Streaming and upload limits

[t0lkien]

After a couple of weeks messing with tech to try to get a decent stream happening, I thought I'd share the knowledge.

Firstly, a dedicated capture card (I bought the Live Gamer Portable (http://gamerzone.avermedia.com/de/products/live_gamer_series/live_gamer_portable)) has some benefit but not as much as you might think if you are streaming from the one system. It actually can take a lot of load off the CPU, though on a top end machine now the benefit of that is not so great. It will probably save you a few FPS ingame. I spoke with the guy who codes the excellent Open Broadcasting Software (OBS) app, and he claimed his program would not impact a decent system, but it actually does a bit. I lose up to 10fps using OBS over the LGP on my Macbook Pro which is a quad core and should on paper kill EQ. It's not a video card issue, it's a CPU thing in this case. You will almost certainly lose more with XSplit and FFSplit.

Secondly, the absolute first requirement is a decent upload speed. Forget about everything else. I am capped at 1Mbps which is atrocious (Australian internet plans are draconian and 10 years behind the rest of the world; I don't know why either). You cannot stream adequately on 1Mbps. If this is you as well, don't bother. I can possibly get 2Mbps and am looking into it atm (but this is the highest upload allowed by Telstra's obnoxious shaping). If so, this will probably allow 720p which honestly is the minimum I would stream at. Anything less and people won't bother watching the blurry image.

Thirdly, and this is for Macbook Pro owners (which is actually a great mid-level gaming system if you set it up properly, but please let's not get into the Apple/PC hate debates; I like both and use a laptop for convenience only, a modern PC is obviously the gaming rig of choice) - your headset mic will not be recognised unless it's USB. This is an issue with the Windows drivers paired with Apple hardware (everything works fine in OSX). You will have to get a 3.5mm -> USB adaptor if you want your voice to be heard on the stream, and this *may* cause issues with a dedicated capture card that you will have to work around as they don't like USB where Audio is concerned.

Fourthly, after a fair bit of research I can confidently say that if you don't talk while playing on your stream, not many people will watch. I've watched a fair few streams now and they are really surprisingly engaging, and only because of the streamer's banter and reactions. It becomes a shared experience, as well as informative if you are a gamer. Without that, it's not really interesting at all.

I actually think that streaming is going to be a significant part of the games community moving forward. I'm a little late to the party to understand this, but I believe it's got huge potential, and very few in the industry understand or know of it (yet) even though there are people who now make their living doing it.

[Swish]

Coming from the UK, I have to agree with the draconian part...the best I can manage on a speed test is:-

http://i.imgur.com/dmXfcFf.png

For downloads, awesome!

For uploads...wtf?

[t0lkien]

How's this (on a 100GB download plan called "Cable Elite" that costs AUD$80 a month):

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2907826688.png

[Bantam 1]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2907905853.png

[Langrisser]

lulz you guys mad jells about Fairpoint DSL???? qq uber speeds bros...

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2907911312.png


i hope the florida district attorney doesnt contact me now! (hint: not my isp showing)

[kingsBlend]

How's this (on a 100GB download plan called "Cable Elite" that costs AUD$80 a month):

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2907826688.png

lol had to try it

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2907938827.png

[t0lkien]

lol had to try it

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2907938827.png

Sweet mother of God, what plan are you on?

[gotrocks]

wish i still had verizon FIOS when it first came out...

40megaBYTE not bit download. :( shit was crazy.

[Sirken]

if u guys saw Ephi's speeds, youd kill yourself. the guy can go back to the future hes so fast

[Llodd]

You keep saying Gpbs, don't you mean Mbps or am I missing something here?

[t0lkien]

You keep saying Gpbs, don't you mean Mbps or am I missing something here?

Gah, yes sorry. Of course it's Mbps. All our plans are called by the gigabyte so I thought M and typed G. Fixed now.

[Sirken]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908088212.png

is me atm

[t0lkien]

The US is a different world when it comes to the internet. I was playing WoW on a 12ms ping in Arizona. That's just.... unheard of in Australia under any situation, except a local LAN. Online games, forget it. It's 200ms absolute minimum, and that's fantastic. Upload speeds are mostly capped at 1Mbps.

tl;dr you guys suck ;)

[Motec]

200-270ms is fairly common for me in Brisbane. Over in Perth 250-330. You wouldnt think it affects EQ much but it's game breaking as a fairly aggressive cleric.

[Pringles]

Is this any good?

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908551476.png

And actually, they just upgraded me to 100/100, waiting for the flip.

[Sirken]

70 upload is insane omg

[zanderklocke]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908656467.png

[Swish]

This is why I lose games of LoL, because people have better internets... I knew it, I'm a great player held back by bad internet :p

/enlightened

[Loftus]

56Mbit down
12Mbit up

I feel vindicated~!

[a_desert_madman_01]

Is this any good?

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908551476.png

And actually, they just upgraded me to 100/100, waiting for the flip.

I knew there had to be SOMETHING good about Utah...

[zanderklocke]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908656467.png

I just looked at my Comcast account, and it says I should be getting up to 50 Mbps based on the services I subscribe to.

Fricken Comcast.

[citizen1080]

I now know where you all live, let the stalking commence!

[Turp_SmokinPurp]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908790189.png

Out in the mountains of Kentucky (3 hour trip to get a beer or even go to Walmart lol)


Can people post what they are paying for theirs?
I know them 50+ plans are dishing out some big cash or live in google central.
Basic Cable and Fiber optic net for 145$ Month here.

[timhutton]

I just looked at my Comcast account, and it says I should be getting up to 50 Mbps based on the services I subscribe to.

Fricken Comcast.

Working as intended.

[Haystacks]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908802030.png

Runs about $110 a month, I guess its nice being in google's backyard they have another tier which is i think 200 down 50 up I believe but it's big $$$

[kingsBlend]

Sweet mother of God, what plan are you on?

Murica'

[formallydickman]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908900868.png I have a dismal plan in the states, but a really nice one when I live in Paris. 85+ download 20+ upload.

[t0lkien]

Murica'

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h162/t0lkien/images_zps45ed6610.jpg

[BiscuitBandito]

if u guys saw Ephi's speeds, youd kill yourself. the guy can go back to the future hes so fast

88 Mbps?

[t0lkien]

if u guys saw Ephi's speeds, youd kill yourself. the guy can go back to the future hes so fast

His internet McFlies?

[Rogean]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2909367741.png

[sulpher01]

lol gah i wish had that kinda upload...

[t0lkien]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2909367741.png

O.
M.
F.
G.

That's it. Australia, you suck. I'm moving back OS.

[Tiggles]

In google we trust

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx-cueyx_s8

[Turp_SmokinPurp]

O.
M.
F.
G.
That's it. Australia, you suck. I'm moving back OS.


Yea lol. But you do not have to come to America for the best net, we rated 11th I guess.

The U.S. is steadily climbing up the list of countries and regions with the fastest broadband connections, but the high-tech nation still doesn't crack the top 10.
Here is the top 5 (can check the rest out at link up to 20)

1. Hong Kong -average 63.6 mbps
2. Japan - Average 50.0
3. Romania -47.9
4. South Korea -44.8
5.Latvia - 44 .2
Most these you would expect.
Quoting If want to read whole thing here http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2013-07-23/top-20-where-to-find-the-world-s-fastest-internet.html#slide18

[t0lkien]

Singapore is 6th, which is totally bogus. They deep packet search *everything* there, and block half the total internet to "protect" its citizens. The internet is slow and totally flakey as a result. I don't know how they keep getting their bullshit PR to be swallowed by the international press, but don't believe any of what is written about SG.

Trust me, I lived there for 3 years and suffered trying to find ways around their awful bandwidth issues. Their internet is horrid.

[Gadwen]

Streaming is going to be a significant part of every games community, and it already is with more competitive games like LoL, SC2, and DoTA2.

That being said, if you want to have a successful stream you need a few things. Breasts, they are very important when it comes to getting 10's of thousands of followers and $1,000+ donations from fans. A vagina, also very important when it comes to amassing a following.

If you are not equipped with female genitalia then your best hope is to actually be good at whatever game you are streaming, and to make everyone watching feel like they are your friend.

[Laugher]

haha not too shabs west of Chicago

[Tecmos Deception]

You guys place too much emphasis on throughput, imo. It's not like you need to have that whole HD movie downloaded 2 minutes from now. Also, I don't even think you can buy as shitty of a speed as my internet has anymore. 5 down 1 up ftw.

[ncapatina]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2910542849.png (http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/2910542849)

Oh snap.

[t0lkien]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2910542849.png (http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/2910542849)

Oh snap.

That can't be real, is it?

[ncapatina]

It's real bro. Ran it out of my backup data center though, my home connection isn't that good! I'm at like 35/8 at home which is solid enough for $50/mo cable.

Technically that's a shitty result though, its a 1 gig up/down circuit. I should open a ticket reporting my upload sucks!

[Rogean]

Cell phone LTE:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/60242_3846613083965_1627450389_n.jpg

[t0lkien]

Cell phone LTE:[/IMG]

Now you're just being cruel!

[gprater]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908790189.png

Out in the mountains of Kentucky (3 hour trip to get a beer or even go to Walmart lol)


Can people post what they are paying for theirs?
I know them 50+ plans are dishing out some big cash or live in google central.
Basic Cable and Fiber optic net for 145$ Month here.

I too am in the mtns of KY. Pike county to be precise.

[Pringles]

They finally put my upgrade through, my upload should be higher but the download has improved.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2958413856.png

Is this any good?

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2908551476.png

And actually, they just upgraded me to 100/100, waiting for the flip.