How to stream to your event with fail-safe streaming

This feature requires an Enterprise account with the Events feature added.

If you stream your events on ZenVideo using Livestream Studio, you have the option to use our Fail-Safe Streaming solution, which utilizes the MPEG-DASH protocol.

This means your stream will transmit through a different backend architecture, which can help improve the overall reliability and stability of your stream.

In this article: 

• What are the benefits and drawbacks of using Fail-Safe Streaming?
• Enable fail-safe Streaming in event settings
• Set up Livestream Studio to stream via Fail-Safe Streaming
• How to stream via Fail-Safe Streaming with a third-party encoder
• Is Fail-Safe Streaming compatible with ZenVideo's backup stream feature?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of using Fail-Safe Streaming?

When you choose to stream using Fail-Safe Streaming (MPEG-DASH), your viewers are less likely to experience interruptions, buffering, and choppy playback that server or encoder issues can cause.  

However, this streaming method can only do so by introducing additional latency, or delay, from your event to your viewers. The latency when using the default RTMPS setting is approximately 15-20 seconds; if you stream via Fail-Safe Streaming, the latency to your viewers will be closer to one minute.

Enable fail-safe Streaming in event settings

When creating your live event, you have the option to choose fail-safe streaming from the Latency dropdown after choosing your broadcast method.

After you have created your event, you can edit your selection within Settings. Open the Production dropdown to find Latency options. Select the Latency dropdown and then Fail-Safe Streaming (60-70 second delay).

Set up Livestream Studio to stream via Fail-Safe Streaming

Make sure that Livestream Studio is up to date on your desktop system. From there:

1. Launch Studio and log into your ZenVideo account.
2. Select the Stream tab and be sure ZenVideo is selected as your destination.
3. Under “Streaming Protocol,” choose Fail-Safe Streaming (MPEG-dash).
   
   
4. You can configure the rest of your Studio streaming settings as you normally would; select Go Live when you are ready to start streaming.
5. Your stream will begin, and due to the higher latency, your end viewers will be able to start watching the stream approximately one minute after this action.
6. When you choose Fail-Safe Streaming, you can stream via a bonded connection, allowing you to stream over multiple Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or 4G/LTE network connections, thereby increasing your bandwidth while also creating network redundancy.
   ⚠️Note: If you've selected to show the stream preview on your event’s preview page on ZenVideo, you will need to click Go live on ZenVideo for your viewers to see the stream.

How to stream via Fail-Safe Streaming with a third-party encoder

If you stream your events using an external encoder, you will need to install our dedicated application on your local environment (i.e. the same device that runs your preferred encoding application) in order to stream using Fail-Safe Streaming.

Read how at How to set up a third-party encoder to stream with Fail-Safe Streaming.

Is Fail-Safe Streaming compatible with ZenVideo's backup stream feature?

Yes! To double the reliability of your live event, consider adding a backup MPEG-DASH stream. To read more about enabling the backup stream with Fail-Safe Streaming, visit 'How to create a backup stream'.