Server side buffering settings for video

Question

I pump my video (both live streaming and VOD) through a popular CDN.  They control the server side (FMS) settings.  I can request that they change things and they do so and let me know when I can test.
I'm wondering about server side buffering settings.  Is there supposed to be some sort of coordination between the buffering settings there and the client side buffering settings I implement in my video player?
The reason I ask is I get wierd buffering behaviors in my client side player under certain conditions and there doesn't seem to be much to adjust there other than the NetStream.bufferTime property.
For instance, if I set the bufferTime property in my client viewer to 10 seconds, the player just seems to ignore it and starts playing the stream right away or within a second or two.  Other times I see crazy values in the bufferTime property, like 400 seconds (I check the property's value about every second).
I'm wondering if there are some FMS settings that are overriding or are not working well with my client side buffer settings.  Is this possible?

Answer 1

Not sure how to get this code to you.  There is no option here to  attach a file.  Trying to post inline here.  Hope it comes out ok.
This  is a simple player.  The simplest.  No frills.  Just insert your RTMP  url to your FMS and your stream name in the string variables "rtmpURL"  and "streamName" at the top, compile and run.
Here is a deployment of this player connected to my CDN where the file is currently playing:
http://dcast.dyventive.com/cast/simple_player/player.html
Also,  attached is an image I took when I ran the program and hit the refresh  button in the browser.  Note the giant bufferLength numbers in the debug  panel.
Again note, I do not get this problem linking  directly to a recorded file.  I see this problem when playing a file on a  server or with a live stream.
Can you see anything  obviously wrong?
<?xml  version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application
     xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
     layout="absolute"
     backgroundColor="#333333"
     initialize="init()">
     <mx:Script>
         <![CDATA[
             //Note:  the method "connect()" on  line #49 starts the area  with the important connection code
             import mx.containers.Canvas;
             import flash.media.Video;
             import flash.net.NetConnection;
             import flash.net.NetStream;
             private var vid:Video;
             private var nc:NetConnection;
             //Path to your FMS live streaming application
             private var rtmpURL:String = "Insert your URL"; //Will be  used to connect to your FMS
             private var buffer:Number = 5; //NetStream.bufferTime  property will be set with this.
             private var streamName:String =  "Insert your server side  stream name here"; //This determines the channel you're watching  on the  server.           
             private var ns:NetStream;
             private var msg:Boolean;
             [Bindable]
             private var canvas_video:Canvas;//Will display some live  playback  stats
             private var intervalMonitorBufferLengthEverySecond:uint;
              private function init():void
                 vid=new Video();   
                 vid.width=720;
                 vid.height=480;                   
                 vid.smoothing = true;               
                 uic.addChild(vid);
                 connect();
             public function onSecurityError(e:SecurityError):void
                 trace("Security error: ");
             public function connect():void
                 nc = new NetConnection();
                 nc.client = this;
                 nc.addEventListener(NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS,  netStatusHandler);
                 nc.connect(rtmpURL);                    
             public function netStatusHandler(e:NetStatusEvent):void
                   switch (e.info.code) {
                     case "NetConnection.Connect.Success":
                         netconnectionStatus.text = e.info.code;
                         reconnectStatus.text = "N/A";
                         trace("Connected successfully");
                         createNS();                    
                         break;                                               
             public function createNS():void
                 trace("Creating NetStream");
                 ns=new NetStream(nc);
                 ns.addEventListener(NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS,  netStreamStatusHandler);
                 vid.attachNetStream(ns);
                 //Handle onMetaData and onCuePoint event callbacks:  solution at http://tinyurl.com/mkadas
                 //See another solution at  http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/quickstart/metadata_cue_points/
                 var infoClient:Object = new Object();
                 infoClient.onMetaData = function oMD():void {};
                 infoClient.onCuePoint = function oCP():void {}; 
                 ns.client = infoClient;   
                 ns.play(streamName);   
                 ns.bufferTime = buffer;                   
                 ns.addEventListener(AsyncErrorEvent.ASYNC_ERROR,  asyncErrorHandler);
                 function asyncErrorHandler(event:AsyncErrorEvent):void {
                     trace(event.text);
                 //Set up the interval that will be used to monitor the  bufferLength property.
                 //monPlayback() will be the funciton that will do the  work.   
                 intervalMonitorBufferLengthEverySecond =  setInterval(monPlayback, 1000);
             public function  netStreamStatusHandler(e:NetStatusEvent):void
                  switch (e.info.code) {
                     case "NetStream.Buffer.Empty":
                         netstreamStatus.text = e.info.code;
                         textAreaDebugPanel.text += "Buffer empty:\n";
                         trace("Buffer empty: ");
                         break;
                     case "NetStream.Buffer.Full":
                         netstreamStatus.text = e.info.code;
                         textAreaDebugPanel.text += "Buffer full:\n";
                         trace("Buffer full:");
                         break;
                      case "NetStream.Play.Start":
                          netstreamStatus.text = e.info.code;
                          textAreaDebugPanel.text += "Buffer empty:\n";
                         trace("Play start:");
                         break;                        
             //Get the current ns.bufferLength value, format it, and  display it to the screen.
             //"bufferLen" is the key var here.
             public function monPlayback():void {               
                 var currentBuffer:Number =  Math.round((ns.bufferLength/ns.bufferTime)*100);
                 var bufferLen:String = String(ns.bufferLength);//Here is  the actual bufferLength reading.
                                                                //Use it  to show the user what's going on.
                 pb.value = currentBuffer;//updates the little buffer  slider on the screen
                 bufferPct.text = String(currentBuffer) + "%";
                 bufferTime.text = String(ns.bufferTime);
                 bufferLength.text = String(ns.bufferLength);
                 //Dump the bufferLen value to the debug panel.
                 textAreaDebugPanel.text += bufferLen + "\n";                
                 trace("Buffer length: " + bufferLen);
         public function onBWDone():void
             //dispatchComplete(obj);
         ]]>
     </mx:Script>
     <mx:Canvas id="monitor"
         y="10" right="50">
         <mx:Text x="0" y="25" text="Buffer:" color="#FFFFFF"/>
         <mx:Text x="0" y="50" text="Buffer Time:"  color="#FFFFFF"/>
         <mx:Text x="0" y="75" text="Buffer Length:"  color="#FFFFFF"/>   
         <mx:Text x="0" y="100" text="NetConnection netStatus:"  color="#FFFFFF"/>
         <mx:Text x="0" y="125" text="NetStream netStatus:"  color="#FFFFFF"/>
         <mx:Text x="0" y="150" text="Reconnect:" color="#FFFFFF"/>
         <mx:HSlider x="145" y="25" id="pb" minimum="0" maximum="100"  snapInterval="1" enabled="true"/>
         <mx:Text x="100" y="25" height="20" id="bufferPct"  color="#FFFFFF"/>   
         <mx:Text x="145" y="50" height="20" id="bufferTime"  color="#FFFFFF"/>
         <mx:Text x="145" y="75" height="20" id="bufferLength"  color="#FFFFFF"/>   
         <mx:Text x="145" y="100" height="20" id="netconnectionStatus"  color="#FFFFFF"/>
         <mx:Text x="145" y="125" height="20" id="netstreamStatus"  color="#FFFFFF"/>
         <mx:Text x="145" y="150" height="20" id="reconnectStatus"  color="#FFFFFF" text="N/A"/>
     </mx:Canvas>
     <mx:UIComponent id="uic"
          x="50" y="10"/>
      <mx:TextArea id="textAreaDebugPanel"
          width="300" height="300"
          right="50" top="300"
           valueCommit="textAreaDebugPanel.verticalScrollPosition=textAreaDebugPanel.maxVerticalScro llPosition"/>
</mx:Application>