Most Common Issues of Live Streaming Server

Media Entertainment Tech Outlook | Friday, June 25, 2021

Given the drawbacks of using a video streaming server, it makes sense for broadcasters to consider several live streaming methods.

FREMONT, CA: Enterprises with a well-established online presence have the potential to develop a strong relationship with their customers. Communicating with the target audience is no longer enough for modern customers. Enterprises also protect a space in their area of expertise and actively share their knowledge with their audience through live streaming platforms. To stay at the top of the market, brands frequently post information and videos shared to their audience on social media on various online platforms. Here is a quick rundown on developing a live streaming server if firms still feel that it’s the appropriate route.

Latency

In the world of broadcasting, latency is the delay in a live stream. This lag time tends to be impacted by various factors. Processing data moving across telecommunications takes time. Therefore, the further the firm server is located from the audience, the slower the content will appear to be.  Latency also boosts with traffic load. With a server or a small handful of servers, these problems can become burdensome. This can be remediated with a professional content delivery network (CDN) with servers spread out to ensure that your intended viewers are always within range.

Buffering

Network slowdowns or hurdles between the server and the viewer cause live video feed buffering. Firms are probably experienced buffering when trying to stream content online as a viewer, so firms know how frustrating it can be. Buffering issues can be reduced through multi-bitrate streaming and an adaptive player. This is called adaptive streaming. However, even with adaptive streaming buffering, problems can persist.

Lack of Redundancy

The recommended best practice for live streaming is to always have a backup stream. With two streams coming to the viewers through independent paths, firms can bypass problems mid-broadcast. This double-stream method is called redundancy. This problem is generally nonexistent when leveraging a dynamic server network, such as a live streaming CDN. If one machine goes offline, the backup stream will come online right away. Redundancy becomes difficult and complex with limited server architecture. A dropout in service caused by equipment failure, a power surge, or other problems can shut down the entire stream.

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