Technical Support: How to troubleshoot technical issues
Creating and live-streaming video content has become increasingly popular over the past few years. With the emergence of various social media platforms, individuals and businesses alike are now able to reach larger audiences through live-streaming videos. However, as many of us know, technical issues often arise when live streaming and these issues can be frustrating and detrimental to the success of the live stream. In this post, we will discuss techniques and strategies for troubleshooting technical issues during live-stream video production.
The Pre-Live Stream Technical Checklist:
Before you go live, you want to ensure that all technical aspects of your equipment are in proper working order. Here are some things you should check before going live:
Testing your Internet speed: A weak Internet connection will lead to buffering and lagging during your live stream. This can significantly impact the quality of your stream. You can test your internet speed online, and if it’s consistently weak, you may need to consider upgrading your internet plan or purchasing additional equipment such as a Wi-Fi extender to strengthen it.
Device storage space: Your device may need to have enough storage space to record and stream the video. If your device does not have sufficient storage, you may want to consider transferring the video files to an external hard drive or deleting files that are taking up space.
Battery charge: Ensure that your device has enough battery life to last the duration of the live stream. If your device is running low on battery, it may shut off during the stream.
Connecting with Chat Users:
- Live streaming platforms usually provide chat functions for users to interact with the host or the streamer. Here are some things you may want to consider when troubleshooting issues related to chat:
- Chat Box Display: Ensure that the chat box is visible and displayed prominently in the live stream video. This will make it easier for viewers to engage in the conversation.
- Moderation: Live streaming can sometimes attract negativity from some users. Consider appointing a moderator to manage users’ engagement and eliminate spam or hateful comments.
- User Input Connection: The chat function may experience connection issues, leading to latency in messages being displayed in the chat box. You may want to test this function by sending a message when testing, to see if it renders properly in the chat box.
Troubleshooting Audio Issues:
Audio quality is a critical component of live-stream production. Here are 3 steps you can use to troubleshoot audio issues:
- Check the audio cable and connections: Ensure that all audio cables and connections are securely plugged in. Also, make sure that there are no loose connections, by checking the device’s audio settings.
- Check audio levels: Ensure that audio levels are not too high or too low. This can be done by checking the audio levels in the device or using an audio mixer to modify it.
- Check external sound Distractions: Outside background noises or echoes can impact the quality of your audio. Finding a quiet environment or using noise reduction software can help resolve this issue.
Troubleshooting Video Issues:
Video quality is also a vital part of a live stream production. Ensure that you troubleshoot any video issues in advance so that your viewers have the best quality experience. Here are some things that you can do to troubleshoot these issues:
- Checking Camera Focus: Ensure that the camera is in focus and that it’s focused on the central subject of the video stream.
- Checking Proper Framing: Proper framing implies having the correct aspect ratio for the device screen size and that the video shot is adequately composed to prevent cutoffs.
Testing video platform connectivity with your device: Verify that the device program communicates with the platform correctly. This is possible via testing when not streaming or trying to restart the device stream entirely.
When it comes to troubleshooting technical issues during a live stream, patience is key. However, with the above techniques and strategies, you can ensure that you are prepared to diagnose and resolve issues in real-time. Technical glitches can be challenging, but being well-prepared with a pre-live stream setup and awareness of the potential risks along with clear communication can go a long way to providing a solution to your technical problems.
