How to choose quality of stream? (360p, 480p, 720p etc)

linkery

Hi,

I've been broadcasting some world of warcraft with xsplit in 720p the past few weeks and users seem generally happy with it.
However, what I've noticed is that some people with slower computers have trouble keeping up with my resolution due to the flash player.

I've seen some streams where users with a bit less powerful computers can choose lower quality of the same stream even if the broadcaster is running at a higher resolution... Is it a feature twitch is planning for us low followed streamers as well?

I've read on other forums that it's in beta testing for larger streams but I'd like that feature too, and I imagine other small time streamers would like it also.

Thanks!
Linkery

Horror

We want to expand the transcoder to more users, but being realistic, it seems impossible.

It takes a LOT of power to make that feature available. It's basically sending the same hd stream to people 5-7 times. If we gave it to everyone we would end up wasting a lot of server processing power, and lag out every stream!

However, we are still interested in looking into ways to expand this feature in the future. Unfortunately it is a partner only feature as it stands.

nenod

Related question: Some streams occasionally stop showing these options for a period of time (a few hours) and later the options appear again. Is it a problem with my browser, or is it legit issue from Justin's side (i.e. relocating traffic, hence closing the optional stream quality)?

bgeorge

Thats most likely a problem on Justin's side. This weekend the transcoders have been up and down a lot. Also, if a stream has a hiccup it t may not show the encoders until the caster restarts the stream.

In the past if too many partners were streaming at the same time a queue would form so you have to wait for some streams to go offline first before it would be available to a channel. I don't think this happens much anymore since its been a long time since I've seen a stream without them (except this weekend).

nenod

> Also, if a stream has a hiccup it t may not show the encoders until the caster restarts the stream.

That's extremely helpful if it's true, because we could just ask the streamers to restart. Might save time in some cases. Never occurred to me, big thanks.

chatia12

There's a limited amount of transcoders, so by my understanding, if there's a lot of streams that normally have the transcoder live, some of them may not be able to use it.  This weekend there was a big event, and I'm assuming a lot of streams, so TTV probably just ran out of transcoders, and other streams had to "wait in line" until others went offline to get theirs

Fire

Could you just give us the ability to stream separate streams to the same channel then, as an alternative? Say, I can stream both a 720 and a 480p stream to my channel, and the viewer would be able to choose which to watch.

eyesis

It would be nice! Please please!

You should create an another level of membership...

lilnoob

So how do you sign up to get that feature?

bgeorge

The transcoder are available to partners.

See http://twitch.tv/p/partners for more info.