What is streaming?

After you connect your camera, audio source, and set up a channel, it’s time to stream your content live and share that with your viewers.

Epiphan products provide many different streaming options and supports a variety of streaming protocols. The easiest way to stream a single channel directly to viewers on the same local network is to share the channel's live broadcast URL. Various stream types are available so users can watch using their favorite devices, including: HTTP/HTTPS, HTTP FLASH (.FLV), MPEG-TS (HTTP), and RTSP.

At the same time, stream to a multicast server or CDN and reach viewers across the globe. You can even stream to smart TVs in overflow rooms using SAP. The streaming method you choose depends on factors like the number of viewers of your stream, are you broadcasting live over a local TCP-based network or streaming to a CDN over the Internet, how much bandwidth do you have available, and is live streaming security a concern?

Pearl Nexus can stream to a CDN or media server using any of the following streaming protocols:

  • SRT (push)
  • HLS (push)
  • RTMP/RTMPS (push)
  • RTSP Announce

A channel can support multiple streams. That means you can stream a channel to multiple destinations using different streaming protocols. Unicast and multicast streams are also supported.

In addition to streaming from the Pearl Nexus, the following streaming formats are supported as input sources that the Pearl Nexus can ingest:

  • SRT
  • RTSP
  • NDI|HX

The Pearl Nexus can use the REST API with third-party applications. See: Pearl System REST API Guide.

The Pearl Nexus can use the Legacy RS-232 API or Legacy HTTP API with third-party applications. See: Pearl System Legacy RS-232/HTTP API Guide.

Additional considerations

  • Are you streaming live video or recorded video?
  • Do you need to stream the content to one client (peer-to-peer) or deliver a single stream to multiple clients (multicast)?
  • Do you need to provide web-based streaming that multiple clients can access using a Content Distribution Network (CDN), such as YouTube or Facebook Live?
  • Do you need to encrypt your live stream for higher security?
  • Streaming to a Content Management System (CMS) like Kaltura or Panopto? See: CMS recording and webcasting control.