Wowza ClearCaster Professional Facebook Live Streaming Appliance
By Jim Bask
Whether you’re giving the nightly news or announcing an Oscar winner, the last thing you need is for your live stream to go down on the world’s largest social media site. Despite the fact that Facebook Live is now more popular than YouTube among weekly live-stream viewers, connectivity and streaming problems are all too common for broadcasters on this platform.
Professional streamers and broadcasters demand equally professional quality out of their Facebook Live streams. And their followers now expect it, as well: 90 percent of viewers say quality is the most important aspect of Facebook Live videos. However, in our recent report on Facebook Live streaming, 76 percent of respondents report errors that interfere with stream reliability and quality playback.
Luckily, there’s a solution: the Wowza ClearCaster™ appliance. It’s purpose-built for reliable, broadcast-quality streaming to Facebook Live. In this single, rack-mountable device, the benefits of industry-leading Wowza streaming software meet seamless integration with the Facebook Live APIs.
Broadcasters Report Widespread Challenges Streaming to Facebook Live
From international media companies to mid-market affiliates; live event producers to universities; broadcasters and streaming professionals need solutions that can be configured quickly and easily, and that fit naturally into their existing production workflows. But our survey respondents say equipment, setup and integration are the biggest challenges when streaming to Facebook Live.
“Of all the services out there, Facebook is the most difficult technically.” —Anonymous survey respondent
This is partially because Facebook Live has specific bandwidth and resolution requirements that must be met. Even one incorrect hardware or software setting can cause performance issues—but it can be difficult to determine what exactly went wrong.
That’s where Wowza ClearCaster comes in. It directly connects to the Facebook Live API, keeping you up to date. And it automatically configures and monitors streams for maximum resiliency and reliability. Regardless of bandwidth and connectivity issues, your stream keeps going strong. Just plug it in, and we’ll take it from there.
ClearCaster Delivers Reliable, Broadcast-Quality Streams
ClearCaster’s many benefits for broadcasters and streaming professionals include:
Auto-Configuration and Stream Health Monitoring
The Wowza ClearCaster simplifies streaming success by auto-configuring the optimal encoding settings for your on-site conditions and use case. What’s more, its real-time stream health monitoring capabilities automatically adjust stream settings on the fly, adapting to changing conditions and ensuring the maximum allowable quality and uptime.
High Resolution for Professional Productions
Plugging in ClearCaster allows broadcasters to deliver in crisp, 1080p30 content: the highest possible resolution supported by Facebook. It includes x264 for encoding high-quality video, H.264 video streams and is H.265-ready. ClearCaster even encodes and delivers in 4K and Ultra High-Definition (UHD) when supported, so you can syndicate to Facebook Live while meeting high-definition broadcast standards.
The Best Path to Facebook Live Success
Working directly with Facebook, the Wowza ClearCaster was designed with the needs of broadcasters and streaming professionals in mind. It easily integrates into existing production workflows—no changes required.
Initial setup takes less than three minutes and involves just five simple steps. After that, you can start new live streams in seconds, making ClearCaster both the best and the simplest path to broadcast-quality streaming on Facebook Live.
Wowza ClearCaster comes with an HDMI or SDI input for all your professional-grade equipment. Just plug it in, and deliver programming directly to Facebook Live from the editing bay or live production studio. You can also control ClearCaster from the Wowza web app, and start and stop streams directly within the Facebook user interface—enabling you to manage streaming from any remote location.
Attract and Engage Facebook Followers
ClearCaster’s Talent View functionality allows on-air talent to see live-streams exactly as they appear to followers, so they can instantly leverage Live Reactions and respond to comments and questions. This also allows you to immediately gauge what resonates with audiences during broadcasts.
To further enhance the experience for viewers, an integrated countdown clock lets on-screen personalities know the exact moment streams go live—no more awkward pauses or truncated content. These features help create engaging conversations that inspire loyalty from followers and build broadcasters’ brands.
We’ve Got Your Back
Keep ClearCaster plugged in, and we’ll handle push updates, so your software always has the latest fixes and features. It even comes with three years of 24/7 phone, chat and email maintenance and support for your hardware and software—so you always have expert help when you need it.
The Wowza ClearCaster was designed with the needs of industry experts like you in mind, and was purpose-built to increase your Facebook Live streaming success. Whether you’re streaming a local town hall or the Super Bowl, it’s the easiest way for professionals to connect with confidence on Facebook Live.