Subsplash Live RS is the latest generation of Subsplash Live, and it comes with some new and exciting features! These features will be included in all packages that include Subsplash Live at no additional cost.
SRT Streaming
The primary change will be the arrival of support for the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) streaming protocol. This protocol was originally developed by industry leader Haivision and is open-source, meaning it will never require expensive, proprietary hardware in order to benefit from it. Here are some of the benefits that come with SRT streaming:
SRT is significantly more resistant to packet loss during streams. In our testing, RTMP breaks down at 1% packet loss, while SRT can handle up to 30% packet loss.
On the Subsplash Platform, SRT streams will support video bitrates up 8 Mb/s, double our previously supported maximum. VBR (variable bit rate) streams will also be supported.
SRT will significantly increase the chances of a successful stream when streaming on a mobile hotspot or rural network with lower upload speeds and higher latency.
Most encoders now support SRT streaming, so there will generally be no hardware or workflow changes needed. OBS, vMix, Wirecast, most BlackMagic Design encoders, and the Epiphan Pearl are some of the encoders that support both SRT and RTMP. There are many more as well.
You can read more about the differences between the SRT protocol and the RTMP protocol here.
Higher Bitrate Streaming with RTMP Streams
Subsplash Live RS will also support higher bitrates for the current RTMP system. RTMP streams will now support a video bitrate of 6 Mb/s, increasing the visual quality of your streams.
RTMP streaming will still be supported and given the same attention and care as SRT streaming as new features are developed, so if you have an encoder that only supports RTMP streaming, you will still see improvements and fixes.
Increased Reconnection Windows
Previously, when a disconnect occurred during a scheduled live stream, your encoder had 120 seconds to reconnect before our system treated the disconnect as an intentional end to the stream. If a similar disconnect occurred during an active live feed but outside of a scheduled stream, that window was only 20 seconds. With Subsplash Live RS, those reconnection windows have been increased to 180 seconds and 60 seconds, respectively. This change should allow easier recovery after an unplanned disconnect for both RTMP and SRT streams.
Setting Up An SRT Encoder for Subsplash Live RS
In short, the only thing that needs to be changed is your Streaming URL (no Stream Key is required). This can be found in the Media-->Settings section of your Subsplash Dashboard, and can be entered into your encoder's streaming destination settings. Here are some in-depth guides we have available for SRT streaming setup as well:
If you have an encoder not listed here, try this article as well.