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Live video streaming

Live video streaming shares many of the same foundational technologies as Video On Demand (VOD), but with one big difference: it’s happening in real time. This guide explores what makes live streaming unique and breaks down the key components of a successful live video workflow.

If you’re new to streaming fundamentals, you might start with Streaming media, which covers the basics of digital video, encoding, and playback.

Producing live video: The basics

At its core, live streaming involves four main steps:

  1. Capture - a camera or video device records footage.

  2. Encoding - a local device converts the raw video into a digital stream.

  3. Transcoding and packaging - streams are adjusted for different bandwidths and devices.

  4. Delivery - the content is sent through a CDN (Content Delivery Network) to viewers.

There are two common approaches to producing and delivering live video: on-premises workflows and cloud-based workflows. Each has its pros and cons, depending on your business needs.

On-premises versus cloud workflows

On-premises

In a traditional setup, video is encoded and packaged entirely on-site using hardware encoders. The fully processed video is then delivered directly to a CDN. While this model provides full control, it also comes with high upfront equipment costs (CapEx) and significant bandwidth demands.

Cloud-based

With a cloud workflow, the on-site encoder sends a single high-quality stream to a cloud video platform. From there, the platform handles transcoding, packaging, CDN distribution, and client playback. This reduces the cost of equipment and upload bandwidth but may introduce higher ongoing operational costs (OpEx). It also involves a second encoding step, which typically does not degrade quality.

Understanding on-site encoders

An on-site encoder is the device responsible for preparing your video stream for delivery. These range from high-end studio equipment to a laptop running free software like OBS (Open Broadcaster Software).

Encoders may be called by several names:

  • Ground encoder

  • Contribution encoder

  • On-premises encoder

These devices are typically the first step in a live stream workflow and are essential for creating a usable “first-mile” feed for distribution.

RTMP and HLS: How live streams travel

  • RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) was once the standard protocol for delivery live video, especially to Adobe Flash players. While Flash has been retired, RTMP still plays a key role as an ingestion protocol, helping encoders send streams to the cloud.

  • HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is the dominant playback today. It works by breaking video into short segments and delivering them through standard web servers and CDNs.

Choosing between RTMP and HLS (Pull)

RTMP is faster and often preferred for low-latency events, but it can be more costly. HLS (Pull) has broader compatibility and lower cases but can introduce 5 to 30 seconds of latency.

Use HLS pull for events where real-time delivery isn’t critical. Choose RTMP when low-latency is a must.

What is DVR for live streaming?

DVR (Digital Video Recorder) in a live streaming context refers to capturing a live feed and making it available on demand. This is essential for broadcasters who want to reuse, republish, or achieve their live content.

A robust DVR system should:

  • allow live streams to be clipped and converted into VOD content

  • support low-cost ingestion from sources like HLS Push

  • scale to handle high volumes of content

Emerging live streaming technologies

  • CMAF (Common Media Application Format) aims to unify HLS and DASH formats. When combined with chunked transfer encoding, it allows for lower latency by sending video data as soon as it’s encoded, rather than waiting for full segments.

    Note

    Adoption of CMAF is growing, but full ecosystem support varies.

  • LL-HLS (Low-Latency HLS) is an enhancement to traditional HLS, allowing segments to begin playback before they’re fully downloaded. This reduces playback delays and is ideal for near-real-time streaming.

    Note

    Check with your video platform provider to see if LL-HLS is supported.

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