Streaming technology and video quality
Streaming technology and video quality
In live casinos, video quality and broadcast delay directly affect the comfort and honesty of the game. Modern platforms use a set of technologies that ensure reliability, smoothness and safety of broadcasting. Below is a detailed overview of the key components and how to optimize them.
1. Video transfer protocols
1. 1 WebRTC
Features: peer-to-peer architecture, low latency (~ 200-500 ms), built into API browsers.
Advantages: automatic NAT/Firewall bypass, stable operation with variable network quality.
Disadvantages: more difficult to scale to thousands of simultaneous viewers, requires additional SFU/MCU servers.
1. 2 RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol)
Features: Originally developed for Flash, today it works through specialized servers.
Advantages: time-tested system, flexible routing, easy integration with CDN.
Disadvantages: a large delay (1-3 seconds), requires a separate plugin or server gateway for the WebRTC transition.
1. 3 HLS/DASH
Features: segmented HTTP transmission, adaptive bitrate.
Advantages: wide compatibility (any browsers and devices), automatic quality adjustment.
Disadvantages: high latency (5-15 s), suitable mainly for videos with less interactivity requirements.
2. Codecs and compression
2. 1 H.264 (AVC)
Prevalence: industry standard, hardware support on all devices.
Balance: Good quality at moderate bitrate (1-3Mbps for 720p, 3-5Mbps for 1080p).
2. 2 H.265 (HEVC)
Advantages: about twice the compression ratio at the same quality.
Limitations: not supported by hardware everywhere, requires decoding power.
2. 3 VP8/VP9 и AV1
Google/Alliance for Open Media: Free and open source codecs.
Usage: VP8/VP9 common in WebRTC, AV1 is gaining popularity due to better compression.
Disadvantages: AV1 requires significant resources for encoding and decoding.
3. Adaptive bitrate (ABR)
1. Purpose: Automatically switch stream quality based on available bandwidth and device load.
2. Implementation: chunk video segmentation (HLS/DASH) or dynamic keyframe in WebRTC.
3. Result: minimal buffering, stable FPS without artifacts, optimal quality/traffic ratio.
4. CDN and global coverage
Content Delivery Network: a network of distributed servers to quickly deliver a video stream geographically.
Delay reduction: the stream is taken from the nearest node, reducing RTT (Round Trip Time).
Load on the origin server: CDN caches segments and reduces peak loads on central translation servers.
5. Delay optimization
1. Buffer minimization: in WebRTC players, the buffer can be 0-3 chunks for a response <1 s.
2. UDP priority: WebRTC uses UDP by default, which reduces latency compared to TCP.
3. QoS and traffic prioritization: at the router and CDN level, DSCP marks for video packet priority.
4. Audio/video synchronization: important for synchronous perception - A/V sync within 20-40 ms.
6. Hardware acceleration
GPU Encoding: Reduces the CPU load on the server when streaming.
On-device decoding: Browsers automatically use hardware H.264/VP9 decoders, reducing power consumption and heating.
7. Video Stream Security
1. SRTP encryption: in WebRTC - Secure Real-time Transport Protocol for content protection.
2. TLS/HTTPS: all control traffic (bets, interface) goes over a secure channel.
3. Digitally signed: checking the integrity of the player scripts and stream quality.
8. Monitoring and analytics
Indicators: ping, packet loss, jitter, FPS, buffer level, bitrate.
Tools: built-in browser consoles (WebRTC-internals), commercial monitoring platforms (Grafana, Datadog).
Reaction: automatic switching to redundant servers, technical support notifications with an increase in errors> 1%.
9. Impact on user experience
Video quality (720p vs 1080p): Selection depends on connection speed and screen size.
Smooth animations: high frame rate (30-60 FPS) is critical in roulette and blackjack for accurate perception.
Stability: the absence of "freezes" and distortions in the picture increases confidence in the platform.
Interactivity: Low latency is a key factor in live betting, especially in the fast Speed Baccarat and Auto Roulette formats.
Conclusion
The optimal combination of WebRTC with H.264/VP8, adaptive bitrate, global CDN and hardware acceleration provides high-quality and reliable live casino broadcast in the browser. Proper buffer tuning, traffic prioritization and continuous monitoring allow Australian players to receive a smooth HD video stream with minimal latency and a high degree of security without having to download client applications.
In live casinos, video quality and broadcast delay directly affect the comfort and honesty of the game. Modern platforms use a set of technologies that ensure reliability, smoothness and safety of broadcasting. Below is a detailed overview of the key components and how to optimize them.
1. Video transfer protocols
1. 1 WebRTC
Features: peer-to-peer architecture, low latency (~ 200-500 ms), built into API browsers.
Advantages: automatic NAT/Firewall bypass, stable operation with variable network quality.
Disadvantages: more difficult to scale to thousands of simultaneous viewers, requires additional SFU/MCU servers.
1. 2 RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol)
Features: Originally developed for Flash, today it works through specialized servers.
Advantages: time-tested system, flexible routing, easy integration with CDN.
Disadvantages: a large delay (1-3 seconds), requires a separate plugin or server gateway for the WebRTC transition.
1. 3 HLS/DASH
Features: segmented HTTP transmission, adaptive bitrate.
Advantages: wide compatibility (any browsers and devices), automatic quality adjustment.
Disadvantages: high latency (5-15 s), suitable mainly for videos with less interactivity requirements.
2. Codecs and compression
2. 1 H.264 (AVC)
Prevalence: industry standard, hardware support on all devices.
Balance: Good quality at moderate bitrate (1-3Mbps for 720p, 3-5Mbps for 1080p).
2. 2 H.265 (HEVC)
Advantages: about twice the compression ratio at the same quality.
Limitations: not supported by hardware everywhere, requires decoding power.
2. 3 VP8/VP9 и AV1
Google/Alliance for Open Media: Free and open source codecs.
Usage: VP8/VP9 common in WebRTC, AV1 is gaining popularity due to better compression.
Disadvantages: AV1 requires significant resources for encoding and decoding.
3. Adaptive bitrate (ABR)
1. Purpose: Automatically switch stream quality based on available bandwidth and device load.
2. Implementation: chunk video segmentation (HLS/DASH) or dynamic keyframe in WebRTC.
3. Result: minimal buffering, stable FPS without artifacts, optimal quality/traffic ratio.
4. CDN and global coverage
Content Delivery Network: a network of distributed servers to quickly deliver a video stream geographically.
Delay reduction: the stream is taken from the nearest node, reducing RTT (Round Trip Time).
Load on the origin server: CDN caches segments and reduces peak loads on central translation servers.
5. Delay optimization
1. Buffer minimization: in WebRTC players, the buffer can be 0-3 chunks for a response <1 s.
2. UDP priority: WebRTC uses UDP by default, which reduces latency compared to TCP.
3. QoS and traffic prioritization: at the router and CDN level, DSCP marks for video packet priority.
4. Audio/video synchronization: important for synchronous perception - A/V sync within 20-40 ms.
6. Hardware acceleration
GPU Encoding: Reduces the CPU load on the server when streaming.
On-device decoding: Browsers automatically use hardware H.264/VP9 decoders, reducing power consumption and heating.
7. Video Stream Security
1. SRTP encryption: in WebRTC - Secure Real-time Transport Protocol for content protection.
2. TLS/HTTPS: all control traffic (bets, interface) goes over a secure channel.
3. Digitally signed: checking the integrity of the player scripts and stream quality.
8. Monitoring and analytics
Indicators: ping, packet loss, jitter, FPS, buffer level, bitrate.
Tools: built-in browser consoles (WebRTC-internals), commercial monitoring platforms (Grafana, Datadog).
Reaction: automatic switching to redundant servers, technical support notifications with an increase in errors> 1%.
9. Impact on user experience
Video quality (720p vs 1080p): Selection depends on connection speed and screen size.
Smooth animations: high frame rate (30-60 FPS) is critical in roulette and blackjack for accurate perception.
Stability: the absence of "freezes" and distortions in the picture increases confidence in the platform.
Interactivity: Low latency is a key factor in live betting, especially in the fast Speed Baccarat and Auto Roulette formats.
Conclusion
The optimal combination of WebRTC with H.264/VP8, adaptive bitrate, global CDN and hardware acceleration provides high-quality and reliable live casino broadcast in the browser. Proper buffer tuning, traffic prioritization and continuous monitoring allow Australian players to receive a smooth HD video stream with minimal latency and a high degree of security without having to download client applications.
