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Using Flash Media Live Encoder with Livestream
Stream to Flash Media Server
In order to broadcast to Livestream using FLME you will need to check the "Stream to Flash Media Server" box and configure the FMS URL and stream name as below:
FMS URL: rtmp://publish.livestream.com/mogulus/[channelname] /username=[yourusername]/password=[yourpassword]/isAutoLive=[true/false]
Remove the Brackets
You can copy and paste the full link from below:
rtmp://publish.livestream.com/mogulus/channelname/username=yourusername /password=yourpassword/isAutoLive=true
Please note that to encode in 16:9 resolution you will need to add the following parameters:
/aspectWidth=16/aspectHeight=9
Stream Name: livestream (You can use any word as long as there are no spaces or special characters)
Recommended Settings
Depending on your computer specs and connection speed you should adjust the encoding settings to provide best quality. We recommend setting the output resolution to match the size of the embedded player (the standard player on Livestream channel pages is 592x334).
You can use the pre-set profiles withing Flash Media encoder or set your own custom profile. Some recommended Encoding Profiles for Low, Medium, and High quality profiles are available for download below:
High Quality: Resolution: 720x480 Video Rate: 700Kbps Audio Rate: 96Kbps Frame Rate: 25FPS
Medium Quality: Resolution: 640x360 Video Rate: 500Kbps Audio Rate: 96Kbps Frame Rate: 25FPS
Low Quality: Resolution: 320x240 Video Rate: 200Kbps Audio Rate: 48Kbps Frame Rate: 15FPS
Video Settings
You will want to configure your encoding settings based on your system resources and connection speed. We recommend testing your connection speed prior to going live before each event using a site like [SpeedTest.net].
You should also keep an eye on CPU usage while encoding and adjust your settings lower if you see the usage getting above 90%.
If using a newer machine with a high-powered processor and a high speed connection you can generally encode at a high resolution and high bitrate without issue but if you are using an older computer or slower connection you should adjust your settings accordingly.
Device
This is your camera source, if you have multiple devices connected to your computer you will need to select the one you wish to Livestream.
Format
Options are H.264 or VP6. Results should be comparable using either codec in most cases, if you plan to broadcast to mobile you will need to use H.264 and get the AAC Audio Codec plugin.
Frame Rate
This should ideally match the frame rate of the device (in most cases for North American cameras this will be 29.97.
Depending on the device you may not be able to manually adjust this, but if you have the option you can generally improve performance on lower-speed connections and reduce CPU usage by lowering this to 25FPS or 15FPS.
Input Size
This is the size at which Flash Media Encoder will capture video from the input device. Depending on the specs of your encoding computer you may want to reduce this below the device input resolution to reduce strain on your CPU.
Because most video players on the web are embedded at lower than 720x480 we recommend setting the input size no higher than this.
Maintain Aspect Ratio This should be checked - it will ensure that the output ratio stays the same as the input ratio to ensure the image isn't squeezed or stretched.
Bit Rate & Output Size
Bit Rate: This should be set based on your level of available upstream bandwidth as well as the expected downstream connection speed of your audience.
Output Size: This should match the size of the embedded player you are encoding for and should be the same size or smaller than the input size.
For the purposes of encoding to Livestream you should only set one encoding bitrate.
Crop, Deinterlace & Timecode
Crop: This is useful if for any reason the capture area is greater than the input video which can often be the case. By cropping you can remove any black bars around the sides of the picture.
Deinterlace: If capturing from an interlaced source when checked this may improve quality by removing the visible interlacing lines. This option is available only when the input video height is greater than 480 pixels and the input video width is greater than 576 pixels. Deinterlacing can be CPU intensive so this is not recommended lower powered computers.
Timecode: Embeds the timecode that is generated by the capture device in the stream. If the selected video device is not capable of generating timecode, this option is not available.
Audio Settings
Device
This is the audio capture source. In most cases this will be the same as the video source but if you are using a separate audio input for capture such as the Line input on your computer you will want to adjust accordingly.
Format
MP3 is the default format and the only on-board option if using a PC AAC is available if using the Mac version of FMLE and you would need to use this if using the /iphone=true parameter to broadcast to mobile devices.
Channels
This specifies the channel option, mono or stereo. If you have the MainConcept AAC Encoder plug-in, parametric stereo is also available.
Sample Rate
This specifies the audio sample rate in Hz, 44,100 is the sample rate used in audio CDs and the one we recommend for audio encoding.
Bit Rate
This specifies the audio encoding bit rate, for higher quality broadcasts we recommend 96Kbps or 128Kbps, for lower quality broadcasts we recommend 48Kbps or 64Kbps.
Other Encoding Settings
Auto-Adjust
This will automatically adjust the quality of video by degrading quality or dropping frames when required by network limitations. In most cases using this setting is not recommended as the better practice is to manually lower the bitrate and framerate.
Save to File
This saves a copy of the broadcast locally as a backup. This is highly recommended in the event there is an issue with the recording or the live broadcast.
Advanced FME Parameters with Livestream
Add any of the following parameters at the end of your RTMP URL :
- /autoVOD=true - This automatically adds the recording to the top of the Video on Demand list
- /autoAutopilot=true - This automatically adds the recording to the top of the auto-pilot playlist
- Aspect Ratio Conversion support :
- /aspectWidth=[number] - If your input camera/feed is not 4/3 - for example 16/9 - set this parameter to 16
- /aspectHeight=[number] - If your input camera/feed is not 4/3 - for example 16/9 - set this parametre to 9
- If your channel is configured to be 4/3 aspect ratio, it would letter box your 16/9 feed and display it correctly. If you did you not set the aspect ratio properties and your feed was 16/9 - Livestream would assume it was a 4/3 feed and display it as 4/3 - which would be incorect for a 16/9 feed.
- /bufferTime=[x sec]
Allows you to set the buffer time of the live streaming in the player. By default this is very low (0.5 seconds) Increase if you use a unreliable connection during a live Flash Media Encoder broadcast.
- /autoRecord=true to activate auto-record
- /autoRecord=false to deactivate auto-record
