Church live streaming glossary—terms you need to know

Thanks to the accessibility of live streaming, digitally connecting with your church and expanding your reach has never been easier. But live streaming can seem intimidating to many churches, especially those without much technological experience. 

One of the biggest barriers to entry for churches is understanding live streaming terminology. The technology involved with capturing and streaming video involves many words that may be unfamiliar—even to those who are tech savvy.

Here are a few of the key terms every church should know when exploring live streaming solutions:

• Latency
• Encoder/Encoding
• Compression
• Codec
• Bitrate
• Frame rate
• Transmission
• Transcoding
• Simulated live streaming

What is latency?

Latency is a measurement of time from when something is recorded to when it is displayed. Essentially, latency refers to the delay from when your video is captured to when the stream reaches your viewers.

Every live stream experiences latency, but it is important to know the effect of different latencies on the viewing experience. A lower latency means a shorter delay. Latency is typically 5–18 seconds but can sometimes be upwards of one minute. 

For most live streaming providers, including Subsplash Live, latency is often five seconds or under, which is ideal for scenarios where viewer participation requires you to interact in a timely manner. If your streamed content rarely incorporates real-time interaction from viewers, a higher latency may be acceptable for your church’s needs.

What is an encoder and how does it work?

Encoding is the process of converting and compressing audio and video files into a usable format in order to distribute your church’s live streamed content to your custom mobile app, TV app, and website, as well as across platforms like Facebook Live and YouTube. This is done through an encoder, which is an essential component of live streaming. 

Encoders can be either hardware-based or software-based and both serve the same function. Hardware encoders are physical devices, while software encoders are applications that run on a computer.

The pros and cons of hardware encoders:

Pros    

     
• Great performance for high-quality streaming
     
• Highly reliable by serving one purpose
     
• High encoding speeds result in lower latency
   

Cons

     
• Can be expensive; many start at $200 and reach upwards of $1,000
• May require additional equipment to access certain functions; such as switching
• Difficult to upgrade; may need to be completely replaced as technology advances
   

The pros and cons of software encoders:

Pros

     
• Affordable; some free options
     
• More customization to adjust bitrate and video quality
     
• Easy to update when a new version is released
   

Cons

     
• Resource intensive meaning they’re only as good as the computer running them
• Slower encoding speeds result in higher latency
• Lower performance, especially in lower-end computers or when multitasking
   

It’s important that your encoder, whether hardware or software, is compatible with your church’s live streaming provider. For example, Subsplash Live supports a wide range of popular encoders so you can quickly and effortlessly live stream! 

What is compression?

Compression refers to the deliberate reduction of your stream’s data. This creates a more manageable size and format. This enables you to better deliver your streams and produce a faster and higher quality video.

What is a codec?

Codec is short for coder-decoder. It can be either a hardware device or—more commonly—a computer program that’s used to compress your church’s video and audio into smaller sizes and formats, which are later decoded once played on a user’s device. The main function of a codec is to decrease the bitrate and file size of your stream while maintaining a quality viewing experience. 

H.264 is the most common codec used for high definition video compression. Most hardware and software encoders are compatible with H.264 and it is often recommended by live streaming providers.

What does bitrate mean?

A bit is the smallest unit of measurement in relation to computer storage. Bitrate measures the number of bits that are processed per second to be transmitted through a digital network.

It's important to consider the viewing experience when choosing a bitrate. A higher bitrate means a higher quality video for your live stream. However, if your average viewer does not have fast, reliable internet they will be unable to stream at that high of quality, resulting in an unpleasant viewing experience. 

Lower bitrates offer a more consistent and stable stream for a wider audience. But even with the best internet connection, streams with lower bitrates will still have a poorer quality video than those with a higher bitrate.

One way to get the best of both worlds is to find a live streaming provider that supports adaptive-bitrate streams (coming soon to Subsplash Live). Adaptive-bitrate streaming adjusts the stream’s quality based on the available internet connection and capability. This gives users the best viewing experience their internet connection can support. 

What does frame rate mean?

Every video is a collection of images. Each individual image is referred to as a frame. The frame rate is the speed at which those frames are shown. A higher frame rate results in a smoother video, while a lower frame rate is more choppy. 

Frames-per-second (fps) is the most common frame rate measurement, with 24fps, 30fps, and 60fps being the most common frame rates. A frame rate of 30fps means that each second of your stream has 30 frames. 

Higher frame rates are great when capturing fast-paced movements. If your church has a simple setup—for example, one pastor preaching to the camera—a lower frame rate is more than sufficient to produce a quality stream.

What is transmission?

Transmission is the process of transferring data from one location to another. There are several technologies used for transmitting video via live streams, but the most widely used and recognized is Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP). This industry-standard protocol provides a high-performance transmission of the video, audio, and data of your church’s stream between your encoder and server across the internet. RTMP is an essential part of live streaming because it allows you to stream across several different platforms, such as Facebook, Youtube, or Subsplash Live, in order to expand your church’s reach.

What is transcoding?

Transcoding is the process of re-encoding a video file or stream and converting it from one format to another. Transcoding results in the creation of multiple versions of the same stream in a variety of qualities and sizes in order to decrease buffering and latency in the viewing experience.

What is simulated live streaming?

Simulated live streaming mimics a live stream experience through the use of a pre-recorded video. For example, “simulated live” is a feature of Subsplash Live that allows you to record a video, edit it, then stream it as a live broadcast through your app and website later. 

This is great for situations where your church might not have the time or resources to execute a live event—or if you just want to rebroadcast content. Plus, this gives you the flexibility to schedule when your simulated streams go “live,” streaming to your viewers as if it were a true live broadcast.

Familiarizing yourself with the language used around streaming is an essential step when exploring church live streaming solutions. Now that you're up to speed on the most important terminology, you have everything you need to make the best decision for your organization! 

Ready to learn how your organization can better engage your audience anytime, anywhere with Subsplash Live? Check it out!

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