Live Streaming in Cablecast
Cablecast can stream your channel as a continuous live stream — so viewers can watch your programming online in real time, not just when they tune in on cable.
Your live stream runs 24/7 alongside your regular broadcast schedule. Whatever is airing on your channel plays simultaneously on your live stream. There's no separate programming or scheduling required.
Live streaming in Cablecast uses HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), an adaptive bitrate format that adjusts video quality based on each viewer's internet connection. This helps ensure smooth playback across a range of devices and network conditions.
Do You Have Live Streaming?
Live streaming requires dedicated Live streaming hardware or an all-in-one server that includes live streaming capability. Common configurations include:
Live Solo — a standalone Live server that supports a single live stream
Live Multi — a standalone Live server that supports up to four simultaneous live streams
VIO Omni — an all-in-one server that combines video playout, VOD, and live streaming
VIOStream — an all-in-one server designed for streaming-only channels; outputs an HLS stream rather than an SDI signal
If you're not sure whether your station has live streaming set up, check with your system administrator or contact Cablecast Support.
Viewing Your Live Stream Settings
Once your Live server is configured, you can view and adjust your stream settings at any time.
Go to Settings > Location Settings > I/O Tab > Live Streaming and select your stream. Here you can review or update:
Stream name — the label used to identify this stream in Cablecast
Channel — the channel this stream is associated with
Device — the device associated with this stream
Multiple Audio Program — enable this if your stream carries multiple audio programs. When enabled, additional fields appear:
Primary Audio Language — the language of the primary audio track
Primary Audio Label — a display label for the primary audio track
Secondary Audio Language — the language of the secondary audio track
Secondary Audio Label — a display label for the secondary audio track
Stream Resolution — the output resolution of the stream
Qualities — checkboxes for the adaptive bitrate quality levels available to viewers. We recommend selecting no more than three, as additional qualities increase bandwidth and processing load on your server. These are typically configured by Cablecast Support during commissioning.
Autoplay Enabled — whether the stream player autoplays when a viewer opens the page
Note: Enabling autoplay may create barriers for some users and could conflict with WCAG 1.4.2 (Audio Control). If you enable autoplay, make sure your player provides an easily accessible pause or stop control.
Poster — the image displayed in the player when the stream is not active
Live Streaming Exempt Paused Template — the message displayed to viewers when a show marked as exempt from live streaming is airing. Shows can be marked as live streaming exempt in the Internet Video tab of their Show Record, below the VOD settings.
Stopped Template — the message displayed to viewers when the stream is stopped
Previewing Your Live Stream
You can preview your live stream directly in Cablecast at any time.
Go to Internet Video > Live Streaming and select your stream. The preview window shows you exactly what viewers are seeing on your live stream.
Sharing and Embedding Your Live Stream
From the Internet Video > Live Streaming screen, select your stream and open the Embed Code tab. This gives you an HTML snippet you can paste into any webpage to embed your live stream player.
If you publish an Internet Channel, your live stream is also available there automatically — no additional steps required. For instructions on embedding your stream on a third-party website, see Embedding Video on Third-Party Websites.
Social Streaming
Cablecast also supports streaming live events to social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook using RTMP. Unlike your HLS live stream, social streaming is event-based — you stream a specific event rather than a continuous 24/7 channel feed. Social streaming requires an active Cablecast live stream, and is configured separately from it. For full setup details, see Getting Started with Social Streaming.
