Testing MSS playback in AWS Elemental MediaPackage
After creating your MSS endpoint in AWS Elemental MediaPackage, you need to test playback to ensure your content is properly delivered to viewers. This topic shows you how to test MSS playback using compatible players and tools. For information about creating MSS endpoints, see Create an MSS manifest. For information about planning your MSS implementation, see Planning your MSS implementation.
MSS compatible players
For testing MSS playback, we recommend using the following players:
-
Dash.js Reference Player (recommended for unencrypted content): https://reference.dashif.org/dash.js/nightly/samples/dash-if-reference-player/index.html
Example URL format:
https://reference.dashif.org/dash.js/nightly/samples/dash-if-reference-player/index.html?mpd=https://playready.directtaps.net/smoothstreaming/SSWSS720H264/SuperSpeedway_720.ism/Manifest -
Castlabs Demo Player (recommended for encrypted content): https://demo.castlabs.com/
Use this player for PlayReady encrypted MSS content. The dash.js player might not work reliably with encrypted MSS streams.
For detailed information about testing encrypted MSS content, see the MSS DRM Castlabs documentation
MSS is also supported by the following players and platforms:
-
Microsoft Silverlight-based players
-
Xbox 360 and Xbox One
-
Windows Media Player with appropriate extensions
-
Certain smart TV models (especially older Samsung and LG models)
-
Some set-top boxes that specifically support MSS
When you select a player for testing MSS content, consider the following:
-
Dash.js Reference Player: Good for general MSS testing and provides diagnostic information about manifest parsing and segment loading.
-
Castlabs Demo Player: Best for encrypted content testing as it handles PlayReady DRM more reliably than other web-based players.
-
Xbox consoles: Important for testing if your target audience includes gaming console users. Xbox 360 in particular relies heavily on MSS.
-
Legacy smart TVs: If targeting older smart TV models, test on actual devices when possible, as their MSS implementations may have specific quirks or limitations.
Testing procedure
Follow these steps to test your MSS endpoint:
-
Get your MSS endpoint URL from the MediaPackage console. The URL will end with .isml.
-
Open the Dash.js Reference Player or Castlabs Demo Player (for encrypted content).
-
Enter your MSS endpoint URL in the player.
-
Verify that playback starts and the content plays smoothly.
-
If your content is encrypted with PlayReady DRM, verify that the player can decrypt and play the content.
For a comprehensive test of your MSS implementation, consider these additional testing steps:
-
Network condition testing: Test playback under various network conditions (bandwidth throttling, packet loss, latency) to verify adaptive bitrate switching works correctly.
-
Device compatibility matrix: Create a compatibility matrix of target devices and test on representative samples from each category.
-
Long-duration testing: For live streams, conduct extended playback tests (4+ hours) to verify there are no issues with manifest updates or segment availability over time.
-
CDN edge case testing: Test from different geographic locations to ensure your CDN configuration works properly across all regions.
Example Real-world testing scenario: Live sports broadcast
A media company preparing for a major sports tournament implemented the following testing strategy for their MSS streams:
-
Pre-event testing with simulated content to verify endpoint configuration
-
Dress rehearsal with actual live content one week before the event
-
Testing on 5 different device types representing their audience demographics
-
Network simulation tests with bandwidth fluctuations to verify adaptive bitrate behavior
-
Monitoring setup to track manifest requests, segment delivery, and error rates during the event
This comprehensive approach helped them identify and resolve several issues before the live event, including a CDN configuration problem that was causing intermittent 404 errors for MSS segments.
For information about monitoring your MSS streams during testing and production, see Monitoring MSS streams. For information about testing encrypted MSS content, see Verifying your encrypted MSS streams.
CDN configuration for testing
For production environments, ensure your CDN is properly configured to handle MSS content:
-
Set appropriate cache control headers for both manifests (.isml) and segments
-
Configure proper MIME types: application/vnd.ms-sstr+xml for manifests and video/mp4 for segments
-
If using encryption, ensure your CDN is configured to handle PlayReady DRM
For detailed CDN configuration instructions specific to MSS, see CDN configuration for MSS in AWS Elemental MediaPackage.
If you encounter issues during testing, see Troubleshooting MSS endpoints in AWS Elemental MediaPackage for common problems and solutions.
