Configure "Manual" Mode

The Manual configuration Mode offers flexibility and lets you define your own settings (instead of using our predefined best practice settings).



You can use any or all of the following three settings to personalize your manifests:

  • Preferred Bitrate (kbps): This option allows you to control which media playlist (the #EXT-X-STREAM-INF tag) is listed first in the manifest. Specify a desired bitrate (in kbps). The playlist that matches closest to this bitrate value—within a tolerance of ±100 kbps—is listed first. All other playlists maintain their current position in the manifest.
    Note: If you are also including one or both of the "filter in" options, the Preferred Bitrate is picked from the final list of filtered bitrates after these operations are applied.
  • Bitrates to Keep (Filter IN): Input a comma-separated list of individual bitrate values, in kbps (100,200,400) to use in the manifest (or filter in, if you're using additional Manual Mode options). Only media playlists within a tolerance of ± 100 kbps of the specified bitrates are kept in the manifest.
  • Bitrates within Ranges to Keep (Filter IN): Input a comma-separated list of bitrate ranges, in kbps (100-400,1000-3000) to use with the manifest (or filter in, if you're using additional Manual Mode options). Only media playlists within the specified bitrate ranges are kept in the manifest.
    Note: You can set open ended ranges ("1000-") to set a starting bitrate range with no end.

Manual Mode examples

Below are a few use case examples of this functionality.

Settings applied Example Result
  • Preferred Bitrate (kbps): 1000

1000 kbps (or the bitrate closest to it, within a tolerance of ±100 kbps) is set as the first bitrate in the master manifest file.
  • Preferred Bitrate (kbps): 1500
  • Bitrates to Keep (Filter IN): 1500 and 2000
  1. The bitrate closest to 1500 kbps (within a ± 100 kbps tolerance) is included.
  2. The bitrate closest to 2000 kbps (within a ± 100 kbps tolerance) is included.
  3. A preferred bitrate is selected, using the filtered result of 1. and 2., with the value closest to 1000 used (within a ± 100 kbps tolerance).
  • Preferred Bitrate (kbps): 1500
  • Bitrates to Keep (Filter IN): 1500 and 2000
  • Bitrates within Ranges to Kep (Filter IN): 2500-3000 and 3500 and up
  1. The bitrate closest to 1500 kbps (within a ± 100 kbps tolerance) is included.
  2. The bitrate closest to 2000 kbps (within a ± 100 kbps tolerance) is included.
  3. All bitrates within the range 2500 to 3000 kbps (exclusive of boundaries), along with those greater than 3500 kbps are included.
  4. A preferred bitrate is selected, using the filtered result of 1., 2. and 3., with the value closest to 1500 kbps used.