Streaming
Streaming & Internet 101
- Streaming Quality and Bitrates
- What Internet Speed Do I Need to Stream?
- Best Practices When Requesting Internet at a Venue
Advanced Connectivity Options
- Using Doyes Cameras with OBS Virtual Camera
Streaming Quality and Bitrates
If you are streaming via your iPhone's LTE connection or an LTE USB modem, one concern you may have is the cost of a data plan needed to stream.
It is better to choose the lower quality where your connection has a chance to hit the maximum bitrate instead of a quality where you are always close to the minimum bitrate. For example, HD at its minimum bitrate of 0.7 Mbps will look pixelated compared to Medium quality at that same .7 Mbps bitrate. At this same speed, the Medium quality version will be a little soft but will not have the same distortion, thus created a better experience for your viewers.
Choose a quality that matches a bitrate that is half your upload speed results.
- Bitrate Estimates
Below we provide a rough estimation as to how much data each streaming quality will require per minute. Please note that these are estimations and numbers may vary. Since data plans are typically measured in gigabytes, that is the measurement we have provided.
| Quality | Min-Max Bitrate | Est. Data Usage(GB/hr) |
|---|---|---|
| 360p | 0.3 - 1 Mbps | 13 - .44 GB |
| 480p | 0.4 - 1.5 Mbps | 18 - .66 GB |
| 720p | 0.7- 2 Mbps | 30 - .88 GB |
| 1080P | 1.2 - 6 Mbps | 55 - 2.65 GB |
How do I choose which streaming quality to use?
You can test your upload speed by going to www.speedtest.net or using their apps for Android or iOS.
Make sure that you are on the same network that you will use when streaming.When using a 4G/LTE data network, connectivity may fluctuate and be affected by other data users with the same telecom provider in the area. When on a local Wi-Fi network, connectivity may fluctuate and be affected by other users on the same Wi-Fi network. This upload speed can change, so it is good to run a few tests. Some users test hours before a live event when not many other users are in the area, and get a great speed test result. However, once an event begins and many more people are in the area and using the same network, you may see a slower speed test result.
We recommend you have a minimum upload speed of 5-10 Mbps, ideally on a network connection that is not shared with any other computers or devices.
Selecting your streaming quality.
Streaming Qualities
Not all streaming providers allow 1080p streaming.Example: Twitter is capped at 720p
Choose your streaming quality. Select your desired streaming provider and hit Go Live
What Internet Speed Do I Need to Stream?
Upload speed is crucial to having a successful broadcast. The faster your upload speed, the better quality stream you have. You can check your connection speed at www.speedtest.net.
We recommend you have a minimum upload speed of 5-10mbps, ideally on a network connection that is not shared with any other computers or devices. Customers who purchased a Doyes Camera should use an Ethernet connection when possible, as this is the most reliable way to connect to the internet.
If you do not have sufficient upload speed, it's best to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to inquire about improving your connection speed.
Best Practices When Requesting Internet at a Venue
If your event is at an unfamiliar venue, here are the recommendation for what to ask the venue staff in regards to internet access:
Request Ethernet. You should first ask for an Ethernet connection with at least 10Mbps upload speed. No one else should have access to your network.
Before your event, you should:
- Check your upload speed multiple times. This can fluctuate constantly, especially as attendees start populating the venue.
- Choose your quality based on your speed test results. Our rule of thumb is that the streaming bitrate should be half of your available upload bandwidth.
If the available dedicated upload speed is less than 5Mbps, or if the network provided cannot be dedicated to only you, then you should be prepared to lower the streaming quality to Medium or Low.
Using Doyes Cameras with OBS Virtual Camera
Many users are interested in using multiple Doyes cameras in video-conferencing programs like Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, etc. It is possible to accomplish this using OBS's Virtual Camera feature. Virtual Camera allows you to use your OBS setup in almost any application that uses a webcam giving you the ability to bring advanced graphics, animations, pre-recorded videos, and sound files into your calls. This works with any number of cameras that you have connected to your computer and supports all the typical connection types to OBS (Wired Webcam, Wireless Webcam, and NDI)
Requirements - Windows or Mac computer - Download and install the latest version of OBS
Once Virtual Camera has started you can open the application you'd like to use it with and select "OBS Virtual Camera" as the video source.
Now that you've selected OBS Virtual Camera as your video source every change that you make in OBS will be reflected in that application.