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1. Presented by:
Best Practices for Live Streaming

2. I.
Live video workflow
II.
Ten tips for a successful live streamed
event

3. One-to-many live streaming

4. One-to-many live streaming
This workflow and presentation are for one-to-many live streaming,
sometimes referred to as “over the top” or OTT streaming.
We’re not discussing here:
 Secure internal streaming
 Two-way videoconferencing, like Skype
 Point-to-point video file transfer for re-broadcast
This presentation is about streaming directly to consumer viewers
watching on desktops, mobile devices, connected TVs, etc.

5.  Live video workflow

6. Delivering live video -- workflow
Video
Signal
SDI output from a video switcher is pictured
here, but this could be any video source, such as
 Built in webcam
 USB webcam
 Analog, HDMI, or SDI Camera
 Output of video switcher

7. Delivering live video -- workflow
Live EncoderVideo
Signal
h.264
AAC
Encoders can be either software or
hardware.
The main purpose of the encoder is
to take the uncompressed video
signal and convert it to h.264 / AAC
at a bitrate that can be easily
streamed over your internet
connection.

8. Live video encoding workflow
 Encoder
Encoding settings
Bandwidth
Streaming server
CDN
Multiscreen delivery

9. Live streaming encoders
Budget: $0 Software encoders, run on Mac or Windows
Ustream Web Broadcaster
Ustream Producer (Free version)
Adobe FMLE

10. Live streaming encoders
Budget: $500 - $1,000
Ustream Producer Pro and Studio
Wirecast
Teradek VidiU

11. Live streaming encoders
Budget: $5,000 - $40,000
NewTek TriCaster
Elemental Live
Cambria Live

12. Live video encoding workflow
Encoder
 Encoding Settings
Bandwidth
Streaming server
CDN
Multiscreen delivery

13. Recommended settings
Quality Resolution Video bitrate
HD 1280 x 720 2 Mbps
High 960 x 540 1.5 Mbps
Medium 640 x 360 1 Mbps
Low 480 x 270 400 kbps

14. Delivering live video -- workflow
Live Encoder
Video
Signal
h.264
AAC
RTMP
Internet
Connection

15. Live video encoding workflow
Encoder
Encoding Settings
 Bandwidth
Streaming server
CDN
Multiscreen delivery

16. Upload, not download speed is what matters.
 For HD, at least 3Mbps
 Example above shows a typical residential grade internet
connection, not enough upload speed for HD streaming.
 Low quality streaming can be done on as little as 600kbps
How much bandwidth do I need?

17. Recommended settings
Quality Resolution Video bitrate Recommended Bandwidth
HD 1280 x 720 2 Mbps 4Mbps
High 960 x 540 1.5 Mbps 3Mbps
Medium 640 x 360 1 Mbps 2Mbps
Low 480 x 270 400 kbps 1Mbps
 Recommended bandwidth is 2X the bitrate you plan to stream at.
 Higher quality streaming requires higher bitrates and greater
bandwidth.

18. Delivering live video -- workflow
Live Encoder
Streaming Server
Video
Signal
h.264
AAC
RTMP

19. Live video encoding workflow
Encoder
Encoding Settings
Bandwidth
 Streaming server
CDN
Multiscreen delivery

20. Ingest / streaming server
Self hosted vs cloud-based streaming service
Self-hosted
 Viewers connect directly to your server, can only support a small number of
simultaneous connections
 Doesn’t have additional features like recording files for VOD, transcoding, etc.
 Isn’t an end-to-end solution, still need to build a player, connect with CDN, etc.
 Will require a lot of setup and configuration.
Our recommendation is don’t try to do it yourself! Use a service like Ustream.

21. Delivering live video -- workflow
Live Encoder
Streaming Server CDN
Video
Signal
Viewers
h.264
AAC
RTMP

22. Live video encoding workflow
Encoder
Encoding Settings
Bandwidth
Streaming server
 CDN
Multiscreen delivery

23. Live video platform including CDN (Content
Delivery Network)
 Important if you plan to have an audience of any size.
 Ensures scalability, reliability, optimized load and buffer times.
 Offers additional capabilities like cloud transcoding, instant
availability of VOD, analytics about who watches, security options.

24. Delivering live video -- workflow
Live Encoder
Streaming Server CDN
Video
Signal
Viewers
h.264
AAC
RTMP

25. Live video encoding workflow
Encoder
Encoding Settings
Bandwidth
Streaming server
CDN
 Multiscreen delivery

26. Multiple format and bitrate delivery
480
360
240
720
Audio Only
Multi Bitrate HTTP via Flash /
Silverlight
Multi Bitrate HLS
480
360
240
720
H.264 video
AAC audio

27. One in, many out model – cloud transcoding
RTMP Servers
HLS Servers
480
360
240
720Single Bitrate RTMP
720 or 1080
Audio Only
Multi Bitrate RTMP or HTTP
Multi Bitrate HLS
480
360
240
720

28. Why transcode in the cloud?
 Less bandwidth needed at the origin of the stream
Only need sufficient bandwidth to send a single high-bitrate stream,
not bandwidth for 4-10 streams of various formats and bitrates
 Less encoding power and complexity at the origin of the stream
Can stream HD to all devices, even with free software
 Takes the guesswork out of encoder configuration
Only need to worry about specs for one stream in one format

29. Live video encoding workflow
 Ten tips for a successful live streamed
event

30. 1. Test early and test often
Test
 with the actual gear
 from the actual location
 with the actual subject matter

31. Test early and test often (continued…)
 End-to-end tests are best
 Test on-site with your actual bandwidth and your actual source
signal
 Test with moving images from live cameras
 Test audio sync
 Watch your test on all end user devices (desktop, iPads, set top
boxes, etc)
 Check for any firewalls that could block streaming or viewing
 Monitor throughout live event

32. 2. Know your upload bandwidth
 speedtest.net – don’t believe what someone told you the
bandwidth might be, you need to test it yourself and test it
multiple times.
 Simply put, more bandwidth is better, but its also about the quality
of the pipe:
 dedicated bandwidth
 as few hops as possible from encoder to ingest server
 maximum headroom -- most encoders are variable bitrate,
sending as much as 2x over the “target bitrate”

33. 3. Have great lighting
The first secret to a great live stream is great lighting
 With a poorly lit scene, your camera will introduce noise into the
video picture
 This noise is amplified by the video encoding process, resulting in
a low-quality, VHS-like image

34. 4. Have great audio
The second secret to a great live stream is great audio.
 A presentation that you can’t see but can hear is valuable
 A presentation that you can see but can’t hear is useless
 Get a direct feed from the PA system, the on-board mic on the
camera will not pick up a sufficient signal
Don’t skimp on audio!

35. 5. Long form content works best for live
 Forget what you’ve heard about web video needing to be 2-3
minutes long.
 While short form might work well for VOD, live streams less than
20 minutes long will have a hard time attracting an audience. The
longer you can stream, the bigger of an audience you will attract.

36. 6. Create a landing page for your event
 This isn’t traditional TV where people know where to find the
channel.
 Create a page that makes it clear this is where people are
supposed to watch.
 Have content inside and around the player with the context of the
event. Schedules, background information, calls to action.
 The Ustream channel page lets you do this, or if you are creating
your own page and embedding the Ustream player, make sure you
have these elements.

37. 7. Promote your event
Promote your event at least three different times and in at least 3
different ways.
 One week before, one day before, one hour before, 5 minutes
before live
 Use email, social media, pre-registration and call attendees
 Make sure any influential or high profile participants tweet it from
their personal accounts

38. 8. Make it interactive
This isn’t network TV. Take advantage of the flexibility of this
unique medium.
 Consider behind-the-scenes, interactive chats / Q&A with real-time
questions from the audience via Twitter, and shoulder content
 Stream as long as possible. Longer streams gain a larger
audience and help to generate more social media buzz.

39. 9. Go live early
Start your stream 15-60 minutes early.
 Allows you time to make sure everything is working correctly end-
to-end
 Viewers will show up early and start spreading the word that the
stream is live

40. 10. Keep on streamin’
Re-stream as live or make the VOD available ASAP!
 The best window of time to gain maximum audience is immediately
after the live event ends
 Keep it on the same link / page as your live stream

41. Try Ustream and get in touch!
1. Create an account for free at ustream.tv
2. Watch our how-to videos at ustream.tv/howto
3. Email us with any questions: webinar@ustream.tv
Alden Fertig, Product Marketing Manager, USTREAM

42. Presented by:
Best Practices for Live Streaming