The beginner's guide to low latency streaming

Many of us are familiar with the time delay when it comes to video data transmission.

What exactly is low latency? Do you need to reduce latency for all your live events? Let's answer all this and more with this article.

A brief introduction to low latency

Low latency is the minimal delay for video data to transfer from your player to the screens of your viewers.

The shorter time for data transmission results in a better video experience, and also facilitates interactions. Here's the thing For a low latency experience, you must compromise on less resolution or better quality video.

Luckily, no live event requires low latency.

It is essential for live streamed activities to allow for real-time interaction and the viewing experience. When you live stream viewers expect to keep track of what's happening or participate in the live stream during the course of the event. So you can't afford the high-latency requirements and you will need to stream in lower than 4K video resolutions.

Although this is low-latency streaming, let's dig into the details of when and how you can achieve it.

What is low latency

Translated, the term "latency" literally is a term that means "a delay in the transfer.'

In the context of video latency, this means the amount of amount of time that it takes for the video captured from your camera to it playing in your viewers' players.

Hence, low latency means lower time spent in moving video information to point A (your streaming headquarter) and to the point of B (your your audience's members).

Similarly, a high latency will take longer for streaming video data from the live streamer's audience to the.

What is considered as a low latency?

Based on industry standards, low latency live streaming video is 10 seconds and under while streaming broadcast tv ranges between 2- six minutes. In the case of your particular use you may even attain ultra-low latency which lies between 2 - 0.2 seconds.

But why do you need low latency for video streaming? There is no need for high latency on every live stream you host. But you do need it for each interactive live streaming.

What is important here is how much interaction and interaction your live event requires.

Therefore, if the event you're planning involves such things as a live auction, you'll need streaming with low latency. Why? In order to make sure that every interaction is in real-time - not with delay, as this could result in unfair advantage.

Let's look at more of these scenarios later.

What are the times you require streaming with low latency?

The greater participation in live streaming your event demands and the more time you need. In this way, guests can enjoy the experience in real-time without any delay.

Here are instances when it is necessary to stream at a low-latency:

• Two-way communicationsuch as live chatting. This includes live events where Q&As are involved.
• Experiences in real-timeis essential such as with online video games.
• Requires audience participation. This is the case, for instance, when it comes to cases of bets on sports, as well as live auctions.
• Real-time monitoring. This includes, for instance, searches and rescue operations as well as bodycams that are military grade, monitoring of pets and children.
• Remote operation which require constant connection between distant operators and the machinery they manage. Example: endoscopy cameras.

When should you use streaming with low latency?

In summarising the scenarios that we've discussed above It is necessary to have low latency streaming when you're streaming any of the following:

• Content with a time limit
• Content that requires immediate audience interaction and participation.

Why not utilize low latency on all your videos? In the end, the less delay your content has in being seen by your viewers, the better, isn't it? But, it's not so simple. The low latency comes with negatives.

These drawbacks are:

• Low latency compromises video quality. This is because high video quality slows the process of transmission due to the huge volume of files.
• There's not much buffered (or pre-loaded) information in the this line. This means there's little room for error should there be a network issue.

In the event of live streaming the streaming platform rapidly preloads content prior to broadcasting to viewers. In this way, if there's a network problem, plays the buffered video, which allows the slowdown caused by network to recover.

When the problem with the network is fixed when the issue is resolved, the player downloads the best quality video possible. However, all this happens behind the scenes.

The result is that viewers receive an uninterrupted, high-quality playback experience unless, obviously, a significant incident occurs on the network.

When you opt for low latency however it's not as much playback video to be prepared by the player. It leaves little room for error when the network issues strike suddenly.

However, the high level of latency comes handy in certain circumstances. In particular, the longer delay gives the producers chance to remove inappropriate content and profanity.

Also, in situations where there is no compromise in video broadcast quality, increase the speed of transmission so you can offer the best viewing experience possible and have some room for error correction.

How do you measure latency?

With the definition of low latency streaming as well as the applications for it off the table we'll look at ways you can measure it.

The technical term for low latency refers to the time measured with a unit called the round-trip time (RTT). It denotes the duration it takes for a data packet to move from point A to point B and for a response to reach back the source.

For calculating this number, an effective way is to use video timestamps and ask your teammate to view the live stream.

Request them to search for the exact time frame that will appear on their monitor. Now, subtract the timestamp's time from the moment the user saw the exact frame. This will give you your latency.

Alternatively, ask a teammate to follow your stream and record a particular signal when it appears. Then, record the exact time that you played the cue in your live stream, and note which viewer you assigned to watch it. This should give you time, although not as precise like the previous method. However, it's good enough for a rough idea.

How do you decrease the video latency

Now how do you achieve low latency?

The truth is that there are a variety of variables that affect the latency of video. From the settings for encoders to the streamer you're using, many factors come into play in.

So let's examine these aspects and how you can optimize the way you use them to decrease latency , while ensuring that your video quality doesn't take the biggest hit.

• Internet connection type. Your internet connection is what determines your speeds and rates of data transmission. That's the reason why Ethernet connections are more suitable for streaming live, compared to wireless and cell data (it's more beneficial to keep those as your backups though).

• Bandwidth. A higher bandwidth (the amount of data that can be transmitted at one time) results in less congestion and a faster speed for internet.

• Size of video files. The larger sizes consume much more bandwidth for transferring video from one point to B, which increases latency and vice versa.

• Distance. This is how far away you are from your Internet source. The further you're from the source closer to the source, the more quickly the video stream you upload will be transferred.

• Encoder. Pick an encoder which helps to keep your latency low by sending signals through your device to the receiving device in the shortest duration as you can. However, make sure that the encoder that you choose works with the streaming services you are using.
• streaming protocol or the protocol that delivers the data you've collected (including audio and video) through your laptop to the screens of viewers. In order to achieve low latency you'll have to choose an option that minimizes data loss while introducing lower latency.

Now, let's review the protocols for streaming that you could pick from:

• SRT It is a protocol that effectively transfers high-quality video over long distances while maintaining very low latency. However, since it's relatively new, it's being used by technology, including encoders. What's the solution? Use it in combination with other protocols.

• WebRTC: WebRTC is great for video conferencing but it does have some compromises on quality of video since it is focused on speed, primarily. However, the issue is that the majority of players don't work with it as it requires a complex set up to be deployed.
• HDL with low-latency is great for streaming with low latency of up two seconds. It's therefore perfect for live streaming with interactive features. But, it's still an emerging spec so it's not yet supported for implementation. process.
  

Live stream, with low latency.

The streaming of low latency is feasible with a speedy internet connection, high speed, the most efficient streaming technology, and an optimized encoder.

Additionally you can reduce the distance between you and your internet as well as using smaller video formats help.