playManifest — Adaptive Streaming - Content Management

playManifest — Adaptive Streaming

The playManifest endpoint is the primary way to get playback URLs for video and audio entries. It returns streaming manifests (HLS, DASH) or redirects to direct file URLs.

URL pattern:

https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/\{PARTNER_ID\}/sp/\{PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/\{ENTRY_ID\}/format/\{FORMAT\}/protocol/https

Parameters are path-based key/value pairs (not query string), though query parameters are also accepted.

Core Parameters

Parameter	Short	Type	Description
entryId	e	string	Entry ID to play
format	f	string	Delivery format (see table below)
protocol	pt	string	Media protocol for URLs inside manifest: http, https
ks	—	string	Kaltura Session (also accepted via X-Kaltura-Ks header)

Format Values

Value	Description	Use Case
applehttp	HLS (Apple HTTP Live Streaming)	Most common — works on all modern browsers and mobile
mpegdash	MPEG-DASH	Alternative adaptive format (Widevine DRM)
url	Single progressive URL (redirect)	Simple <video> embed, no adaptive bitrate
download	Download URL (redirect with Content-Disposition)	Download buttons, offline access
hds	Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming	Legacy Flash-based players
sl	Microsoft Smooth Streaming (Silverlight)	Legacy Silverlight players
hdnetworkmanifest	Akamai HDS manifest	Akamai-specific delivery
rtmp	RTMP streaming	Legacy real-time streaming
auto	Auto-detect best format	Let the server choose

Flavor Selection Parameters

Parameter	Short	Type	Description
flavorId	fi	string	Single flavor asset ID
flavorIds	fs	string	Comma-separated flavor asset IDs
flavorParamId	fp	int	Single flavor params ID
flavorParamIds	fps	string	Comma-separated flavor params IDs
tags	t	string	Comma-separated flavor tags to filter by

When no flavor selection parameters are provided, the server selects flavors based on format-specific tag defaults:

• HLS/DASH: applembr → ipadnew,iphonenew → ipad,iphone
• Progressive HTTP: mbr → web

Bitrate Control

Parameter	Short	Type	Description
preferredBitrate	pb	int	Preferred bitrate in kbps
maxBitrate	mb	int	Maximum bitrate cap in kbps
minBitrate	mib	int	Minimum bitrate floor in kbps

Business scenario — bandwidth-constrained delivery: A mobile app on a cellular connection caps maxBitrate=1500 to prevent buffering, while a smart TV app on fiber sets minBitrate=3000 for quality.

Clipping and Seeking

Parameter	Short	Type	Description
seekFrom	sf	int	Start playback from this point (milliseconds)
clipTo	ct	int	End playback at this point (milliseconds)

Business scenario — content preview: An e-commerce site shows 30-second previews of product videos. The playManifest URL includes clipTo=30000 to limit playback without creating separate clips.

Player and Session Parameters

Parameter	Short	Type	Description
uiConfId	ui	int	Player UI configuration ID
sessionId	—	string	Playback session ID for analytics
playSessionId	—	string	Play session tracking
playbackContext	pc	string	Playback context string
referrer	r	string	Base64-encoded referrer URL for access control
responseFormat	—	string	Response format: redirect (default), f4m, m3u8, jsonp

Delivery and CDN Parameters

Parameter	Short	Type	Description
cdnHost	ch	string	Override CDN hostname
storageId	si	int	Serve from a specific remote storage
deliveryProfileId	—	int	Use a specific delivery profile
deliveryProfileIds	—	string	Comma-separated delivery profile IDs
deliveryCode	dc	string	Delivery code identifier

Audio and Caption Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
defaultAudioLang	string	Default audio language code
muxedAudioLang	string	Muxed audio track language
tracks	string	Track selection string
disableCaptions	bool	Suppress caption tracks from manifest

Sequence / Multi-Entry Playback

Parameter	Type	Description
sequence	string	Comma-separated entry IDs for multi-entry sequence playback (HLS/DASH only)

Security Parameters

Parameter	Short	Type	Description
expiry	ex	int	URL token expiry (Unix timestamp)
kt	—	string	Kaltura URL token (pre-signed URL verification)
hashes	—	string	Access control hash verification

Examples

# HLS streaming (most common)
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/$KALTURA_PARTNER_ID/sp/$\{KALTURA_PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/$KALTURA_ENTRY_ID/format/applehttp/protocol/https

# MPEG-DASH streaming
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/$KALTURA_PARTNER_ID/sp/$\{KALTURA_PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/$KALTURA_ENTRY_ID/format/mpegdash/protocol/https

# Progressive download (single MP4)
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/$KALTURA_PARTNER_ID/sp/$\{KALTURA_PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/$KALTURA_ENTRY_ID/format/url/protocol/https

# Download with specific flavor
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/$KALTURA_PARTNER_ID/sp/$\{KALTURA_PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/$KALTURA_ENTRY_ID/format/download/protocol/https/flavorParamIds/0

# With access control (append KS)
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/$KALTURA_PARTNER_ID/sp/$\{KALTURA_PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/$KALTURA_ENTRY_ID/format/applehttp/protocol/https/ks/$KALTURA_KS

# 30-second preview clip
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/$KALTURA_PARTNER_ID/sp/$\{KALTURA_PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/$KALTURA_ENTRY_ID/format/applehttp/protocol/https/clipTo/30000

# Capped at 1500kbps maximum bitrate
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/$KALTURA_PARTNER_ID/sp/$\{KALTURA_PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/$KALTURA_ENTRY_ID/format/applehttp/protocol/https/maxBitrate/1500

# With referrer for domain restriction
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/$KALTURA_PARTNER_ID/sp/$\{KALTURA_PARTNER_ID\}00/playManifest/entryId/$KALTURA_ENTRY_ID/format/applehttp/protocol/https/referrer/aHR0cHM6Ly9teXNpdGUuY29t

Download URL from entry object: Every KalturaMediaEntry includes a downloadUrl property that is a pre-built playManifest download URL.