WebRTC and Low-Latency Streaming
Learn more about streaming latency at Streaming Media East 2022.
Read the complete transcript of this clip:
Ryan Jespersen: When we talk about low latency, what are we talking about? Are we talking about contribution? Are we talking about all of us working together on content in real time? Or are we talking about distribution? I think there's three different pieces where that's key. Some of the questions we're getting, as far as the contribution side, are how can we use WebRTC for encoder workflows and high-quality workflows? And how can we add the interactivity piece like we can in Zoom while still retaining the broadcast quality that we want in the contribution side? I think what you're seeing a lot of is, WebRTC is doing a lot on that side from a client SDK side and trying to build those workflows into encoders.
The other part that I think very compelling is using the cloud as the mixer for now doing these new advanced workflows. We had BirdDog as a sponsor, right, and congratulations to them. They went public on the Australian stock exchange about a month ago. And with BirdDog, obviously they're doing NDI, but we worked with them actually doing NDI to WebRTC transmuxer so that people could now mix NDI BirdDog cameras in the cloud using WebRTC, and then distribute over a WebRTC CDN.
And then there's a distribution part. And I think obviously I'm pitching WebRTC here. I think WebRTC can be used end-to-end for contribution mixing and distribution, keeping the native protocol end-to-end. I think the beautiful thing about WebRTC is that by default over UDP it prioritizes latency over anything else. It would rather drop packets than take any more time. And I think as people talk about SRT or they talk about other HTTP protocols or even RTMP, these are TCP protocols that actually try to mimic--especially with SRT or Zixi--the resiliency of TCP, but while still trying to act like UDP. The reality is if you want speed, you've gotta drop packets on bad connections or find a way to adaptively adapt the encoding at source. And that's what WebRTC does natively.
So there's something beautiful about that workflow. As WebRTC matures, people are building broadcast-quality tools around that to actually do the contribution side as a way to replace it.
Related Articles
Strategizing for low-latency streaming at scale and choosing WebRTC or another protocol means juggling multiple priorities and assessing stream resiliency on both the contribution and distribution ends. Dolby.io's Ryan Jespersen and AWS's Evan Statton make the case for WebRTC in this clip from Streaming Media Connect.
21 Feb 2024
With large sports-streaming operators, WebRTC provides a real opportunity for ultra-low-latency streaming. But those same operators, which spend billions on licensing rights, can't afford to just swap the ability to stream content in real time for basic OTT functionality like SSAI and DRM.
19 Jan 2024
videoRx's Robert Reinhardt guides viewers through the key enabling technologies of low-latency streaming, including server ingest and client delivery protocols like WebRTC, NDI, RTMP, and HLS in this presentation from Streaming Media West 2022.
20 Feb 2023
Interactive streaming is the future for high-quality ultra-low latency applications that will unlock unique and unprecedented experiences for users
19 Aug 2022
Real-time streaming at global scale has long been the holy grail for live delivery, and a new Streaming Media survey looks to gain insight into both the current state of real-time streaming and where it's headed in the near future, particularly for sports and betting.
16 May 2022
WarnerMedia SVP Renard T. Jenkins discusses the security challenges of cloud-based streaming at scale in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2022.
22 Apr 2022
Advances in Low-Latency DASH and HLS will allow for greater scalability and interactivity for better live streaming experiences, while AVOD and FAST viewing continue to grow
21 Apr 2022
Signiant's Bill Thompson outlines the reasons why customers are asking for multi-cloud solutions for large-file transfer services in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2022.
20 Apr 2022
CNN+ Live Operations Manager Ben Ratner discusses how even "ultra-low latency" complicates hybrid (cloud and on-prem) workflows in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2022.
18 Apr 2022
Andy Howard and Tim Siglin discuss the importance of low latency in video conferencing and how popular video conferencing tools like Zoom, Teams, and WebEx use scalable video encoding to guarantee access and lower latency in this clip from their panel at Streaming Media Connect 2022.
04 Apr 2022
The pandemic highlighted the need for ultra-low-latency video. Here's a look at how the industry has responded, from LL-HLS and DASH to WebRTC
26 Mar 2022
VideoRx CTO Robert Reinhardt discusses how using various server-side architectures with WebRTC is like to play out, whether it's open course, commercial/licensed server, or cloud services, in this clip from Streaming Media West Connect.
23 Nov 2020
VideoRx CTO Robert Reinhardt discusses client-side architecture issues and pain points unique to WebRTC in this clip from Streaming Media West Connect.
20 Nov 2020
VideoRx CTO Robert Reinhardt discusses WebRTC's emergence as a low-latency option for one-to-many streaming, and the challenges of scaling it in this clip from his presentation at Streaming Media West Connect.
18 Nov 2020
Companies and Suppliers Mentioned