Before you begin
1. Schedule a live event using one of the options:
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Create a Live Event from the Event templates page if you run an Event regularly.
2. Set up your encoder. There are two parts to the encoder setup:
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The encoder settings such as bitrate, keyframe interval, etc. Learn about the encoder setup.
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Ingest URL Setup based on the Source type you selected earlier.
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Ravnur Media Services (RMS):
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Ravnur Media Services provides RTMP and RTMPS ingest points, each with an ingest URL for your encoder. We recommend using both to improve the resiliency of your stream. The ingest URLs are shown on the control room page for the event and can also be found on the Live source’s details page (Live streaming > Configure live source). Example of an ingest URL:rtmp://liveingest.{unique-value}.ravnur.net:1935/live
As an alternative, use SRT for a more reliable transmission over unstable networks compared to RTMP. Example of an SRT ingest URL:srt://srtlive.{unique-value}.ravnur.net:10000?streamid={stream_key}&passphrase={srt_passphrase}...
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HTTP Live Stream URL: Use a .m3u8 playlist manifest URL and send it to the player without additional configurations. Example of a manifest URL:
https://rms.{unique-value}.ravnur.net/{unique-value}.ism/manifest(format=m3u8-cmaf)
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How do I find the Go Live button?
It’s in the Control Room for your live event.
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Open Schedule events page > select your event.
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Click on the Go to control room on the left side of the live event info panel
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Preview your stream in the Control room, then Go Live to deliver content to your viewers. There is also information about the status of the channel, stream details, and a link to the event page on the channel where the live event is scheduled.
Starting the live source
If you’re streaming directly from your encoder to RMS, you’ll need to start the steaming server (live source) by clicking on either Preview (recommended) or Go live. Ravnur Media Services is not an “always on” service, meaning you must activate the live source before sending your stream to the live source to see your contribution feed.
Do not leave the channel running for more than 15 minutes without input from your encoder, or the streaming server may become unstable.
Click on Preview once the setup is completed for a stream.
Previewing ensures that your stream is fully captured and nothing is lost for the viewer.
You can also start a stream automatically, learn more on this page.
Previewing the stream
Clicking on Preview starts the live source. It takes about 60-90 seconds for the live source to start and become ready for input.
If you are starting to stream from the “cold state” of the servers, meaning, there was no activity during the recent 30 minutes, allow an additional 5 minutes for the servers to "warm up." This ensures that all systems are fully operational and ready to handle the live stream.
In the header of the control room, you’ll find the Live source state. It will change from Stopped to Starting and finally to Running when it’s ready for data. In the player, you will also see the message “Waiting for stream data” when the live source is ready to receive your encoder data.
Preview does not send the stream to the public. The stream is visible only in the control room. This allows you to verify that the stream is stable and that your inputs are correct. During preview, the stream is not being recorded and the streamed content will not be available in the DVR feature.
Go live
When you’re ready to go live, click the Go live button.
Your preview will disconnect, and the player will stop showing the preview stream - this is normal behavior. It can take up to one minute for the live stream to start, although 30 seconds is normal.
The live stream will begin from the moment you clicked Go Live, but note that the recording of the stream for Video on Demand (VOD) starts from when the actual stream begins broadcasting. The VOD will only capture what was actually streamed live.
Without using Preview, up to 10 seconds of the initial input may be lost when the stream starts.
The player in the Control room will show the stream that the public is seeing on the channel page.
Stopping the stream
When you are done with your live stream, click on the End live stream button in the Control room.
When finishing your stream, wait until the media appears in the player in the Control Room (not in your streaming software e.g., OBS) before clicking End Stream. Make sure to allow extra time for data to process fully after streaming to avoid any content loss.
This page is located in “Schedule events” and has the “On Air” status.
At this point, the recording of the stream will stop. As long as the viewer does not refresh the page, the viewer can continue to view the stream by using the DVR feature. The Live source state will change from Running to Stopping and finally to Stopped.