For primary backup streams, how closely do the encoders and encoding need to match? Same model, different models with same settings, free for all?

12:11not have the same encoders so we tend to use a little bit different ones and the primary problem The problem is not exactly that you have to match encoders like serial number to serial number or product code to product code. But the problem can be if you're using different devices to have the exact same kind of levels going out of that. And maybe the input stage for audio is a little bit different if they were coming through different routes through your system.

12:46system. That can be a small thing to look out for. Of course, the bitrate are really important, and check both bitrates for video and if it's constant or variable. We tend to use constant these days. And of course, also change and make sure you have the same bitrate for audio. Use the same encoders, for instance, etc. And that is, of course, if you're using let's say YouTube which is recommended to use the same type of bit rate

13:21and settings for both the primary and the secondary channel. If you're going out to something like Restream or other destinations this may vary and if you have your own player you can also So see there and of course it's the destination that decides the settings for the latency. We seldom see big differences coming out of the encoders. They are usually pretty good in sync coming out of our venue, but then the redistribution

14:02like YouTube or Vimeo, et cetera, they can have vast differences in encoding latency. So, yeah, that's my two cents. You know, Mickey, this reminds me of, and I'm going back decades here, but I remember talking to somebody, an audio guy in the 80s, and he said that when they set up for the president, this is in the U.S., they had two SM57s on the stand,

14:27and the cables had to run different paths back to the broadcast center. And that was because somebody would slam a door and pinch a cable or a forklift would rip a cable out or something like that. So the backup had to be different. And it literally had to be a totally different path. What's your thought on primary backup streams? streams yeah and uh those 57th uh apparently nowadays uh contain uh shep's uh capsules in

14:59them do they really i don't know with the current uh u.s president but i know when they go to the um the sm57 vip kit with the 257s that's traditional uh setup um they have shep's capsules in them um the microphones the uh regarding the uh jeff's question about the primary and backup uh transmissions this really depends on your cdn um of course in an ideal world

15:29identical setups um identical encoding settings all that um but you're the leeway in terms of if you can get away with differing encoders and encoding settings, really depends on your CDN. I'm curious, Jeff, what CDN are you transmitting to? YouTube. Okay, YouTube. With YouTube, know that your primary and backup encoders don't actually, it isn't like, oh, everyone gets the primary and then it fails over to backup if something happens in the primary.

16:08No. YouTube load balances between those two transmissions. So some of your audience sees encoder A, some of your audience sees encoder B. So people will get varying qualities in terms of your transmission, your broadcast, your live stream. And also, of course, if something happens between the encoder, what gets recorded as your VOD. We'll start on one of the encoders, and if something happens, it will switch over