Are you minutes away from your live production and everything is failing? Here are some tips to quickly identify and solve the problem.
- Transmission Issues:
- If you’ve started the transmission via a hardware encoder (e.g., Epiphan, ATEM, Web Presenter, Matrox) or software encoder (e.g., OBS, Wirecast) but it’s not broadcasting, and the transmission light blinks intermittently:
- Go to Quickchannel and check the “Health” tab to see if the server is receiving a signal.
- If you’ve started the transmission via a hardware encoder (e.g., Epiphan, ATEM, Web Presenter, Matrox) or software encoder (e.g., OBS, Wirecast) but it’s not broadcasting, and the transmission light blinks intermittently:
“Houston, we have a problem.”
“Houston, everything is fine.”
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- Ensure your internet connection is active. Check that the network cable is connected or, if using Wi-Fi, that it has internet access.
- Test your internet speed using tools like Speedtest. If your bitrate is 5 Mbps, your connection should be at least 10 Mbps to avoid issues.
- Try to determine if port 1935 is open. Contact your IT department to inquire about it.
- Verify the RTMP address is correct.
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- Ensure the preview is activated. If it isn’t, force it by pressing the button at the bottom.
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- If it still doesn’t work, switch to the alternate server URL found on the program’s page.
- If the RTMP channel has mirror mode activated, you don’t need to wait for the preview to start the transmission. To see the preview in Quickchannel, wait for it to start automatically or force it by pressing “Preview Now.”
- If mirror mode is enabled, the alternate server option won’t appear.
- If nothing works, test with OBS. If OBS works but your encoder doesn’t, the issue is with your hardware. If OBS also fails, contact our support team.
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- Signal Loss During Production:
- If you lose data from the encoder mid-production and the “Health” tab shows no signal:
- Check that the encoder is connected to the internet.
- Some encoders stop transmitting due to overheating or resource-heavy tasks. Check the CPU usage of the encoder.
- Use an alternative encoder or computer if needed. If using a computer, close all unnecessary applications.
- If you lose data from the encoder mid-production and the “Health” tab shows no signal:
- Degraded Quality with More Viewers:
- This usually happens when you’re broadcasting on the same internet connection that viewers are using, such as an internal webinar where colleagues connect from the same location. Each viewer uses the same bandwidth as your broadcast.
- The best solution is to use a different internet connection than the one everyone else is using. If not possible, you can share the internet from your mobile phone and lower the broadcast bitrate, as mobile connections are typically less stable than wired ones.
- This usually happens when you’re broadcasting on the same internet connection that viewers are using, such as an internal webinar where colleagues connect from the same location. Each viewer uses the same bandwidth as your broadcast.
By following these tips, you can quickly troubleshoot and resolve common live production issues, ensuring a smooth and professional broadcast.