Back to Player Settings

Impala Streamer User Guide

Quick help for everyday listening and playlists.

Features

Impala Core stays stable; major capabilities are added through microservices and parallel applications.

Impala does not store user identity or credentials. It only plays from locations you explicitly configure and permit.

Summary: sign in to your own deployment when prompted.

  1. Open Impala Streamer in your browser.
  2. If you are sent to the sign-in page, enter the username and password provided for your deployment.
  3. After sign-in, you are redirected to the player automatically.

Sign-in is for your hosting environment (for example, your S4-backed library), not for an Impala account. Impala itself does not store your login.

If sign-in fails:

  1. Re-check spelling (password is case-sensitive).
  2. Try again once.
  3. If it still fails, ask your admin to reset or verify your registered user.

Playing Music

Summary: pick a playlist, choose a track, then press Play.

  1. In Source, choose the playlist you want.
  2. Click any song in the Tracks list.
  3. Use Play, Pause, Next, and Prev to control playback.

Tip: the source badge shows where media came from: L = local, C = cloud.

iPhone, Bluetooth, and CarPlay Now Playing

On supported iPhones, Impala sends the current title, artist, album or playlist, playback position, and Impala music logo to the system Now Playing display. Vehicle and accessory controls can play, pause, move to the previous title, or move to the next title.

If a phone call interrupts playback, Impala retains the title and position. When Impala becomes active again, it republishes its Now Playing identity. If iOS has handed audio to another app, choose Resume Impala once to reclaim playback. A dedicated Impala icon on the CarPlay home screen requires a future native iOS app and Apple's CarPlay approval.

Playing Videos

Summary: select video from the library and click on the title to begin play immediately, or add videos to a playlist so you can play continuously.

  1. Notice all videos are added to the video queue.
  2. Click any video in the Tracks list.
  3. Use Play, Pause, Next, and Prev to control playback.

Video Library

Use browser-friendly video formats such as .mp4, .m4v, .webm, or .mov. Convert .mkv files to .mp4 before indexing.

Video Library Folder Structure

Standalone movie:

  1. Movie Title/
  2. Movie Title.mp4

Movie collection:

  1. Collection Title/
  2. Movie Title/
  3. Movie Title.mp4
  4. Movie Title 2/
  5. Movie Title 2.mp4

TV series:

  1. Series Title/
  2. Season 1/
  3. Episode 1.mp4
  4. Episode 2.mp4
  5. Season 2/
  6. Episode 1.mp4
  7. Episode 2.mp4

Webcast or Live Stream

Summary: you can watch or listen to live stream or webcast content.

  1. First, activate live stream in Settings.
  2. Returning back to the player, the button Live Stream will be available; clicking this will allow you to choose your stream.
  3. In the live stream screen, after picking your stream, click Begin Session.
  4. Returning to the player, click Play to initiate viewing.
  5. To switch streams, end your current streaming session, then choose a new stream and begin a new session.
  6. In the live stream screen, after picking your stream, click Start Session.

Sync Play

Summary: watch videos in sync with others.

  1. First, activate Sync Play in Settings.
  2. Confirm there is a Sync Play service URL populated beneath the tick. This is the link to the microservice Impala will use for this feature.
  3. Click "Apply Sync Play Settings".
  4. Returning back to the player, you will see a new panel labeled "Collaboration"; expose the controls by clicking Open Controls.
  5. There are two modes: Master or Shared.
  6. Master locks in as the controller for all other attached participants. Only when Play, Pause, Shuttle is engaged by the Master player will the actions be reflected for all participants.
  7. Shared mode allows any of the participants to engage Play, Pause, Shuttle or Stop.
  8. Once you have selected the video for the session, and it is loaded in the player, you can create your session.
  9. Click "Create Session" to begin; once initiated, you will be presented with a join code. Click "Copy Join Code" and share this with those you would like to invite.
  10. When you are ready, and your participants are present, just click Play and control the presentation as needed.
  11. Requirements:
    • All participants must have the Sync Play feature enabled.
    • All participants must be on the same cloud library with independent access to the files.
    • Stable internet connection for all participants.
  12. When finished, simply click "Leave Session".
  13. When the user in the Master position leaves, the session is ended for all participants.
  14. Returning to the player, click Play to initiate viewing.
  15. To switch sessions, end your current Sync Play session, then choose a new session and begin a new session.

Coast to Coast

Summary: create a shared experience by watching a video with someone and having an open communication channel to talk, either open mic or push to talk.

  1. First, activate Coast to Coast by enabling Coast to Coast controls in Settings.
  2. If you have the Coast to Coast microservice, the Coast to Coast URL will be populated. Impala uses this fully for this feature.
  3. Returning back to the player, you will see the Collaboration panel added; click Open Controls to gain access to the Coast to Coast configuration control.
  4. Select the video you want to share; when the video is loaded in the player you can click Create Room. This will also generate a Join Code for this session.
  5. Click "Copy Join Code" and share this with the person you would like to share with.
  6. You can control your microphone by having it open, push to talk, mute and unmute. Your browser will request permissions if needed. Browser permissions are required for voice communication.
  7. When you are ready, and your guest is present, just click Play and you can control the presentation as needed, as well as have a conversation while watching.
  8. When you are finished, simply click "Leave Room" to terminate the session.
  9. Requirements:
    • All participants must have the Coast to Coast feature enabled.
    • All participants must be on the same cloud library with independent access to the files.
    • Stable internet connection for all participants.
    • Both participants must be using a unit with a microphone and speakers or headphones.

Return to Normal Playback

When finished with Sync Play, click Leave Session. When finished with Coast to Coast, click Leave Room. Always leave the active session first. To restore all optional features and browser preferences afterward, open Settings and click Reset Settings. Reset Settings does not itself end an active shared session, and it leaves you on the Settings page. Click Back to Player when you are ready to resume ordinary playback.

Repeat and Shuffle

Summary: choose Repeat and Shuffle together or separately to control behavior for your tracks.

  1. Tap Repeat to cycle through Repeat Off, Repeat One, and Repeat All.
  2. Tap Shuffle to toggle shuffle mode on or off.
    When shuffling, Previous will take you to the last played track, not the previous track in the list.
  1. When a video has a saved position, use Resume to jump back in.
  2. Video and audio views switch automatically based on the selected track.

Save Favorites (Starred)

Summary: star songs first, then save those stars into a playlist.

  1. In the track list, click the star next to songs you want.
  2. Use New From Starred to create a new playlist.
  3. Enter a playlist name, then confirm.
  4. Use Add Starred to send favorites to an existing custom playlist.

If nothing happens:

  1. Check the starred count near the track controls.
  2. If it says 0 starred, star at least one song first.

Manage Playlists and Songs

Summary: use Library & Playlists for organizing.

  1. Click Library & Playlists.
  2. Choose a playlist from the Playlist dropdown.
  3. For custom playlists, you can drag to reorder, remove songs, rename, and delete.
  4. You can also import a playlist format using the templates provided in the import tool.

You can also combine multiple playlists into a new playlist.

  1. The Combine button becomes active when you have created two or more playlists.
  2. Select multiple playlists and click Create Combined to generate a new playlist containing all selected items.
  3. The Play All button plays the entire playlist from top to bottom.

To return to listening, click Back to Player.

Local Library

Summary: use local directories and the Local Library Companion for local-first playback.

Impala can work entirely from local media if you prefer. You can point Impala at local audio and video directories, or use the Local Library Companion to index your folders and serve a JSON library.

  1. In Settings, set Local Audio Directory and Local Video Directory to the folders where your media is stored.
  2. Use Test Local Audio and Test Local Video to quickly check reachability.
  3. If you run the Local Library Companion, it will scan your folders and expose a JSON index Impala can read.
  4. Local MKV titles are prepared with your own FFmpeg installation. The original remains untouched; the durable .impala.mp4 and small .impala.json sidecar are saved beside it.
  5. Use Voice Sync below the video to move dialogue earlier or later in 50 ms steps, then choose Save This Timing to keep that title's default.
  6. When Local Library is configured, Source badges and Library views will reflect local media (L) instead of cloud (C).

Local Library is fully user-owned. Impala does not upload or harvest your files; it only reads what you point it at for the current deployment. MKV compatibility is local-only and does not change cloud playback.

Playing Local MKV Titles

  1. Install the Companion and make sure FFmpeg and FFprobe are available.
  2. Choose a dedicated media folder in Settings. For safety, Impala will not scan an entire drive or your complete user-profile folder.
  3. Use Check Connection, then Connect / Rescan.
  4. Select an MKV title normally. On its first play, Impala displays preparation progress while the Companion creates a browser-ready copy.
  5. Later plays use the prepared copy immediately, including after the browser or Companion has been restarted.

Feature-length preparation can take time on some computers. The Companion continues working if the Impala page is closed or refreshed; reopening the title reconnects to its current progress.

The Companion checks the streams before converting. Browser-compatible H.264 video is preserved without re-encoding; if only AC3 or E-AC3 audio is incompatible, Impala converts only that audio to AAC. HEVC and other incompatible video formats require full video preparation.

This compatibility check happens automatically on first play, even at Original Timing. An H.264 MP4 with AC3 audio therefore receives a durable AAC-compatible copy before playback instead of playing silently.

For a title named Episode.mkv, the Companion keeps the original and creates Episode.impala.mp4 plus Episode.impala.json in the same folder. Do not rename only one of these files. If the original MKV changes, Impala safely requires a new preparation instead of trusting an outdated copy.

Voice Sync

While a Companion local video is playing, use Voice Sync to move dialogue earlier or later in 50 ms steps, up to two seconds in either direction. Choose Save This Timing to make the selected offset the title's default on later plays.

Impala pauses the video while applying an adjustment and preserves its current position. It resumes when ready only if it was playing before; a video that was already paused remains paused.

Choose Create Corrected Copy to create a separate .impala-synced.mp4 with that timing committed. The copy is suitable for optional cloud upload and no longer needs live correction.

Voice Sync working copies are temporary and automatically bounded by the Companion. The original MKV and durable .impala.mp4 remain user-owned and are never removed by cache cleanup.

Preparing a Season or Series

When Impala finds multiple MKVs together, it names the detected folder and series and asks before doing additional work. You may prepare only the current title, its folder or season, or the entire series. Related titles are processed one at a time. Use Stop After Current Title to end the queue at a safe checkpoint.

Add Songs from the S4 Library

Summary: browse folders and add tracks to a playlist.

  1. In Library & Playlists, select a custom playlist (or create one).
  2. Use Audio or Video at the top of the library panel to change browse mode.
  3. Filter Library can search artist, album, track, or folder text.
  4. Select items and use Add Selection, or use New From Selection to create a new playlist from selected tracks.
  5. Admins may see Index Audio and Index Video buttons when signed in with admin rights.

Settings

Summary: personalize look and behavior from the Settings page.

  1. Choose and apply a color palette (with live preview).
  2. Set a custom message and medallion image.
  3. Optionally set Local Audio Directory and Local Video Directory.
  4. Use Test Local Audio and Test Local Video to quickly check reachability.
  5. Enable or disable live stream control surfaces.
  6. Reset Settings restores optional features and preferences to their defaults on this browser. Leave any active Sync Play session or Coast room before using it, then click Back to Player afterward.

Local Library JSON

Summary: you can override built-in lists with local JSON entries.

In Settings, paste or drop a JSON manifest into Local Library JSON, then click Apply Local Library JSON.

Example:

{
  "audio": [
    {
      "name": "Rolling In The Deep",
      "artist": "Adele",
      "album": "21",
      "file": "01 Rolling In The Deep.mp3"
    }
  ],
  "video": [
    {
      "name": "Happy Days",
      "artist": "Unknown artist",
      "file": "Happy Days.mp4",
      "mediaType": "video"
    }
  ]
}
  1. Use file names or relative paths in each entry.
  2. Set local directory roots if your files are hosted locally.
  3. Clear Local Library JSON to return to built-in lists.

Advanced Settings

Summary: advanced controls for stability, indexing, and deployment configuration.

Playback Transitions

Optional polish features that adjust how tracks move from one to the next.

Caution: Some recordings (live, ambient, meditation) intentionally include silence. Disable if needed.

Live Stream Controls

Advanced stability controls for collaboration and broadcast.

Expertise: None required. Caution: Disabling Sync Ping may cause drift in Sync Play or Coast to Coast.

Local Library Companion

A local-first indexing microservice that scans your folders and provides a JSON library.

Expertise: Low to medium. Caution: Incorrect configuration may result in empty or partial local libraries.

Backup & Restore

Export or import browser-local Impala configuration.

Caution: Restoring overwrites current browser state.

System & Support

Diagnostics and support tools.

Expertise: None. Impala only sends browser-local Impala state — never personal data.

Cloud Library Connection

Advanced deployment configuration. Only change if you know your signer service.

Expertise: High.
Caution: Changing the signer URL or regenerating the Instance ID can disconnect this browser from its deployment.

Quick Fixes

Summary: most issues are solved by sign-in, source switching, or refresh.

If a song will not play:

  1. Try a different track in the same playlist.
  2. Switch to another Source and then switch back.
  3. If prompted, sign in again.
  4. Refresh the browser page.

If playlists look wrong:

  1. Check whether Local Library JSON is enabled.
  2. Clear Local Library JSON if you want built-in lists back.
  3. Refresh the page.

If stars seem to disappear:

  1. Stars are temporary selections for the current session.
  2. Save them with New From Starred or Add Starred before closing.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Summary: helpful, but not required.

  1. S: star or unstar current track
  2. A: add starred tracks to an existing playlist
  3. N: create new playlist from starred tracks
  4. M: open Library & Playlists
  5. C: clear starred tracks
  6. H or ?: show hotkey help

Managing your Profile

Summary: what constitutes your profile, how it is stored, and how you can copy it to other devices and browsers.

Any information that you create is stored in your browser cache, and deleted when you clear your cache. It will persist across restart and reboots.

This is by design: Impala is intentionally sovereign, deviating from the current centralized model.

  1. In Settings, use Backup Profile to export a JSON file of your Impala state.
  2. This export includes:
    1. Custom playlists
    2. Preferences
    3. Player settings
    4. Playback positions
    5. Local Library JSON
  3. Use Restore Backup on another device or browser to apply the saved state.

Managing your Media Libraries

Summary: Impala's libraries require minimal upkeep to remain healthy.

  1. You have S4 bucket(s) for video and separate for audio.
  2. Each bucket has an Indexes folder containing an NDJSON file Impala reads to build the media index.
  3. Update indexes whenever files are added or removed.
  4. Click Index Video or Index Audio to regenerate the index.
  5. Impala will report how many files are present after indexing.

Diagnostics

Summary: use diagnostics for troubleshooting and health checks.

  1. Access diagnostics from the Settings screen in the System & Support Panel.
  2. Click Open Diagnostics for troubleshooting information.
  3. Use Send Functional Report to share diagnostics.
  4. Diagnostics include player status, playlist counts, storage health, and recent errors.