Essential tips for professional live streaming

Live streaming is becoming more common. It allows you to let your recipients enjoy an event, college, wedding, church service, etc. in real time. Would you like all viewers to be able to watch your live stream in the highest quality without any problems? In this article, you will find tips on how best to do that and how to achieve a professional livestream.

Do you use HDMI and/or SDI cables when livestreaming? These cables can be sensitive to interference. To ensure your video reaches an encoder, use redundancy by using two outputs from the source with the same video. Using two cables provides more security than one cable.

Use multiple hardware encoders to avoid the potential interference. When doing so, do choose the same model of encoder and use identical configuration presets for easy installation and consistent video quality. Make sure all your encoders are synchronised to time code to avoid timing issues.

When using a wired connection, we recommend using separate LAN switches for each encoder. Also make sure you have sufficient bandwidth for each encoder and each live stream. Add a back-up modem over the telephone network for additional fail-safe of the stream.

Choose CDNs that offer automatic stream-failover options. Set each encoder to send 2 streams: one to the primary CDN and one to the backup CDN. This way, in case of a failure in the primary encoder and/or primary CDN, the backup will take over the stream and continue to send it to the receivers.

To ensure the live stream will run smoothly, we recommend testing your setup beforehand. Run the stream using the main encoder and CDN and then disable them to see if the backup takes over. Remember that the load on the CDN side can be high during a real event as more people access the stream.

In some critical situations, it is not possible to immediately detect the problem. Therefore, it is beneficial to be able to switch manually as well as automatically. Automatic failover architecture can be the lifesaver here. Manual operation also comes in handy when something needs to be changed at the very last minute.

If you make a back up of every element of your production, workflow significantly reduces the likelihood of interruptions and failures. To increase overall security and strength, each hardware and software element should be of the highest quality. For example, when choosing a hardware encoder, consider the following: multi-streaming performance, regularity of firmware updates, and overall product quality.uuste components