How many receiving sites can we have?

[buzaggie]

Our Stake Conference is scheduled this Sunday, one day before the new policies take effect. Our Stake President is seeking guidance but in the meantime, we have offered YouTube Live as a possible solution to keep everybody home, yet still broadcast from our local tabernacle. I'll let you all know the outcome.

[buzaggie]

Scratch that, Stake Conference officially canceled.

[kfred]

I'm a bit concerned about the assertion that setting the "large event" option will support 200 viewing sessions. The scale is likely not limited by a license, but by network bandwidth. Part of the bandwidth equation is the virtual host NIC provisioned in the Azure cloud (normal vs. large event?) but another part of that is what bit-rate your'e sending and what the viewers are watching.

If someone knows the details, I would like to know what is being provisioned with these two options. If the infrastructure scales to 200 users watching 720p @ 1.5Mbps , will it scale to perhaps 400 users if I drop the resolution to 480p @ 750Kbps? What bitrate was used to derive the 200 user limit?

Here's an approach to scale the existing infrastructure for the tech savvy. You should all be able to find someone in your stakes with Linux skills to help with this (or Windows skills if you're up in Idaho . Schedule 2 or 3 events at the same time, so you have 3 stream servers. Set up a linux PC and install the rtmp server. You can find guides like this via google: https://sites.google.com/view/facebook- ... rtmps/home. Use multiple push statements in the rtmp file, one push for each of the backend stream servers. If there are 9 wards in your stake, give each set of 3 wards one of the three codes, so the watchers are distributed. Now you can scale to 600 families watching.

Yeah, it's a bit geeky, but it uses the existing infrastructure which is pretty nice from a control and visibility standpoint.

[russellhltn]

Schedule 2 or 3 events at the same time, so you have 3 stream servers.

The lowest authority for the webcast is the stake president. I have doubts that the system allows the stake to schedule more than one event at the same time.

[lajackson]

I have doubts that the system allows the stake to schedule more than one event at the same time.

It can be done but I think you have to use two different encoders. There was a primary and a backup for the last regional visit from an Apostle. The primary cratered and we all had to jump to the backup. The hosting stake borrowed an encoder from a neighboring stake. Glad they did it that way.

[kfred]

Schedule 2 or 3 events at the same time, so you have 3 stream servers.

The lowest authority for the webcast is the stake president. I have doubts that the system allows the stake to schedule more than one event at the same time.

The system allows it, and I've used it to provide redundancy when an apostle visited for a youth conference late 2018. I provisioned two sessions in different cloud regions. We had a rogue client connect to the primary stream that caused performance issues, which was averted by having some of the sites move to the backup stream server, which I provisioned in another cloud region. You either need multiple encoders (not realistic for most) or something to forward the stream to multiple stream servers (the rtmp server I suggested).

This isn't just an idea, it's something I've already used; just sharing.

[russellhltn]

Interesting. My experience with visits from apostles is that CHQ reaches out and gives me a link to Brightcove.

[russellhltn]

Part of a letter just sent via email today, to what I assume are all members/all members with email subscriptions:

Beginning immediately, all public gatherings of Church members are being temporarily suspended worldwide until further notice. This includes:

- Stake conferences, leadership conferences and other large gatherings.
- All public worship services, including sacrament meetings.
- Branch, ward and stake activities.

Where possible, leaders should conduct any essential leadership meetings via technology. Specific questions may be referred to local priesthood leaders. Further direction related to other matters will be provided.

Bishops should counsel with their stake president to determine how to make the sacrament available to members at least once a month.

[Biggles]

And another letter also published today gives the times of the satellite broadcasts etc., encouraging members to watch the various General Conference sessions!

[russellhltn]

And another letter also published today gives the times of the satellite broadcasts etc., encouraging members to watch the various General Conference sessions!

Watching make great sense. But I doubt if we'll be seeing much of an audience at the Conference Center. Even the choir might be trimmed back.