Live streaming is an effective way of broadcasting video content and communicating with online audiences. Although live streaming is used for different reasons, most people and businesses see it as a digital alternative to in-person contact to engage the consumer base. To use this service efficiently is to be aware of its aspects thoroughly. Accordingly, here is a comprehensive review of a live-streaming platform and how it is used based on different purposes.
What Is Live Streaming?
Live streaming is an advanced technology that allows users to watch, create, and share videos in real-time. This is a method of data transmission by which people can have access to videos on the internet. This means all needed is an internet-connected device like smartphones or tablets. Unlike pre-recorded videos, live streaming is live and uncensored.
The video delivery in live streaming happens at a time, mostly from a remote storage location. This way, a few seconds of the video file will be delivered at a time over the internet, and users’ devices do not need to download the entire file before starting to watch it. In live streaming, the audience receives the content at the same time it is being created without being stored. Live streaming technology is often used as one-to-many connections, which means the content will be delivered to millions of users at once.
Many TV broadcasts, video game streams, social media videos, videoconferencing, meetings, and other types of communication can use live streaming broadcasts. Live streams can be both private and public. For instance, a videoconferencing that is established only between people who are invited. So, the live stream will be password protected. Some other live streams can be public and might be watched by thousands of viewers across the world. This live stream can be interactive in which audiences can comment, interact, and share the live video with others.
Live streaming is based on being in the moment, appealing for people because it allows them to be creators, present, be heard, and connect with anyone. In some cases, a positive live streaming experience can help people create identity, develop confidence, and learn communication skills.
What Is a Live Streaming Platform?
Live streaming platforms are popular video hosting solutions that make it easier for users to upload and broadcast video content to their audiences. With a live streaming platform, video content creators and distributors can transform their video content to various qualities and formats. For example, the ArvanCloud live-streaming platform allows customers to publish and store their live streams in an unlimited cloud video hosting without worrying about the additional infrastructures and features.
Live streaming platforms are inspired by reality TV and YouTube, which allows random people to broadcast anything they are doing at the moment with millions of people. Both individuals and businesses can use live video streaming service. Individuals can live stream for video game streams or Q&A sessions, and companies can use it for lead generation, brand awareness, advertising, and marketing purposes. Live streaming platforms offer the equipment and technology for broadcasting, concerts, sports games, breaking news, and all the time-intensive content.
Different live video streaming services offer different features to customers. To determine which of the presented features are valuable to a business or person, it is necessary to identify the goals and objectives that they are willing to reach with live broadcasting. Once the required features are gathered, everyone can choose the best live streaming platform for their video streaming.
How a Live Streaming Platform Works
Till now, it has been cleared what a live streaming platform is. Well, if an individual or business wants to implement one, it is better to learn about how a live streaming platform works. Knowing about all the aspects of a live video streaming service helps customers use it for their needs correctly and live up to their potential. Here is the main technical workflow of a live streaming platform.
Video Capture
The first step to start a live video streaming is the raw and instant video data captured by a camera. The visual information will be represented within the computing device connected to the camera as digital data by about 1 second or 0-second distance at the deepest level. It is crucial to choose the best capturing tool with adjusted settings. The video can be captured either with a mobile, a 4k, or a desktop camera.
Segmentation
A video contains much digital information, which is why it takes much longer to upload a video file. Based on this fact, it is impossible to deliver all the video information over the internet at once. The live streaming video will be sent out to viewers in smaller segments for about a few seconds longer. With a high precision live stream segmentation, the dependency on the encoder performance will be reduced, and also, the synchronization issues between audio, video, and subtitle will be resolved.
Compression and Encoding
The next step of how a live streaming platform works is compressing and encoding. The captured and segmented video data will be compressed by removing the redundant visual information in the file. Once a frame is rendered, it is unnecessary to render the subsequent frame with the same features. It means that only the video file parts will be rendered that change from a frame to a different frame. Then the compressed video file will be encoded.
Encoding is a process by which the data will be converted into a new and interpretable digital format. This way, the video file will be compatible with various devices. Some of the standard encoding formats are HEVC, AV1, VP9, and H.264.
Content Delivery Network
The fourth step of how a live streaming platform works is distribution and storing. Once the video file has been captured, segmented, compressed, and encoded, it is ready to be delivered to the intended viewers. A professional live streaming service like ArvanCloud live streaming platform will be integrated with a content delivery network or CDN to distribute the content globally.
CDN will increase quality and minimize latency. As you may know, CDNs are geographically distributed systems of servers that deliver and cache content before the origin server. Here a separate CDN or a CDN integrated live streaming platform can be employed.
With a live streaming service integrated with CDN, if a viewer far from the creator wants to watch a live stream, the request won’t travel to the origin server; instead, the closest CDN server will handle the viewer’s request in no time. As a result, the performance will enhance, and the workload of the origin server will reduce.
Read also: CDN for Live Streaming vs. Live Streaming with CDN Integration
CDN Caching
Besides delivering the best quality content, CDN servers will cache each segment of the live stream so that the viewers receive the live stream video much closer to real-time. The ached data may be a few seconds behind for the round-trip time (RTT) cuts down to and from the origin server.
Decoding and Video Playback
Finally, the CDN servers will send the live stream video to the intended audiences or those watching the stream. Users’ devices will receive the video, then the segmented video data will be decoded and decompressed. Then, this data will be interpreted into visual data in different media players on users’ devices like a specific application or the browser video player. There will be red Live on each player.
Conclusion
Choosing a good live streaming platform is not a case of trial and error. To experience the best, you need to select the best. With ArvanCloud live streaming platform, you will be provided with an unbuffered broadcasting service, having the highest video quality fitting viewers’ internet speed. This platform is compatible with all the devices and integrated with CDN, API, free web player, advertising, and time mechanic so that viewers won’t lose a single second of it.
ArvanCloud Video Platform supports both MEGA DASH and HLS streaming. It will offer secure links and encryption for your content. The last and not least feature of the ArvanCloud live streaming platform is its significant real-time analytics. We won’t say more, you better see it for yourself. Use ArvanCloud Live Streaming and enjoy a glitch-free experience.
