An introduction to

A lot of us are familiar with the time delay in video data transfer.

Then what is the definition of low latency? Do you require reducing latency on all of your live event? Find out all the answers and more with this article.

A brief introduction to low latency

Low latency is the minimal delay that video data transfers between your player and your viewers' screens.

The lower time to transmit data provides a great viewing experience and facilitates interaction. However, here's the problem to get low latency: you need to compromise with less resolution or better quality video.

Luckily, no live event requires the use of low latency.

It is essential in live streaming activities to allow for real-time interaction and the viewing experience. When you live stream, your audience expects to keep track of what's happening and/or participate live throughout the events. This means you won't be able to afford the high-latency requirements and you will need to stream in smaller resolutions than 4K.

This is low latency streaming in a nutshell Let's get deeper into the specifics of what it takes and how you can achieve it.

What is low latency

When translated, latency literally refers to a delay in transmission.'

For the purposes of video latency, that's the delay in the duration of the moment you capture your video on your camera until it is played within your viewers' player.

Therefore, a low latency will mean reduced time to transfer video content between point A (your headquarters for streaming) to point B (your audience's players).

Similar to that, a higher latency means more time in transmission of video data from live streamer to their audience.

What constitutes low latency?

Based on industry standards, high-quality live streaming is less than 10 seconds and broadcast TV streaming ranges between 2 and six seconds. Based on the use you intend to make you may even reach ultra-low latency that lies between 2 and 0.2 seconds.

What is the reason you're looking for the lowest latency when streaming video? There is no need for the same level of latency for each live stream you host. However, you will need it for every interactive live streaming.

It's all about the amount of interaction that your live event needs.

Therefore, if the event you're planning involves like an auction live then you'll require a low latency for your stream. Why? To ensure all interactions show on time - and without delays as that can cause some users to gain an unfair advantage.

Let's take a look at some of these scenarios later.

When do you need streaming with low latency?

The more live participation your event requires, the shorter transmission time you need. So, your attendees will be able to take advantage of the event in real time without any delay.

Here are instances when you'll need low latency streaming:

• Two-way communicationsuch as live chatting. This is also true for live events in which Q&As are involved.
• Experiences in real-timeis vital, for example with online games.
• Required audience participation. In the case of online casinos, bets on sports, as well as auctions that live.
• Real-time monitoring. This includes, for instance, search and rescue missions bodiescams of military level, baby and pet monitors.
• Remote operation which require constant connections between remote operators and the machinery they manage. Example: endoscopy cameras.

Why should you choose to use streaming with low latency?

To summarize the various scenarios we explored above It is necessary to have low latency streaming when you're streaming any of the following:

• Time-sensitive content
• Content that needs an immediate interaction with the audience and engages them

However, why shouldn't you use the lowest latency possible for all of the video content you stream? The more efficient delay your content has in getting to your viewers, the better, isn't it? However, that's not the case. The low latency comes with drawbacks.

They include:

• The low latency can compromise the quality of video. The reason: high video quality can slow down processing of the video due to its large file size.
• There's not much buffered (or preloaded) information in the this line. This means there's little space for error should there an issue with the network.

When you go live an online streaming service such as quickly pre-loads some content before stream to viewers. This way, when there's a network problem, plays the buffered video, which allows the slowdown due to the network to be remediated.

When the issue with network connectivity is solved The player will download the best quality video possible. All this, however, occurs in the background.

Translation: viewers get an uninterrupted, high-quality replay experience unless, of course, a major incident occurs on the network.

When you select a low latency however you'll see less replay video to be prepared by the player. It leaves little room for error when a network issue strikes from the blue.

That said, high latency can be beneficial in certain situations. For example, the increased time-lag allows producers opportunity to block insensitive content as well as profane.

Also, in situations where there is no compromise in video broadcast quality, increase the delay by a small amount to ensure the best viewing experience possible as well as allow to adjust for errors.

What is the measurement of latency?

With the definition of low latency streaming as well as its use cases out of the way we'll look at ways you measure it.

Technically, low latency is determined by a measurement unit known as the round-trip time (RTT). It denotes the time it takes a data packet to go between points A and B, and then for the response to return back to the origin.

Now to calculate this, an effective way is to include the timestamps of video and then ask a teammate to watch the live streaming.

Request them to search for the exact date and time frame that will appear on the screen. Now take the time stamp's date from the time the viewer got the exact image. This gives you the latency.

You can also ask a friend to follow your stream and then record a specific cue when it comes. Now take the time you performed the cue on your live stream, and note when your assigned viewer saw the cue. This will give you the latency, but not as precisely as the method above. However, it's good enough for a rough idea.

How do you decrease the video latency

What are the steps to achieve lower latency?

The reality is that there are a variety of variables that affect the latency of video. From encoder settings to streamer you're using, several factors have a role in.

So let's look at these factors and the best way to maximize them for reducing streaming latency while making sure the quality of your videos don't suffer the biggest hit.

• Internet connection form. The internet connection determines your speed and data transfer rates. That's the reason why Ethernet connections work better for streaming live, compared to WiFi and cellular data (it's recommended to use them as your backups though).

• Bandwidth. A higher bandwidth (the quantity of data that can be transferred at a time) results in less congestion and a faster speed for internet.

• Video file size. The larger sizes consume much more bandwidth for transferring video between points A and B, which can increase speed and also the duration of.

• Distance. This is how far away you're from your internet source. The closer you are to your source, the quicker the video stream you upload will be transferred.

• Encoder. Pick an encoder which helps to keep your latency low by communicating signals from your device to the receiving device as quickly a duration as you can. Make sure the one you select will work with the streaming service you use.
• streaming protocol is the protocol that transfers your data packets (including video and audio) through your laptop to viewers' screens. To achieve low latency, you'll have to choose a streaming protocol that reduces data loss and introduces lower latency.

Let's look at the protocols for streaming that you could select from:

• SRT It is a protocol that effectively transmits high-quality video over lengthy distances at minimal latency. But, as it's new, it's being used by technology, including encoders. How can you solve this problem? Make use of it when paired with an alternative protocol.

• WebRTC: WebRTC is great for video conferencing however it has a few compromises in video quality as it is focused on speed, primarily. However, the issue is that a lot of video players can't be used with it due to a complex set up to be deployed.
• HDL with low-latency This is ideal for low latencies of up to 2 seconds. It's therefore perfect for live streaming with interactive features. But, it's still an emerging spec so support for implementation is currently in the development.
  

Live stream that is low latency

Low latency streaming is entirely feasible with a speedy connection to the internet, a good capacity, best-fit streaming technology, and an optimized encoder.

What's more is that closing the gap between you and your internet and using lower-quality videos can be helpful.