A remote livestream has a unique id and all metadata and analytics stored in Flowplayer. However the livestream is not encoded using our servers and we only use a link to the actual livestream. It is similar in concept to a remote video.
When to create a remote livestream
The best option is always to create livestreams using Flowplayer to benefit from our optimized encoding and delivery infrastructure. However, sometimes you may need a different approach for example if you get to use a stream from a different content provider. In this case creating a remote livestream in Flowplayer is a great idea to ensure that you get all analytics and can fully benefit from that even though the stream itself comes from a different source.
Creating a remote livestream using Flowplayer has the following benefits:
Display the right information in the player such as title and description
Gather analytics about the livestream engagement
Ensure the stream is played correctly by the player
If you don’t want any of the above benefits you can load the livestream directly using the Player API.
Create a remote livestream in the dashboard
You can create a remote livestream in the dashboard by clicking + Add new from the Livestream view.
Then you will enter a three-step process to set up the livestream:
Type: Decide what type of livestream it should be (live now, scheduled or 24x7)
Metadata: Enter metadata such as title and description
Source: Enter the URL to the remote livestream in the form of the link to an HTTP Live master manifest as in the image below. For example: https://www.content-provider.com/path/manifest.m3u8
In case a remote livestream has poor video quality you need to contact the entity responsible for delivering the remote livestream since Flowplayer encoding is not being used for remote livestreams.
Creating a remote livestream through the API
To create a remote livestream you can use the API.
How to see that a livestream is a remote asset
All livestreams that are remote assets (e.g. hosted from a server outside of Flowplayer) has a cloud icon in the live listings such as on the picture below.