So how to broadcast live video over the internet. Live video broadcasts are now everywhere. In 2020 so far, we’ve seen a tremendous growth of broadcasting live due to the COVID-19 quarantine period. However, we can argue that the pandemic is only accelerating the inevitable.
Throughout 2019 and before the pandemic, live video streaming has already grown by a whopping 93% with an average watch time of 26.4 minutes per second.
With today’s high-speed internet bandwidth, it’s only obvious that live video content delivered over the internet is going to be the new big thing. This is why over 55% of surveyed enterprises are now using live video broadcasts whether for internal communications or for marketing purposes. It is expected that live video streaming will grow to be much bigger in the years to come.
Here, we will learn how we can effectively broadcast live video over the internet. Some do’s and don’ts, and also how to make the most of your live broadcasts.
Without further ado, let us begin.
While the concept of broadcasting live video over the internet or OTT live streaming can be overwhelming especially if you don’t know the technical know-how.
However, setting up a live broadcast is actually pretty easy. Once you’ve got the hang of it, and there are only four main pillars to discuss in order to set up your live broadcast over the internet. They are:
Any stream of video data for your live broadcast is called a video source, and a similar principle also applies to audio sources.
The simplest live broadcast can consist of just one camera and one microphone as a video source. But more complex systems use more than two combinations of video and audio sources. In a live broadcast, different combinations of video and audio sources are called layouts or scenes. For example, we can use two cameras and create a picture in picture (PIP) or side by side scenes/layouts.
In a live broadcast, the video source can be:
Nowadays, cameras come in many different price ranges from just below $500 to above $20,000. Redundancy is also very important in a live broadcast setting, so you might want to get more than one camera.
Which cameras/video sources you should get would depend on the content you are going to broadcast. If, for example, you are going to broadcast gaming content where your console/pc is going to be the main video source, then you might not need a professional DSLR camera, and a decent webcam would do.
Figure out your needs depending on your content, and get the most affordable one that can fulfill these needs.
It’s important to note that audio quality is, in fact, more important than video streaming quality for most viewers. So, don’t underestimate the importance of getting good-quality audio equipment according to your budget.
Microphones will be your main audio source. Moreover similar to cameras, microphones now come in a wide variety of price ranges and quality. Even the built-in microphones on your camera, laptop, or smartphone are now pretty decent, but there are now various affordable, decent-quality USB microphones below $500 that you can choose.
See Also: Audio Converter Software
If you absolutely need audio quality (i.e. if you are going to broadcast live concerts), then you might want to invest in professional-quality XLR microphones. Also, depending on your needs, you might want to get wireless microphones to maximize your setup.
The basic principle in live broadcasting is to first capture the signal coming out from your audio and video sources, which is typically done by connecting your video/audio sources with your computer (if you use a software encoder) or a physical encoder.
Most cameras today have HDMI or SDI output, and you can simply use an HDMI or SDI cable to connect the camera to your computer or encoder. However, depending on your setup, you might need a capture card when using a software encoder. The capture card will connect to the camera on one end, and to the computer over USB on the other end. The capture card will capture the camera’s data in real-time, allowing the live broadcast.
For audio sources, if you are using a USB microphone, then you can simply connect the microphone to your computer or encoder via USB. However, you’d need a capture card or dedicated audio converter to connect an XLR microphone.
While the concept of encoding can be quite difficult to explain, in a nutshell. As it goes like this: your camera doesn’t actually save an actual video file, but rather a continuous stream of image files. An encoder would encode these series of images into a single, seamless video file, which would allow it to be live-streamed.
In general, here are why encoding your videos in a live broadcast is very important:
You should choose the right encoder depending on your budget and needs. Moreover, you should especially consider what kinds of content you are going to broadcast. Here are some important factors to consider when choosing between different encoders:
It’s important to keep the right balance between bitrate, frame rate, and resolution to ensure the quality of your live broadcast.
Streaming destination refers to where viewers can view your live broadcasts. You can broadcast your videos to social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook Live, Periscope, Twitch, and others, or you can stream your videos on your own site/app.
The best and more versatile approach here is to use a video hosting platform like Viloud where you can simultaneously broadcast your videos on all the popular platforms. You can also get an embed code that you can put on your site’s or web app’s HTML to embed your video player.
When choosing between different streaming destinations, there are generally three main factors to consider:
Don’t underestimate the importance of a stable internet connection in a live broadcast. In fact, getting a fast enough and stable internet connection is often the most challenging part of developing your live broadcast setup.
Find the most suitable internet provider in your area, according to your available budget. If you can, always get a dedicated, wired Ethernet line instead of Wi-Fi or cellular internet. Wired internet will always be more reliable than wireless ones, and remember that stability is very important when live broadcasting over the internet.
How much speed would you need? A general rule of thumb is to look at your target bitrate. At the very least, your bandwidth should be 1.5 times your stream’s target bitrate. For example, if your target bitrate is 3 Mbps, then you’d need at least 4.5 Mbps of bandwidth. If you can, aim for at least 2 times of your target bitrate (with the same example, 6 Mbps of bandwidth).
Once you’ve taken care of the four aspects we’ve discussed above, then broadcasting live video over the internet should be a breeze. The right equipment, the right video hosting service, and reliable internet connection are the keys to deliver high-quality live broadcasts and keep your viewers around.
While live streaming is indeed a very broad topic and your setup might be unique. This post should help you design your own live broadcasting setup and go live as soon as possible. Understanding these basics would significantly help as a foundation when building more complex, advanced live broadcasting setups.
First published on www.Techcody.com
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