What is a Live Source?

A live source is the origin of the video stream displayed in the player. It comes from the streaming server (origin server), and you can set up multiple live sources based on your requirements.

Simplified live stream processing

Why do I need it?

Without a live source, you cannot begin your stream. It serves as the starting point for your live broadcast, ensuring that your stream is ingested and delivered to your viewers.

How do I create a live source?

1. Go to Live Streaming > Configure Sources.

2. Click Create Live Source in the upper right corner.

3. Select the type of live source

There are three types:

• Ravnur Media Services (RMS): provides advanced streaming server control and low latency capabilities.
• If you need to extend the streaming or DVR limits, disable VOD recording, or plan to stream from different geographic regions (e.g., East Coast and West Coast), contact Ravnur Support.
• MUX: Alternative streaming infrastructure with simulcasting and live closed captioning. Stream is auto-shut after 12h. Contact Ravnur Support to activate this format.
• HTTP live stream URL: Use a .m3u8 playlist manifest URL to create a generic live source and stream it to the player. No automatic shutdown limit - supports continuous streaming.

Note: you must use an https URL as a playlist manifest.

4. Add the input settings

Depending on the source type, some fields may not be displayed.

• Account. Select the appropriate account. By default, both RMS and MUX accounts records Video on Demand (VOD), which is automatically added as a media file to the Videos section.

If you need to disable VOD recording or plan to stream from different geographic regions (e.g., East Coast and West Coast), contact Ravnur Support to request a dedicated RMS account.

• Encoding. A standard passthrough is set by default.
  • Standard Passthrough – no encoding.
  • Standard 720p – An on-premises live encoder sends a single bitrate stream to the Live Event and Media Services creates multiple bitrate streams. If the contribution feed is 720p or higher resolution, the Standard 720p preset will encode a set of 4 resolution/bitrate pairs.
  • Premium 1080p – an on-premises live encoder sends a single bitrate stream to the Live Event, and RMS creates multiple bitrate streams. The Default 1080p preset specifies the output set of 5 resolution/bitrate pairs. 

Note: All renditions become available within 1–2 minutes after the live starts. A quick page reload will help see the full ABR ladder.

• Ingest video format. Choose the appropriate ingest format for your live source:
  • RTMP: Use RTMP for live streaming.
  • SRT: Use SRT for live streaming. 
  • RTSP: both Pull and Push options are supported.

5. Add Live Source Details

• Title. It is displayed in the list view and drop-down lists for configuring the Channel and Live Event. Use a descriptive name (e.g., Live Source 1 – SRT low latency).
• Description. The description is found on the Live Source details page and is used to give the user more information about the live source. For example, “Used for City Council meetings. No live captions. Standard latency.”
• Enable low latency. This option reduces stream latency to 7-14 seconds, with HLS passthrough output. The most resilient stream is the standard latency stream because it buffers more of the video and should be chosen when there is no need for lower latency. However, if there is viewer interaction, such as Q&A, then low latency is a better choice.

Actual latency may vary depending on the CDN used or the end user's software, such as the operating system and player.

• Key frame interval. The default setting is 2.

   

You cannot change these parameters after creating a live source. For this reason, you might want to create multiple sources with different settings.

For example, if you sometimes need Standard Passthrough encoding and other times require Premium 1080p encoding, create two separate live sources with these different configurations. This allows you to select the appropriate source for your live events.

When would I need more than one live source?

• If you run concurrent live events, you’ll need more than one live source (one for each live event).
• If you want to use ABR encoding for a live event and passthrough for another event, you’ll need two different live sources.
• If you sometimes want to stream from a Ravnur Media Services (RMS) origin server and at other times from a non-RMS origin that produces a .m3u8 playlist manifest URL, you’ll need two types of live sources.
• You have different stream latency requirements for your live events.