Live Streaming Essentials For HD Videos

Today every event has two sets of audiences; one at the venue and one behind the screens. Live streaming is no longer happening for only sports and significant political events. From press conferences, town halls, conferences, and award ceremonies; live streaming has become a norm for every event. At CAGR 20.4 percent, online video streaming market is poised to reach $184.3 billion by 2027.

In a highly connected world, online live streaming has become capable of passing on your message, enhancing your branding initiatives and easily nurturing relationships with fans and followers. This is the reason that the majority of social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram now offer live streaming services. But if you are a business, you need a more robust, secure and reliable live streaming video platform like Phando to live stream your video content. This will allow you to enable live streaming services from your own website easily and securely.

But even with a reliable OTT video streaming, the biggest challenge still remains to ensure the live streaming of an event without any hitch. Here are a few things that you must consider in advance before any live streaming event.

Get A High-Speed Secure Internet Line

A dedicated high-speed internet line is a primary requirement for any business-critical live stream. A normal 4G or broadband connection may not be sufficient to upload HD live feed over the internet in real-time. You may also face speed issues if you are sharing the bandwidth with multiple people.

It is not a good idea to rely completely on a 4G or a WiFi connection that can also become patchy at times leading to poor quality live stream. In case, you have to cover a live event at an outdoor location in the absence of a corporate connection or IT assistance, users need to purchase a plan with the required bandwidth to ensure seamless live streaming.

How to Decide the Right Bandwidth?

It is a common practice to have a bandwidth that is double of the required upload bandwidth capacity. For instance, if you need an upload bandwidth capacity of 2 Mbps then buy an internet plan that delivers at least 4 Mbps of upload speed for smooth live online video streaming.

Keep A Backup Internet Connection

It is crucial to have an internet connection backup for mission-critical live streaming. Hence, it is good to have other options that you can instantly switch to for uninterrupted internet bandwidth. For instance, you can use cameras that are capable to connect with 4G modems and stream directly to the OTT platform.

HD Quality Streaming

With events like Super Bowl streaming live in 4K HDR, the pressure to broadcast HD live streams has become bigger. However, there are times when your 1080p live stream can get interrupted or start buffering due to slower internet connection. Instead of panicking, you can take these measures to ensure smoother delivery of your live stream.

The quality of HD live online video streaming is proportional to the upload speed of your internet connection. It is recommended to have an upload speed of at least 3 to 8 Mbps. The slower DSL connection might not be able to live stream in 1080p. However, it will work just fine for 720p live stream – a decent resolution for computer screens.

In case, your live stream is constantly rebuffering, pausing or disconnecting; it is recommended to switch to a lower bitrate and resolution on the encoder. Many live streaming video platforms offer variable bitrate encoding that varies on the basis of motion and the keyframe interval in the video. It can go substantially high or low at a continuous rate.

For instance, if you are live streaming a sporting event that includes a lot of high-motion, the bitrate will spike up to render HD quality live stream. Hence, it is essential to have an ample amount of bandwidth headroom.

In case, the bandwidth availability is limited, it is advisable to lower down resolution and bitrate for uninterrupted live streaming.

Test Equipment In Advance

To avoid any confusion and hassles, it is essential to get the job done with familiar equipment. Test all the equipment including microphone, camera, tripod, and lights amongst others thoroughly to weed out faulty gadgets and tools. It will also help you understand whether particular equipment will achieve the required purpose or not.

It is also recommended to not try to integrate with a corporate system out of the gate. It is preferred to go with a single reliable portal destination that your viewers know. Also, make sure that it supports seamless streaming on mobile devices. Test the live streaming from different devices including smartphones, tablets, and computers.

In case, you need a complex set up that involves multiple cameras, lights, sound mixers, and microphones; then it is better to take the services of a professional. Professionals will ensure that your complicated live stream reaches the audience without any compromise with the quality.

Identify Your Broadcast Needs

Last but not the least, it is essential to know the kind of live stream broadcast you are going to execute. It will help you finalize the right internet bandwidth, technology, equipment, and other essential requirements.

For instance, if you need to live stream a vlog, then you just need a good smartphone and a tripod or a selfie stick. However, to cover a live sporting event you would require multiple cameras, mics, tripods and lights amongst others. Hence, determining the live streaming event can help you find out the exact broadcasting needs.

With more viewers preferring to enjoy videos over textual content, live video streaming services, in particular, is all set to register a brisk growth in this decade. Easy availability of HD cameras on smartphones and the entry of 5G internet will further fuel the growth of live streaming trend. And with more emphasis on quality, viewers will reject poorly recorded or streaming videos. Hence, it has become crucial for live stream broadcasters to ensure high-quality live stream broadcasts without any lags.