Use Zencoder to convert mp4 files into HTTP Live segments and playlist, e.g. to meet Apple's requirements for iOS video streaming apps.

mp4-httplive-with-zencoder.py

# Check an FTP directory for new files, send any to Zencoder for 
# conversion to HTTPLive playlists, tell Zencoder to put converted files
# in FTP or S3

# Installation:
# pip install zencoder

# Usage:
# Add S3 credentials to Zencoder - https://app.zencoder.com/account/credentials
# Configure Zencoder, S3 and FTP details
# python rsa-zencoder.py

from zencoder import Zencoder
from ftplib import FTP

# Access details
ZENCODER_API_KEY = ''
ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS = '' # the label you assign your S3 credentials to, in Zencoder's admin UI
FTP_USER = ''
FTP_PASS = ''
FTP_HOST = ''
FTP_DIR = ''
FTP_SOURCE_URL= 'ftp://%s:%s@%s/cds/IPOD/' % (FTP_USER, FTP_PASS, FTP_HOST)
ZENCODER_DESTINATION_URL = 's3://your-bucket-name.s3.amazonaws.com/'
ENCODED_DB = '/var/encoded-videos.db'

def make_outputs(base_url):
  # generate segments and playlist recommended by Zencoder
	# https://app.zencoder.com/docs/guides/encoding-settings/http-live-streaming
	outputs = [
		{
			"audio_bitrate": 56,
			"audio_sample_rate": 22050,
			"base_url": base_url,
			"credentials": ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS,
			"filename": "file-64k.m3u8",
			"format": "aac",
			"public": 1,
			"type": "segmented"
		},
		{
			"audio_bitrate": 56,
			"audio_sample_rate": 22050,
			"base_url": base_url,
			"credentials": ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS,
			"decoder_bitrate_cap": 300,
			"decoder_buffer_size": 800,
			"filename": "file-240k.m3u8",
			"max_frame_rate": 15,
			"public": 1,
			"type": "segmented",
			"video_bitrate": 200,
			"width": 400,
			"format": "ts"
		},
		{
			"audio_bitrate": 56,
			"audio_sample_rate": 22050,
			"base_url": base_url,
			"credentials": ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS,
			"decoder_bitrate_cap": 600,
			"decoder_buffer_size": 1600,
			"filename": "file-440k.m3u8",
			"public": 1,
			"type": "segmented",
			"video_bitrate": 400,
			"width": 400,
			"format": "ts"
		},
		{
			"audio_bitrate": 56,
			"audio_sample_rate": 22050,
			"base_url": base_url,
			"credentials": ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS,
			"decoder_bitrate_cap": 900,
			"decoder_buffer_size": 2400,
			"filename": "file-640k.m3u8",
			"public": 1,
			"type": "segmented",
			"video_bitrate": 600,
			"width": 480,
			"format": "ts"
		},
		{
			"audio_bitrate": 56,
			"audio_sample_rate": 22050,
			"base_url": base_url,
			"credentials": ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS,
			"decoder_bitrate_cap": 1500,
			"decoder_buffer_size": 4000,
			"filename": "file-1040k.m3u8",
			"public": 1,
			"type": "segmented",
			"video_bitrate": 1000,
			"width": 640,
			"format": "ts"
		},
		{
			"audio_bitrate": 56,
			"audio_sample_rate": 22050,
			"base_url": base_url,
			"credentials": ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS,
			"decoder_bitrate_cap": 2250,
			"decoder_buffer_size": 6000,
			"filename": "file-1540k.m3u8",
			"public": 1,
			"type": "segmented",
			"video_bitrate": 1500,
			"width": 960,
			"format": "ts"
		},
		{
			"audio_bitrate": 56,
			"audio_sample_rate": 22050,
			"base_url": base_url,
			"credentials": ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS,
			"decoder_bitrate_cap": 3000,
			"decoder_buffer_size": 8000,
			"filename": "file-2040k.m3u8",
			"public": 1,
			"type": "segmented",
			"video_bitrate": 2000,
			"width": 1024,
			"format": "ts"
		},
		{
			"base_url": base_url,
			"credentials": ZENCODER_CREDENTIALS,
			"filename": "playlist.m3u8",
			"public": 1,
			"streams": [
				{
					"bandwidth": 2040,
					"path": "file-2040k.m3u8"
				},
				{
					"bandwidth": 1540,
					"path": "file-1540k.m3u8"
				},
				{
					"bandwidth": 1040,
					"path": "file-1040k.m3u8"
				},
				{
					"bandwidth": 640,
					"path": "file-640k.m3u8"
				},
				{
					"bandwidth": 440,
					"path": "file-440k.m3u8"
				},
				{
					"bandwidth": 240,
					"path": "file-240k.m3u8"
				},
				{
					"bandwidth": 64,
					"path": "file-64k.m3u8"
				}
			],
			"type": "playlist"
		}
	]
	return outputs

# What files have we seen already?
try:
	encoded_files = open(ENCODED_DB).read().splitlines()
except IOError: # create the database of seen files if it doesn't exist
	f = open(ENCODED_DB, 'w')
	f.write('')
	f.close()
	encoded_files = []

# Get a list of all available, un-encoded videos
ftp = FTP(FTP_HOST, FTP_USER, FTP_PASS)
ftp.cwd(FTP_DIR)
video_files = [v for v in ftp.nlst() if v not in encoded_files]

# Process the videos
zen = Zencoder(ZENCODER_API_KEY)

for file in video_files:
	if file.endswith('mp4'):
		print 'processing %s...' % file
		filename_stub = file.replace('.mp4', '')
		base_url = ZENCODER_DESTINATION_URL + filename_stub + '/'
		outputs = make_outputs(base_url)
		job = zen.job.create(FTP_SOURCE_URL + file, outputs=outputs)
		# mark this video as processed
		fo = open(ENCODED_DB, 'a+')
		fo.write('%s\n' % file)
		fo.close()
	else:
		print '%s is not a video file, ignoring' % file