[ Quick Start ]

June 8, 2026 · View on GitHub

Requirements
Install
Smoke Test
Everything Else

[ Requirements ]

python >= 3.9 or PyPy >= 7.3.11
A network connection

[ Install ]

python3 -mpip install threefive

and / or

pypy3 -mpip install threefive

To add SRT support install SRTfu

python3 -m pip install srtfu

To add AES decryption support install pyaes

python3 -mpip install pyaes

Installation Complete.

[ Smoke Test ]

cli

a@fu:~$ threefive '/DAWAAAAAAAAAP/wBQb+AN3qCgAABErv4A=='

expected output

{
    "info_section": {
        "table_id": "0xfc",
        "section_syntax_indicator": false,
        "private": false,
        "sap_type": "0x03",
        "sap_details": "No Sap Type",
        "section_length": 22,
        "protocol_version": 0,
        "encrypted_packet": false,
        "encryption_algorithm": 0,
        "pts_adjustment": 0.0,
        "cw_index": "0x00",
        "tier": "0x0fff",
        "splice_command_length": 5,
        "splice_command_type": 6,
        "descriptor_loop_length": 0,
        "crc": "0x44aefe0"
    },
    "command": {
        "command_length": 5,
        "command_type": 6,
        "name": "Time Signal",
        "time_specified_flag": true,
        "pts_time": 161.593
    },
    "descriptors": []
}

library


from threefive import Cue
b64='/DAWAAAAAAAAAP/wBQb+AN3qCgAABErv4A=='
cue=Cue(b64)
cue.show()

expected output

{
    "info_section": {
        "table_id": "0xfc",
        "section_syntax_indicator": false,
        "private": false,
        "sap_type": "0x03",
        "sap_details": "No Sap Type",
        "section_length": 22,
        "protocol_version": 0,
        "encrypted_packet": false,
        "encryption_algorithm": 0,
        "pts_adjustment": 0.0,
        "cw_index": "0x00",
        "tier": "0x0fff",
        "splice_command_length": 5,
        "splice_command_type": 6,
        "descriptor_loop_length": 0,
        "crc": "0x44aefe0"
    },
    "command": {
        "command_length": 5,
        "command_type": 6,
        "name": "Time Signal",
        "time_specified_flag": true,
        "pts_time": 161.593
    },
    "descriptors": []
}

[ Everything Else ]

How to parse the various SCTE-35 data formats. This covers using both the threefive cli tool and the threefive library.

MPEGTS

MPEGTS streams can be Files, Http(s), Multicast,SRT, UDP Unicast, or stdin.
cli

threefive https://example.com/video.ts

wildcards work too.

threefive /mpegts/*.ts

lib


from threefive import Stream
stream = Stream('https://example.com/video.ts')
stream.decode()

Base64

cli

threefive '/DAsAAAAAyiYAP/wCgUAAAABf1+ZmQEBABECD0NVRUkAAAAAf4ABADUAAC2XQZU='

lib


from threefive import Cue
data = '/DAsAAAAAyiYAP/wCgUAAAABf1+ZmQEBABECD0NVRUkAAAAAf4ABADUAAC2XQZU='
cue=Cue(data)
cue.show()

Bytes

cli
- Bytes don't work on the cli
lib


from threefive import Cue
data =  b'\xfc0\x16\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\xff\xf0\x05\x06\xfe\x00\xc0D\xa0\x00\x00\x00\xb5k\x88'
cue=Cue(data)
cue.show()

Hex

Can be a hex literal or hex string or bytes.
cli

threefive  0xfc301600000000000000fff00506fed605225b0000b0b65f3b

lib


from threefive import Cue
data =  0xfc301600000000000000fff00506fed605225b0000b0b65f3b
cue=Cue(data)
cue.show()

Int

Can be a literal integer or string or bytes.
cli

threefive  1583008701074197245727019716796221243043855984942057168199483

lib


from threefive import Cue
data =  1583008701074197245727019716796221243043855984942057168199483
cue=Cue(data)
cue.show()

JSON

cli
- put JSON SCTE-35 in a file and redirect it into threefive
- cat files to threefive works too.
- echo JSON or type JSON on the command line.

threefive  < json.json

lib


 from threefive import Cue
 data = '''{
    "info_section": {
        "table_id": "0xfc",
        "section_syntax_indicator": false,
        "private": false,
        "sap_type": "0x03",
        "sap_details": "No Sap Type",
        "section_length": 22,
        "protocol_version": 0,
        "encrypted_packet": false,
        "encryption_algorithm": 0,
        "pts_adjustment": 0.0,
        "cw_index": "0x00",
        "tier": "0x0fff",
        "splice_command_length": 5,
        "splice_command_type": 6,
        "descriptor_loop_length": 0,
        "crc": "0xb56b88"
    },
    "command": {
        "command_length": 5,
        "command_type": 6,
        "name": "Time Signal",
        "time_specified_flag": true,
        "pts_time": 140.005333
    },
    "descriptors": []
}
'''
cue=Cue(data)
cue.show()

Xml

cli
- put xml SCTE-35 in a file and redirect it into threefive
- cat files to threefive works too.
- echo xml or type xml on the command line.
```
threefive < xml.xml
```
lib

from threefive import Cue
data =  '''
<scte35:SpliceInfoSection xmlns:scte35="https://scte.org/schemas/35" 
        ptsAdjustment="0" protocolVersion="0" sapType="3" tier="4095">
   <scte35:TimeSignal>
      <scte35:SpliceTime ptsTime="12600480"/>
   </scte35:TimeSignal>
</scte35:SpliceInfoSection>
'''
cue=Cue(data)

cue.show()

Xml+binary

cli
- write xml+binary to a file and redirect it to threefive
- cat files to threefive works too.
- echo xml+binary or type xml+binary on the command line.

threefive < xmlbin.xml

lib


from threefive import Cue
data = '''<scte35:Signal xmlns:scte35="https://scte.org/schemas/35">
    <scte35:Binary>/DAWAAAAAAAAAP/wBQb+AMBEoAAAALVriA==</scte35:Binary>
</scte35:Signal>
'''
cue=Cue(data)
cue.show()