Successful Live Event Streaming

David Burkhardt, General Manager of Professional Services
Limelight Networks

Live event streaming on the web has grown in popularity in the past year, led in part by major events like the Olympics and the U.S. presidential inauguration. Internet users watch billions of videos online every month, and content producers recognize the strength of the medium—both in terms of audience reach and the ability to create customized and interactive experiences.

But how do you go about creating a successful live event online? Remember, when it’s live, you only get one chance to get it right. If a problem arises during your broadcast, your event could be over before you identify and resolve the issue.

The complexity of the task can be overwhelming without guidance. How big is your audience? What kind of player should you use? How can you ensure high-quality playback when your viewers have different Internet access speeds? Luckily, experts have gained enough collective experience to provide a reasonable road map. Successful past events are a model for the future.

The Basics

Planning a live streaming event begins with a few basic steps. Start by choosing a high-quality video capture card, since the quality of a viewer’s experience begins with the quality of the source content. You also need enough processing power to support seamless streaming without video stutters. Consumer expectations were built around the TV set in the living room, which means there is little tolerance for video that isn’t delivered cleanly.

The final product also depends on the broadband infrastructure you use to deliver your video. Streaming video without a content delivery network (CDN) partner like Limelight Networks means relying on the public Internet for the quality of your event. Unfortunately, the Internet often gets congested, and IP packets can experience delays at several points along the network delivery path.

For rich media in particular, it’s important to control the delivery route as much as possible. Since Limelight Networks operates a private network, our CDN can bypass most of these quality-compromising delays and put your traffic on an express train to the viewer’s access network.

Beyond capturing and transmitting video, it’s important to consider what kind of presentation makes the most sense for your specific event. For example, there are several video players on the market—such as Adobe’s Flash, Microsoft Silverlight or Windows Media, and Move Networks—and each one has its own advantages.