Preview a Stream using the Broadcaster app

You can use low latency preview mode with the Broadcaster app to view a stream with less delay.

Mindy Worley avatar
Written by Mindy Worley
Updated over a week ago

The BoxCast Low-Latency Preview feature allows you as a broadcaster to troubleshoot streaming issues in near-real time from a remote location. You are able to remotely monitor what your camera is sending without waiting for it to be seen by viewers, who are typically on a 30s+ delay in order to allow for transcoding/transrating of the stream. This allows you to verify camera position, audio volume, etc. much more rapidly as a type of remote confidence monitor.

From the Broadcaster app:

Open the Broadcaster app on your iOS device.

Locate the live broadcast currently streaming and tap on it.

Locate the Preview button near where the BoxCaster (or other stream source) is listed and tap on it

A full-screen preview of the broadcast is opened.

Important Notes:

  • To use the Low-Latency Preview feature for broadcasts streamed using H.265/HEVC with the Broadcaster App or the BoxCaster Pro, you’ll need to use the Broadcaster App. In addition, you can always use the Broadcaster App to preview H.264/AVC broadcasts.

  • The low-latency preview will not show scoreboard overlays, as those are embedded in the video as part of the cloud origin server process later. This tool can be useful, however, in combination with the manual scoreboard controls.

  • The low-latency preview incurs an approximately 2-3 second delay from real-time.

  • The preview is not transrated, so you must be on a device/network that supports streaming at the full bitrate that you are streaming at. It will not buffer/adjust to adapt to a slower network like the normal viewer playback would.

  • Other artifacting may be visible in the preview that will not be shown to viewers due to RTMP protocol and device limitations.

  • Preview was not designed to serve as a monitoring tool throughout an entire broadcast. Preview will close after kept active for an indeterminate amount of time.

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