This feature requires an Enterprise account with the Events feature added.
If you stream your events on Vimeo using Livestream Studio, you have the option to use our Fail-Safe Streaming solution, which utilizes 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?
- 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 Vimeo'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 you use the default RTMPS setting is about 15-20 seconds; if you stream via Fail-Safe Streaming, the latency to your viewers will be closer to one minute.
Set up Livestream Studio to stream via Fail-Safe Streaming
Make sure to Livestream Studio is up to date on your desktop system. From there:
- Launch Studio and log into your Vimeo account.
- Select the Stream tab and be sure Vimeo is selected as your destination.
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Under “Streaming Protocol,” choose Fail-Safe Streaming (MPEG-dash).
- You can configure the rest of your Studio streaming settings as you normally would; click Go Live when you are ready to start streaming.
- Your stream will begin and because of the higher latency, your end viewers will be able to begin watching the stream about a minute after this action.
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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, increasing your bandwidth while also allowing you to create network redundancy.
⚠️Note: If you've selected to show the stream preview on your event’s preview page on Vimeo, you will need to click Go live on Vimeo 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.
Learn more at How to set up a third-party encoder to stream with Fail-Safe Streaming.
Is Fail-Safe Streaming compatible with Vimeo's backup stream feature?
Yes! if you want to double the reliability of your live event, you can add a backup MPEG-dash stream to your event. To learn more about enabling the backup stream with Fail-Safe Streaming, visit 'How to create a backup stream'.