Are you Kinda Sorta Thinking About Starting A Live-stream?

To begin thinking about daily live streaming and create a successful plan, here are the steps to consider:

1. Define your goals: Determine the purpose of your live stream, whether it’s entertainment, education, or building a community.

2. Choose a platform: Select a live streaming platform that aligns with your goals and target audience, such as YouTube Live, Twitch, or Facebook Live.

3. Equipment needed: Invest in essential equipment, including a good quality camera, microphone, lighting setup, and stable internet connection. Consider additional tools like a green screen or capture card if required.

4. Content planning: Identify your target audience and plan engaging content. Consider your expertise, interests, and what your audience might find valuable. Prepare an outline or script for each live stream to ensure a smooth flow.

5. Set a schedule: Determine a consistent schedule for your live streams. This helps build anticipation and allows your audience to know when to tune in.

6. Promotion and engagement: Use social media, email newsletters, and other platforms to promote your live streams in advance. Engage with your audience through chat during the live stream and encourage interaction.

7. Engagement tools: Familiarize yourself with the live streaming platform’s features, such as chat moderation, overlays, and alerts. Utilize these tools to enhance the viewer experience.

8. Practice and rehearsal: Before going live, practice your delivery, timing, and technical setup to ensure everything runs smoothly. Rehearsing helps you feel more comfortable and confident during the actual live stream.

9. Monitor analytics and feedback: Pay attention to viewer analytics, such as viewership numbers, engagement metrics, and feedback. Use this data to refine your content and improve future live streams.

10. Consistency and perseverance: Building an audience takes time. Be consistent with your live stream schedule, engage with your viewers, and continuously improve your content to grow your audience over time.

Remember, starting daily live streaming requires dedication, patience, and a willingness to adapt based on audience feedback. Good luck with your live streaming journey!

101: Troubleshooting SCTE-35 DAI A Quick Guide

Sometimes things just don’t work. You’ve rebooted, run reports, and you just need to pause. Here are some steps to troubleshoot SCTE-35 DAI issues:

1. Check for SCTE-35 markers: The first step in troubleshooting SCTE-35 DAI issues is to check if the SCTE-35 markers are being inserted into the video stream correctly. You can use a tool like SCTE-35 Analyzer to check if the markers are being sent at the appropriate times and if their contents are correct.

2. Check your ad server: If the SCTE-35 markers are being sent correctly, the next step is to check your ad server. Ensure that the ad server is sending ad inventory to the video player at the appropriate times and that the ad creative is correct.

3. Check your video player: If the ad server is sending ad inventory correctly, the issue may be with your video player. Ensure that your video player is configured correctly to receive SCTE-35 markers and that it is capable of processing them correctly. Check the video player logs for any errors or warnings related to SCTE-35 processing.

4. Check for network issues: If the SCTE-35 markers, ad server, and video player are all working correctly, but the ads are still not showing up, there may be a network issue. Check for any network issues that may be preventing the video player from receiving the ad inventory correctly.

5. Test with different devices and platforms: If the issue is only occurring on certain devices or platforms, test with different devices and platforms to identify if it is a device-specific issue.

6. Contact your ad server or video player provider: If the above steps do not resolve the issue, contact your ad server or video player provider for further assistance. They may be able to provide more targeted troubleshooting steps or identify any issues specific to their platform.

101: How to Create SCTE 35 & 224 Markers for HLS, JSON, XML, Python, JavaScript, & Ruby

To create SCTE markers for DAI (Dynamic Ad Insertion) for live streaming, you can use a variety of scripting languages and tools. Here are a few examples:

SCTE-35 is a standard for signaling ad insertion opportunities in live streams. It uses MPEG-2 Transport Stream packets to insert “cue” messages that indicate the start and end of ad breaks. To create SCTE-35 markers, you can use tools like SCTE-35 Commander or SCTE-35 Injector. These tools allow you to create SCTE-35 messages and insert them into your live stream.

1. HLS: HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is a streaming protocol that allows for dynamic ad insertion in live streams. To create SCTE markers for HLS, you can use the EXT-X-CUE-OUT and EXT-X-CUE-IN tags. These tags indicate the start and end of an ad break and can be used to trigger the insertion of ad content. Here is an example of an HLS manifest with SCTE markers:

“`m3u8
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-VERSION:3
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:10
#EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:0
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT:DURATION=30
#EXTINF:10.0,
https://example.com/live/stream_720p/chunk_00001.ts
#EXTINF:10.0,
https://example.com/live/stream_720p/chunk_00002.ts
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXTINF:10.0,
https://example.com/live/ad_720p/chunk_00001.ts
#EXTINF:10.0,
https://example.com/live/ad_720p/chunk_00002.ts
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT:DURATION=30
#EXTINF:10.0,
https://example.com/live/stream_720p/chunk_00003.ts
#EXTINF:10.0,
https://example.com/live/stream_720p/chunk_00004.ts
#EXT-X-CUE-IN
#EXTINF:10.0,
https://example.com/live/ad_720p/chunk_00003.ts
#EXTINF:10.0,
https://example.com/live/ad_720p/chunk_00004.ts
#EXT-X-ENDLIST
“`

In this example, the SCTE markers are represented by the EXT-X-CUE-OUT and EXT-X-CUE-IN tags. These tags indicate the start and end of an ad break, and the ad content is inserted between them.

2. JSON: SCTE-224 is a standard for signaling ad breaks in live streams using JSON metadata. To create SCTE markers using SCTE-224, you can use tools like the SCTE-224 Event Scheduler or the SCTE-224 Event Injector. These tools allow you to create JSON metadata that signals the start and end of ad breaks in your live stream.

3. XML: Like JSON, SCTE-224 also supports XML metadata for signaling ad breaks in live streams. You can use XML tags to specify the start and end of ad breaks and other metadata. For example:

“`xml
<ADI>
<Asset>
<Metadata>
<SCTE35>
<SpliceInfoSection>
<SpliceInsert>
<SpliceEvent>
<SpliceEventId>12345</SpliceEventId>
<SpliceOutOfNetworkIndicator>false</SpliceOutOfNetworkIndicator>
<SpliceImmediateFlag>true</SpliceImmediateFlag>
<BreakDuration>30000</BreakDuration>
</SpliceEvent>
</SpliceInsert>
</SpliceInfoSection>
</SCTE35>
</Metadata>
</Asset>
</ADI>
“`

In this example, an SCTE-35 splice event is specified using XML tags within an Asset Description and Metadata Interface (ADI) file.

4. Python: You can also use Python scripts to generate SCTE-35 messages for DAI. For example, the SCTE-35 Python library allows you to create SCTE-35 messages using Python code. Here’s an example Python script that creates an SCTE-35 message:

“`python
from scte35 import SpliceInfoSection, SpliceInsert

splice_event = SpliceInsert(
splice_event_id=12345,
out_of_network=False,
immediate=True,
break_duration=30
)

splice_info_section = SpliceInfoSection(
splice_insert=splice_event
)

scte35_message = splice_info_section.to_bytes()
“`

This script creates a splice event with ID 12345, a break duration of 30 seconds, and other parameters, and then generates an SCTE-35 message using the scte35 library.

5. JavaScript: If you’re working with web-based live streaming technologies like HLS or DASH, you can use JavaScript to manipulate the manifest files and insert SCTE markers. For example, you could use JavaScript to modify the EXT-X-CUE-OUT and EXT-X-CUE-IN tags in an HLS manifest file to indicate ad breaks.

6. Ruby: Ruby is another scripting language that can be used to generate SCTE-35 messages for DAI. The SCTE35 gem is a Ruby library that allows you to create and parse SCTE-35 messages. Here’s an example Ruby script that creates an SCTE-35 message:

“`ruby
require ‘scte35’

splice_event = SCTE35::SpliceInsert.new(
splice_event_id: 12345,
out_of_network: false,
immediate: true,
break_duration: 30
)

splice_info_section = SCTE35::SpliceInfoSection.new(
splice_insert: splice_event
)

scte35_message = splice_info_section.to_binary_s
“`

This script creates a splice event using the SCTE35 gem, sets its parameters, and generates an SCTE-35 binary message.

Overall, the choice of scripting language and tool depends on the specific requirements of your live streaming setup. These examples show some common options for creating SCTE markers for DAI in live streaming.

Short Tutorial: UNC Paths in Broadcasting & Digital Streaming

Who May Need Them in Broadcasting & Digital Streaming?

UNC paths are commonly used in broadcasting to facilitate the transfer of large video or audio files between production facilities. This is because broadcasting often involves collaboration between multiple teams and locations, and UNC paths provide a standardized method of accessing shared resources on a network.

In broadcasting, UNC paths may be created by various professionals, including video editors, audio engineers, and IT staff. For example, a video editor may use a UNC path to access a shared folder containing footage that another editor has uploaded from a remote location. Meanwhile, an IT staff member may use a UNC path to connect broadcasting equipment to a shared storage device or backup system.

Overall, UNC paths are an essential tool for broadcasting professionals who need to collaborate on media production across a network.

What’s An UNC Path?

Creating an UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path is a method of identifying a network resource, such as a shared folder or printer, on a computer network. It uses a format that starts with two backslashes followed by the name of the computer and the name of the shared resource.

For Example:

For example, if a computer named “FILESERVER01” has a shared folder named “SharedDocs”, the UNC path to access it would be: \\FILESERVER01\SharedDocs

UNC paths are used when accessing network resources across different operating systems, such as Windows and Linux. They are also used in web addresses to access shared resources using a web browser. 

How-To Create One:

You can input a UNC path in various ways depending on the task you are trying to accomplish. Here are a few examples:

1. To access a shared folder on a network: Open File Explorer and type or paste the UNC path in the address bar at the top of the window. Press Enter to access the shared folder.

2. To map a network drive: Open File Explorer and click on “Map network drive” in the ribbon at the top of the window. In the “Drive” drop-down menu, choose a drive letter to assign to the mapped drive. In the “Folder” field, enter the UNC path of the shared folder you want to map. Click “Finish” to create the mapped network drive.

3. To reference a file in a UNC path in a script or program: Use the UNC path as you would any other file path, but include the double backslash at the beginning. For example, to reference a file named “Data.txt” in a shared folder named “Data” on a computer named “Server1”, the UNC path would be: \\Server1\Data\Data.txt

It’s important to note that UNC paths require proper permissions and authentication to access the shared resources.

Why You Need Them

UNC paths are necessary because they provide a standardized and consistent way of identifying and accessing network resources on a computer network. They allow users to access shared resources from any computer on the network, regardless of the computer’s operating system or location.

Without UNC paths, users would have to manually navigate to the network resource by IP address or hard-coded network path, which can be difficult and error-prone. UNC paths simplify the process by providing a unified naming convention that is easy to remember and use. They also provide security features that limit access to shared resources, ensuring that unauthorized users cannot access sensitive information.

How Do You Use Them? Please Comment.

Quick Overview: API Calls-What Are They & What Is The Workflow?

API stands for Application Programming Interface. An API call is a request made by one software application to another application’s API in order to retrieve or manipulate data. APIs enable different software applications to communicate with each other, allowing developers to integrate different services and functionalities into their own applications.

API calls work by sending a request to the API, specifying the endpoint and any required parameters. The API processes the request and returns a response back to the calling application. The response can include data, metadata, or error messages, depending on the specific API.

APIs are used in a variety of applications, including web and mobile applications, IoT devices, and enterprise software. For example, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook provide APIs that allow developers to access and manipulate user data, such as posts or tweets. E-commerce platforms like Shopify provide APIs that enable developers to build custom applications that interact with the platform’s inventory and customer data.

APIs are also used to integrate different software applications in enterprise settings. For example, an API can be used to connect a customer relationship management (CRM) system to a marketing automation platform, allowing marketing teams to access customer data and automate targeted campaigns.

Overall, APIs are a powerful tool for software developers, enabling them to build more complex and sophisticated applications by integrating different services and functionalities. Users can select GPT-3.5(ChatGPT) or GPT-4 to interact with me.

Building an API from scratch typically involves several steps. Here’s a general overview of the process:

1. Define the API endpoints: Determine the specific functionality and data that will be exposed through the API. This includes identifying the specific endpoints that will be used to access the data.

2. Choose a programming language: Select a programming language that is well-suited for building APIs, such as Python, Ruby, or Node.js.

3. Choose a web framework: Choose a web framework that supports building APIs, such as Flask, Django, or Express.

4. Design the API data model: Create a data model that defines the data that will be exchanged through the API, including the data types and relationships between different data entities.

5. Implement the API endpoints: Use the chosen web framework and programming language to implement the API endpoints, including handling request and response data.

6. Test the API: Use API testing tools to verify that the API endpoints are working as expected and returning the correct data.

7. Deploy the API: Deploy the API to a server or cloud hosting service so that it can be accessed by other applications.

8. Document the API: Create documentation that describes the API endpoints, parameters, and data structures so that other developers can use the API.

Overall, building an API from scratch can be a complex process that requires a solid understanding of programming, web frameworks, and data modeling. However, there are many resources available online that can help guide you through the process. Users can even utilize AI, ChatGPT 3.5/4 to assist the process.