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9 Janvier 2021
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1. Essentials of a streaming setup
2. Pros and cons of hardware encoders
3. Pros and cons of software encoders
4. Do you need software or hardware encoding for your live stream?
5. Live stream with a software encoder
6. Conclusion
Your foray into live streaming will be marked by the critical questions you'll need to answer. Which audience are you addressing with your content? What are the websites and platforms where you should stream? Finally, what kind of a streaming setup do you need to use? And what are the pros and cons of the gear choices you're presented with, such as the popular 'software or hardware encoder' choice?
Every cog in the machine that is your streaming setup is vital, so much so that it would almost be unfair to single out one component as the most important. But if you'd have to do it, the obvious choice for the MVP of your streaming setup would be the encoder. So let's get better acquainted with the heart and brain of the streaming setup, in the hope it'll help you when the time comes to pick one.
The best place to start getting to know encoders and their importance is where they do most of their work. We'll use a simple input-encode-output model to get a sense of the position encoders occupy in a live streaming setup. That should suffice for illustrating their importance.
So it all starts with the input — the place where the information that goes into the system is made. For live streaming, the input can come from:
So that's that source of information. But before that information is transmitted in a live stream, it needs to be captured and encoded — transferred to a format streaming platforms, websites, and services can understand.
Capture cards are in charge of capturing the video and audio. For encoding, you have two choices:
When the encoder does its job — puts the data in a communicable format — it sends it to wherever you want to stream.
There needs to be a fairly strong and stable internet connection — with a nice upload speed — for this part of the process. More importantly, there needs to be something waiting to take in that data. These destinations can be any of the following:
The encoders' dead-center position in a streaming setup is necessary because the encoder is the translator and the communicator. Take it out of the equation and video streaming platforms would have a hard time understanding and reproducing the data you're sending them. That's the special role that grants encoders their importance.
The abiding question with encoders is, 'Which ones are better: hardware encoders or software encoders?' An encoder is basically an algorithm and the hardware needed to run it. In some sense, hardware encoders are very similar to their software counterparts because, by the time you've put them into a setup, that's what they'll both be — algorithms and hardware.
But that's all there is to their similarities. The two differ in fundamental ways, which also means that each comes with its own set of pros and cons. You should familiarize yourself with those if you want to make a good purchase decision, so let's dig into them a bit deeper.
Hardware encoders pack all you need in a neat little box. There will be an encoding algorithm in there, as well as a powerful processing unit whose sole job is to run the encoding algorithm. Usually, there will be some sort of an interface so you can choose between options and, for example, pick the encoding codec or the destination of the stream.
So that's hardware encoders for you: the real deal. Apple office suite. They encode, and that's it. The good ones do it incredibly quickly, but they'll also cost you an arm and a leg. If you can justify the investment, though, you probably won't look back. Just be ready to make additional investments, because hardware encoders are a one-trick pony.
Software encoders don't come with their own hardware. They are completely reliant on the CPU of their host computer for processing power. You probably sense there's going to be an issue with that somewhere along the line, and you're right. For now, let's just say that specific encoders let you use hardware encoding to share the load between the CPU and the GPU.
Software encoders have their flaws. But the good ones are capable of delivering a surprising bang for the buck you invest into them, and they can help you be creative thanks to a myriad of customization options. Still, it's hard to see a high-end software encoder beat a high-end hardware encoder when it comes to quality and latency.
What you want and what you need are two completely different things. You should keep this in mind when choosing gear, because the goal is usually to get the best possible option for the money you have — and that often means making compromises.
But whatever you do, you should always ensure that your choices help you meet your needs. Regular streams usually don't need to match the quality of a professional broadcast.
Affordability is the major factor that will influence your decision. Hardware encoders are expensive, and they'll also force you to buy additional gear to fill in the gaps left by their lack of functionalities. High-end software encoders can be expensive, too. Often enough, you'll need a dedicated computer just to run them.
Still, a good software encoder and a decent computer can get you a long way in the streaming world. With so many other parts of the setup to spend money on — good microphones, for example — getting a computer and installing OBS will save you money to invest in the camera, mics, or a better internet connection.
So unless you're a professional broadcaster, a software encoder should keep you happy and streaming successfully for a while. It's cheaper, more accessible, and easier to use — a clear winner in most situations.
Phew, you've got that over with, right? With making the choice behind you, we can turn to the next big step: adding the encoder to the setup, and connecting it all together in a hopefully successful stream. No pressure.
Here's how you would do it with OBS Studio, a mega-popular open-source software encoder:
If you want to reach an even wider audience with your live streams using a software encoder like OBS, you might want to use a multistream tool such as Restream. Right off the bat, it helps you with:
The success of a live stream comes down to the quality of your content, both in terms of what it is (its contents) and how you present it (the technical side). So work hard to develop good content ideas, but always remember to do a technical check before going live. Macbook print pdf. If you want to reach a wider audience, consider multistreaming with Restream.
For most people who are just getting into live streaming, software encoders are a better choice than hardware encoders. They provide an accessible entry point into the world of streaming, and you can't overstate how important that can be.
As time goes by and production budgets get bigger, you can decide to go full hardware. You can also add some hardware encoders to a setup containing a software encoder and make a hybrid setup. Either way, make sure you're able to use Restream if you want to get to your audiences wherever they are.
-->To start live streaming a large event on Microsoft Stream, you need an encoder. An encoder (sometimes called a live streaming or media encoder) can be either software or hardware that is used together with recording equipment when live streaming content to a large group of viewers.
An encoder takes audio and video content from various sources you use during a live event such as, camera, microphone, desktop screen capture, etc., compresses and converts that media into a suitable digital format, then sends it to Microsoft Stream for live streaming to your audience.
If you're not sure if your software or hardware encoder will work seamlessly with Microsoft Stream, read on to see which ones we've already tested that work best.
Tip
We recommend you select and set up an encoder well before you begin your live event.
The encoders in the following two lists have been tested by Microsoft for live streaming with Microsoft Stream. The first list is a subset of these encoders, which have been tested with the product for ease of use and quick setup.
| ENCODER | WEBSITE | DETAILS |
|---|---|---|
| Haivision Makito X | Delivers high-quality HD video with Haivision Hub, a powerful alternative to RTMP | |
| Haivision KB | H.264 and HEV video encoders deliver high-quality ABR video cascades for resolutions up to 4K | |
| Switcher Studio | Syncs multiple Apple devices with one or more cameras for real-time video capture and edit | |
| Wirecast | Webcasting software that covers all the basics + multi-camera production | |
| Wirecast S | Multimedia production software with chroma key filters, advanced audio channel mixing, and local Wi-Fi camera apps for your phone |
To set up a tested encoder not in the preset list, learn how you can manually set up your encoder.
| Encoder | Website | Details |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Elemental Live | Real-time video and audio recording for live streaming to internet-connected devices | |
| vMix | Software vision mixer that controls recording, mixing, and live streaming of cameras, videos, audio, and more | |
| XSplit Broadcaster | Produces, mixes, and delivers rich video content, including gameplay for live streaming | |
| FFmpeg | Open-source suite of software for handling video, audio, and other multimedia files and live streams | |
| Open Broadcaster Software | High-performance real-time video/audio capturing and mixing—supporting all streaming platforms, and more | |
| Production Truck | Films and streams events on location from a mobile van or truck |
Do you have an encoder that is not in the above list?
Not a problem! Sometimes your team or organization has a designated encoder they want you to use and you want to ensure it is ready to stream live with Microsoft Stream. If so, you can learn how to manually configure your own encoder to stream live events to Microsoft Stream.
After you schedule your live event (read Creating live events), you can see the list of available encoders in the Select encoder drop-down list on the Encoder setup tab.
Each encoder mentioned in the respective tables above has a slightly different setup described below.
If you have an existing Haivision X or Makito KB encoder, you can choose the appropriate option from the drop-down list and follow the list of instructions.
Note
Haivision KB Encoder support for RTMPS has not been tested yet. Haivision Makito X Encoder does not support RTMPS. The downloaded presets for both encoders contain the RTMP ingest URL.
You can use Switcher Studio to start streaming to Microsoft Stream using iPhone or iPad.
Select Start setup to create a channel for Live Streaming. Wait for the setup to be complete. You will see a Ready to connect message on the screen.
Note
If you don't already have a Switcher Studio account, you will need to create one).
When this is complete, you can go to your Switcher Studio app on your iPhone or iPad, select Microsoft Stream in the Output tab and start streaming to Microsoft Stream.
Go back to Microsoft Stream. After you are able to see the preview from the encoder, select Start event to go live so your audience can see the live event.
If you are an existing user of Wirecast, you can choose this option from the drop-down list to send a live stream to Microsoft Stream. Note that you will need Wirecast version 10 or later.
Note
The Wirecast app is launched with the RTMPS ingest URL pre-configured.
If you are new to streaming, you can try Wirecast S by choosing that from the drop-down list. Wirecast S is built specifically for Microsoft Stream.
Note
The Wirecast app is launched with the RTMPS ingest URL pre-configured.
See also
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