broadcasting 101
what is broadcasting?
Broadcasting on Veetle allows you to share your live video, DVDs, webcam and much more with millions of people worldwide. Veetle is built on top of our loyal broadcasters. Without them, we would not have hours of interesting streams to watch. Perhaps you have been a long time viewer and want to give back to the community. Well, broadcasting is a great way to do that. Just follow these few tips:
select a source
You can choose from a variety of sources to broadcast from. Just click any of the big buttons to begin.
file
Just about any file type is supported, except Real Media files. Examples
include files you downloaded from the Internet and videos shot from your
camcorder. If you have multiple files to add, such as an entire TV series,
you can add them all at once by either Ctrl clicking, Shift clicking, or
dragging a box around the items.
We advise you to create a programming guide if you decide to add multiple files. Click the button underneath the playlist to do so. By entering in the title and description of each file, your viewers will know what you're showing and when you're showing it.
DVD
DVDs are split up into many titles. Each title, in turn, is split up into many chapters. Using the default title track works most of the time, but you may have to adjust it later if you see that the wrong part of the DVD gets played. Typically, you don't change the chapter setting. You can change the audio track if you want to select a different language. Lastly, if you want to overlay subtitles, change the subtitles settings.
TV
You can broadcast TV channels if you have a TV tuner card. First connect the
tuner card to your computer. After clicking the big TV button, you will see
two lists - one for audio devices and one for video devices. Your tuner
card is split up between these two lists. By reading the names, you should
be able to match your tuner's video device and audio device. After
selecting the video device, you will be asked to enter in the source size.
Consult your tuner card's documentation for the proper resolution. Clicking
the gear icons next to the device name lets you configure some important
settings, such as the channel.
webcam
Adding a webcam is quite similar to adding a TV tuner card. It will need to be hooked up before you hit the big webcam button. You will also have to select the video and audio device that correspond to your webcam. Your cam's video device also needs a properly supported source size to get a smooth feed.
advanced
All of the above source types eventually get translated into complex code that the broadcasting software can understand. For example, a correctly configured Logitech webcam would generate this:
"dshow:// :dshow-vdev=Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision :dshow-adev=Microphone (Logitech Mic (Ultra :dshow-size=320x240"
You can also directly enter in code like this if you understand the MRL format. It allows you to unlock some pretty advanced features.
quality settings
After selecting a source, you will be asked for what quality you want to display
it at. We have a full blown-out tutorial on quality settings,
but we can give you a short overview here. Basically, you need a good upload
speed to broadcast at high bitrates and a fast computer to broadcast at high
resolutions. If you push your network or computer over the limits, your
broadcast will appear choppy. Just try the recommended settings for now, which
should work for any computer - new or old. If
you have a fast Internet connection and fast computer, then you can use the
let me adjust the settings a bit option to bump up the bitrate and
resolution a bit to get a higher quality stream.
creating a playlist
By now, you should have one source added to your playlist. You can add as
many items to your playlist as you want by clicking the add more items
button. While broadcasting, the software will play each item of the playlist
one after another and jump back to the top after it has reached the end.
Playlist items may be reordered by using the grips on the left of each item.
Individual items may also be removed from the list by clicking the trash
icon.
previewing
It's important to check that all the items in your playlist are properly
configured before going on air. Click the preview button to check.
A little video player will appear in the lower left. The current item being
previewed will be highlighted in blue on your playlist. You can scrub the time
slider to other sections of your DVD or file if you want. If you see or
hear something wrong, stop the preview, then adjust the source of the
playlist item by clicking the leftmost icon on that item. If the video
appears flickery, then your computer may be too old to broadcast at this
resolution. In this case, you'll also need to stop the preview and then click
the middle wrench icon next to the playlist item to lower the resolution. IF
your first item appears correct, then you can skip to the next item with the
forward button below the player and repeat the process, checking all your
items.
going on air
The last step is to go on air. You can choose to make your broadcast public
or private. Making it public lets the whole world see your channel. If you
make it private, you'll have to send your channel's URL to your friends so
they can see it. This link can be found in the share tab in the
lower right.
Push the put on air button. Watch the bar above the player. If it's green, it means your network is fast and your channel is properly working. If it's not, then your network could be congested at the moment or just something is wrong with your source. Reading the message next to the bar should give you an indication on what's wrong. If your network is slow (red/orange bar), stop the broadcast and use the wrench icon next to the current playlist item to dial down the bitrate.
While broadcasting, there's many ways to check your viewership. The stats tab updates periodically with the number of viewers. The chat tab also periodically updates with the newest comments. Sometimes, your viewers will give you compliments or suggestions.