This document provides instructions for setting-up the live streaming function within PCS Pro and some video trouble-shooting tips. There is also a Match Day Quick Tip Checklist on the last page.

Video Source

Login to PCS Pro and, if it is not already, select the View -> Live Streaming option to open the default live streaming layout (with an old match open). If an active video device is connected, and PCS Pro is already configured to receive video from that source, the live video will appear in the Video Display window.

If not, connect your video source to the streaming laptop and ensure that PCS Pro is set to receive video from that source. To do this, login to PCS Pro and go to Tools -> Configuration -> Video and select the appropriate Video Capture Device; Blackmagic H.264 Pro Recorder is the default for ECB Video Analysis. IP Cameras can also be connected to directly.

If the live streaming is being hosted from a computer that is receiving video via a remote connection from another computer, ensure that “Allow Remote Video Connections to this Computer” is ticked on the computer sending the video. Then, on the receiving computer (“streaming computer”), select Remote Video (Beta), click the adjacent Settings button that will become active, and enter the IP Address or Computer Name included in the configuration section of the sending computer. The default Network Port Number should be used unless there is good reason to change it on both computers.

Once the relevant settings have been selected or entered for the video source being used, click OK – the live video will now be playing in the Video Display window if everything is working correctly.
While Remote Video can be used on most networks, it is recommended that both computers used are on a hardwired connection as WiFi is not always reliable and could affect the video performance.

 

Live Streaming Service

The settings for the Live Streaming Service being used will need to be entered next. Go to Tools ->Configuration -> Live Streaming and select the required Streaming Service, e.g. YouTube or
LiveStream.com, from the dropdown menu. If the Stream Key is not known in-advance, click the Admin Webpage link to access these from the relevant account, then enter them accordingly. Login details for the account will be required and should be obtained directly from the Live Streaming Provider.

If for some reason one of the listed Streaming Services requires you to use a different Streaming Server Address or your provider is not listed, select Custom from the list and enter the provided details.

Begin with the default Resolution of 720p (1280x720) and Target Bitrate of 2500; these can be changedlater if the stream quality requires attention. Click OK to save these settings and return to the main interface.

Now test that the stream works, well before the match starts but with the stream set to private or testing at the Live Streaming Service end, by clicking the Start Live Stream button at the bottom of the Video Display window. After a few seconds, ‘Starting…’ will change to the current CPU percentage and number of frames per second, and the button will change to Stop Live Stream with the stream duration alongside.

The live streaming will now be active at the Live Streaming Service end, from where it can be embedded back to county/club websites or social media platforms, using the Service’s embed code and/or sharing functions. Check that the streams are working in all required publishing places, then click Stop Live Stream to end the test stream, and then Start Live Stream again when the match is about to begin.

While streaming, monitor the CPU percentage, which will constantly change but ideally will not be
consistently above c.70% nor peak at 100%. If so, then ensure that all other applications are closed, including a web-browser with the live stream itself open, to minimise the CPU percentage as much as possible. The target frames per second (fps) depends on the video feed coming in but will typically be 25 or 30, but this will also constantly change, but if it is consistently below c.20 fps then similarly ensure all other applications are closed on the laptop and that the internet connection is fast enough.

Please Note: The live stream frames per second will be a maximum of 30. If the video input is 50 or 60 frames per second, this will be halved for live streaming output i.e. 25 or 30 respectively

 

Live Replays and Advanced Options

After testing the stream but before the match begins, consider then deciding which Live Replays and/or Advanced Options are to be used in the live streaming. To do this, go to Tools -> Configuration -> Live Streaming and tick the required check boxes, then click OK to save.

 

• Enable Live Replays allows replays, both normal speed and slow motion, to be inserted into the live stream. This option will enable the recording of video in the background when live streaming is running, so may effect performance on slower computers.
• Save Live Stream Replays to Video Folder saves these replays to the match video folder for later reference. It is worth noting that this will take additional storage to save the video files and it may also effect performance on slower computers
• Show “Replay” Title Graphic for Live Replays plays a left-to-right full-screen ‘wipe’ at the beginning of each replay
• Show “Replay” Watermark during Live Replays displays a Replay signifier at the bottom right hand corner of the live stream
• Disable Live Streaming Overlay Graphics will remove the score graphics from the live stream if these are not required (i.e., default setting is un-ticked/ON)
• Disable Live Stream Output Video Display will remove the output thumbnail below the main Video Display window if this is not required (i.e., default setting is un-ticked/ON). This would only typically be done on computers with speed issues
• Enable Live Streaming Logging enables any software or streaming errors to be logged under Help -> View Log (default is ticked/ON). This is important to turn on if any level of support is required

NB: Although not strictly necessary, if any of these options are changed it will be best to close and re-open PCS Pro to ensure they have taken effect. 

 

Video Display Options

 

Some options for the Video Display window, the main panel used during live streaming, also need to be considered and decided before the match starts.

Click on the settings cog at the top right-hand corner of the Video Display window, to access this menu and select required options.

• Show Overlay on Video Display turns the scoring overlay graphics within the Video Display
window ON or OFF. This does not actually affect the Live Stream itself and is more of a personal
preference whether the Video Display should be clean or not – see Disable Live Streaming Overlay
Graphics above to control whether the scoring graphics are applied to the live stream output
• Show Live Streaming Controls turns the streaming controls at the bottom of the Video Display window ON or OFF. Within these controls, use the Hide/Show Stream Output link to show or hide this small output thumbnail which shows the actual video being sent to the internet, including watermarks and scoring graphics. This is also useful for seeing other content being played into the live stream such as live replays.

Similarly, use the Replay (15 sec) button to show a 15-second, normal speed replay during the live stream, or click on the drop down arrow and select the required replay length and speed.

• Show Streaming Overlay Control turns the control panel for changing between the different
scoring graphics, as well as Media Library images and videos, ON or OFF. The default is ON,
although the panel will be auto-hidden on the right-hand edge of the main screen. Click the horizontal drawing pin to disable the auto hiding so the panel is added to the layout to resize and/or relocate as normal. During the match, click the black buttons as required to display the relevant score graphics on the live stream. Note that many of these buttons will only be available when they occur; e.g. all those under Events 1, Events 2, Activation's, and Milestones. The various Master buttons provide options to help during the live stream but when play is not in-progress, e.g. after the stream has been started but before play begins, and during innings, session, or weather breaks. The three Custom Messages options are free-text boxes to convey specific information, e.g. a start time and revised overs after a rain break has shortened a match.

• Overlay Settings will open a dialog box in which a Custom Logo can be set (this will display at the top-left of the live stream), the Opta Logo can be turned ON (this will display at the top-right) or OFF, a Custom URL can be set (e.g., that of the cricket club) that will display as part of the main
baseline score graphic, the colours of the score graphics can be changed, and finally the opacity of
the graphics can be customised to the required visibility through the score graphics.

• Stream Activation Settings will open another dialog box that enables a static image to be
optionally displayed for every Wicket, Four, or Six automatically. These will be displayed full screen
and are typically centrally provided for the competition or, if appropriate, a promotion appropriate for the match. To do this, tick the Enable checkbox for each required activation, then either select the appropriate image from the dropdown list. If the required image is not on this list, click Open Media Library to add files to the folder (this list will update automatically) or manually select an image via the Browse button. Finally, if an activation needs to be displayed for a shorter or longer period of time than the defaults provided, adjust the number of Display Seconds as required, then click Save to retain all settings.

• Live Streaming Settings is a shortcut to the Tools -> Configuration -> Live Streaming dialog, in case changes to these settings need to be made quickly during the live stream, but most of these will require the live stream to be restarted
• Enable Audio in Player will turn on the audio attached to the input video feed, so that this can be checked before starting the live stream (which may also need to be unmuted at the streaming
service end)
• Restart Video Player will restart the Blackmagic H.264 or IP Camera connection if the stream
quality is reduced because of hardware issues or to catch up to live. This is particularly useful if the video becomes delayed which can happen if the feed is interrupted or when live streaming on
slower computers or networks). Note that this option may temporarily break the live stream but will typically reconnect by itself
• Add Live Stream to Match Centre enables the live stream to be included on the Match Centre
widget for publishing on club websites. Click on this menu item to open Match Centre Live Stream
dialog box, then follow these on-screen instructions and the steps in the next section.

NB: Before adding the stream to the match centre, ensure that the YouTube stream key is entered under Tools -> Configuration -> Live Streaming tab, as explained in the Live Streaming Service section above.

 

Add YouTube Live Stream to Match Centre

Login to YouTube and proceed to the Creator Studio -> Live Streaming section, and select Events in the left-hand navigation bar.

On the right-hand main page, select either ‘Schedule a new event’ or click the ‘New live event’ to open the below page, enter the required details, and click Create Event:

Please Note: Is it important to set the live stream as Unlisted as Public Events are listed on YouTube.

We would also recommend using Normal Latency which is an available option under Stream Options as this can help reduce buffering.

If required, click Advanced Settings to check other settings, depending on how the stream needs to be setup. These and the basic settings can be changed after the event has been created by clicking the Edit button on the created event:

To access the Embed Code or Video URL when setting-up the stream in PCS Pro, click on the event
thumbnail, then on the new page, right-click on the large video player to open the below menu.

Click on either the Copy Video URL or Copy Embed Code (nothing will happen) and then return to PCS Pro, click in the YouTube Embed Code or Video URL box (as above) and either Ctrl+V or right-click and select Paste from the menu to paste the Video URL or Embed Code, as below. Once done, click Save.

To remove the live stream from the match centre, re-open this dialog box and click Remove Video.

If you wish to live stream immediately, without a pre-created event, select the Stream Now option from the above Creator Studio menu, and begin the live stream within PCS Pro – the stream will appear in the video player on the Stream Now page.

When live streaming to Stream Now or an Event, a status bar will appear above the video player. Ideally, this will always be green, indicating a strong healthy stream.

However, if the status bar turns red, the stream quality has dropped and could be at risk of breaking. This is not always the case and normally recovers if the computer and internet are running smoothly, but to resolve (or even better, avoid), see the tips here.