Sever for video steaming
Why do I need a streaming server if I can stream videos from my computer?
Yes, you can do this from your computer and use your own software for it. The main reason people order a streaming server is the ability to host very long broadcasts 24/7. Technically, it’s also possible from a home computer – if you keep it running all the time and your internet provider offers a stable connection. Our alternative is that you upload prepared videos, create a playlist, and launch it. In this case, the videos loop endlessly.
Can this help in promoting my channel?
It all depends on how popular the videos turn out to be. We’ve had cases where streaming videos gained 2-3 million views with uninterrupted broadcasting for about a week and a half. YouTube's algorithm sometimes drives traffic to your stream starting from the 2nd or 3rd day of broadcasting, rather than immediately.
Are there any requirements for video files?
We process video file formats such as avi, mkv, and mp4, with almost any video or audio codec inside. Ideally, the input file bitrate should match the output bitrate, though this is not mandatory. During playback, input videos are converted on the fly into an output video/audio stream that is directed to YouTube or any other video platform. The output video quality is 1920×1080, 30 fps. Video bitrate is approximately 6000 Kbit/sec, and audio bitrate is 128 Kbit/sec. Typically, the streaming server uses around 60–80% of CPU. The total output traffic of the server is about 2TB per month.
Can you stream 4K videos?
Potentially, yes, but the streaming server's performance is insufficient to handle 4K processing in real-time, and the video stream will lag. In the future, we might introduce special plans for 4K video streaming, but the cost will be significantly higher because a minimum of 4 CPU cores (instead of one) will be required. Additionally, YouTube's recommended bitrate for 4K (2160p) streaming is 30Mbit/sec (instead of 6800 Kbit/sec for 1080p), which increases the server's output traffic to 10TB per month.
Can I run multiple streams from a single server simultaneously?
Although YouTube allows creating multiple streams on one account if you get separate stream keys (refer to YouTube's documentation for details), our servers do not support this feature. Primarily, this is because the server's resources are insufficient for playing two or more streams simultaneously. In such cases, we recommend getting an additional streaming server to run the second stream.
How can I tell if the server is struggling with the video stream?
You can see this in the quality of the stream on YouTube and by checking the resource usage graphs of the streaming server. On the graphs, pay attention to CPU usage – it should be below 100% – and the outgoing traffic, which should be around 800 KB per second.