Live Streaming Protocols

​RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol)

​Live Stream Analysis

​VOD Content Analysis

​RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)

​Camera Stream Analysis

​SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)

​SRT Stream Analysis

​Analysis Tools Comparison

​Performance Considerations

​Timeout Settings

​Recommended Timeouts by Protocol

​Use Cases and Examples

​Streaming Quality Monitoring

​Live Stream Health Check

​Multi-Protocol Analysis

​Troubleshooting

​Common Issues

​Error Handling

​Best Practices

Performance

Reliability

​Next Steps

Media Sources Guide

Report Types

Sample Library

MCP Integration

Overview

Adaptive Streaming Formats

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)

Master Playlist Analysis

Media Playlist Analysis

DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP)

MPD (Media Presentation Description) Analysis

Live vs VOD DASH Analysis

HLS Validation with MediaStreamValidator

Apple’s HLS Compliance Checking

HLS Compliance Validation

Deep Stream Analysis

Live Streaming Protocols

RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol)

Live Stream Analysis

VOD Content Analysis

RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)

Camera Stream Analysis

SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)

SRT Stream Analysis

Analysis Tools Comparison

Performance Considerations

Timeout Settings

Recommended Timeouts by Protocol

Use Cases and Examples

Streaming Quality Monitoring

Live Stream Health Check

Multi-Protocol Analysis

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Error Handling

Best Practices

Next Steps