The Streamer Module

Streaming ››
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The Streamer module¹ consists of a display, a timer and a Start and Stop button. Right click the module to open its popup menu. A description of all controls, commands and options is listed below.


Display

Shows the video that is actually streamed live. Interruptions in the live stream, e.g. due to a poor internet connection or low bandwidth, will be visible in the display as missing frames (brief or long freeze). On the right side an audio peak meter is overlayed to indicate the audio level in dBFS. Each segment represents 2 dB, the yellow region starts at -18 dBFS, red at -10 dBFS.


Timer

Shows the elapsed time since streaming started.


Start

Starts streaming. Note that due to stream setup and buffering it may take up to 30 seconds for the video stream to becomes visible on a server.


Stop

Stops streaming. Due to buffering, it is good practice to stream at least 30 seconds extra before stopping the stream. This ensures all viewers have seen the end of the streamed video when watching via a server.


Source

The video source, this can be any module that sources video.


Stream Type | Flash Media Server

If you will be streaming to a Flash Media Server then make sure to enter the server's URL and Stream, and (optionally) the Username and Password required to logon to the server.


Stream Type | UDP Multicast

UDP Multicast in MPEG-2TS container using H264 video codec and MP3 audio codec.


Stream Type | CDN:...

VidBlasterX is offering native support for several popular Content Delivery Networks. After opening an account, all that is required to start streaming live video to your favourite CDN is to go to the Settings menu and fill in your account's Channel name, Username and Password and click Start. Note some CDNs allow you to pick from the available channel names, click Refresh List to get a (new) list from the CDN.


Stream Settings

Depending on the selection in Stream To, you will have to enter the server's URL and Stream or your CDN account's Channel, Username and Password here. For UDP Multicast the IP and port address can be entered (IP/Port).


Video Resolution

By default (Auto), the stream's video resolution is the same as the global video resolution. If you prefer to stream in a lower or higher² resolution then select it here. Note that due to resampling of the video frames, the resulting video stream's quality may be less than optimal if you select a different resolution than the global video resolution.


Video Bit Rate [kbps]

The video and audio quality of the live video stream is influenced by the encoder settings and the individual bit rates. For the best video quality choose the highest bit rate that is possible, but keep the combined audio and video bit rates below the sustained (not average or peak!) upstream bandwidth of your internet connection. Note some CDNs don't support more than 500 kbps (total) for their free accounts. Default video bit rate is 200 kbps.


Video Compression

The video quality of the live video stream is influenced by the encoder settings and the chosen bit rate. The higher the compression the better the video quality for a given bit rate. If CPU usage is not an issue, e.g. for dedicated streaming systems, use the highest setting. Choose lower compression settings to lower CPU usage. Typically the Medium setting (default) is a good compromise between CPU usage and video quality.


Audio Device

Select the audio device from which audio is ingested.


Audio Input

Select the audio device's (optional) input.


Audio Codec

Audio can be encoded both in AAC and MP3 (default) format. Choose AAC if your CDN requires this (often the case for streaming to mobile devices).


Audio Bit Rate [kbps]

The video and audio quality of the live video stream is influenced by the encoder settings and the individual bit rates. For the best audio quality choose the highest bit rate that is possible, but keep the combined audio and video bit rates below the sustained (not average or peak!) upstream bandwidth of your internet connection. Note some CDNs don't support more than 500 kbps (total) for their free accounts. Default audio bit rate is 96 kbps.


Auto Restart

If the server breaks the connection, or fails to respond for 30 seconds, the streamer will try to automatically resume streaming if this flag is set. Note if you are seeing a lot of restarts (and timeout related messages in the log) you either are trying to stream at too high a bit rate, or there is a serious problem with your network or ISP.


Display Size

Allows you to choose the size of the display. Note that sizes other than Default will give a controlless module, i.e. just the display with audio peak meter.


Info

Opens the Info dialog showing the most relevant settings.


Remove Module

Clears and removes the module.


¹ Broadcast edition supports multiple Streamer modules

² Broadcast edition supports UDP Multicast