Venue Internet: How Much Upload You Really Need, and How to Test
The question that makes or breaks streams is not the camera - it is upload speed at the filming spot. The numbers, the test, and the fallbacks when there is not enough.
The numbers, without fog
A stream needs stable upload with a safety margin of twice the nominal rate of the chosen quality. In practice: good quality (720p) needs 5 Mbps of free upload; full quality (1080p) needs 8 to 10; economy (480p) makes do with 2 to 3.
Note this is upload, not download. Providers advertise '100 Mbps' that refers to download, while upload on the same line can be 5. And on Wi-Fi, the number at the filming spot can be a quarter of the number next to the router.
The week-before test
Go to the venue, stand at the exact spot you will stream from, and run a speed test from the device that will stream. Write down three numbers: upload, ping, and stability across three consecutive tests. Jumpy upload is more dangerous than low, steady upload.
Ask the venue two questions: is there a wired network point near the filming position, and is the hall's Wi-Fi shared with guests (a network splitting among 300 phones on event night is not the network you tested on Tuesday morning).
When there is not enough: three fixes in order
First - a cable: wiring into the venue router solves most problems and beats any wireless option. Second - dedicated cellular: a cellular router or a hotspot from a separate phone (not the streaming device), with reception tested in advance and 5G if available.
Third - give up quality up front: locking the stream to a stable 480p beats a stuttering 1080p. Viewers will not forget freezes; they will not notice resolution. And there is always the last line of defense: audio-only, which passes on almost any network.
Perguntas frequentes
Do viewers affect the broadcaster's bandwidth?
No. The broadcaster uploads one stream to the server, and the server distributes to viewers through a global edge network. Even a thousand viewers put no load on the venue's network.
Can we stream over two connections as backup?
Yes. Push from two devices on two different networks (wired + cellular) into the same broadcast, and the system fails over between them if one drops.
What delay do viewers experience?
A few seconds from the hall - close enough to real time even for applause around a ceremony. The delay is uniform for viewers worldwide.
Leia a seguir
Artigos relacionados
Gear for Streaming an Event: The Minimal List That Works
You do not need a broadcast van. You need seven items, most of which you already own - and the right priorities.
Ler ›Live-Streaming a Wedding: The Complete Family Guide
Grandma across town, a brother abroad, and a hall with mediocre reception. How to stream a wedding everyone actually sees - without a second photographer or a black screen during the chuppah.
Ler ›Family Abroad: International Streaming That Just Works
The difference between 'we saw everything, it was like being there' and a disappointed phone call the next day lives in the small details of intercontinental streaming.
Ler ›Quer vê-lo na sua comunidade?
Configuramos a sua organização, acompanhamos a sua primeira transmissão consigo e falamos com o seu fornecedor de filtragem.