Learn Why Wowza ClearCaster is the Right Way to Do Facebook Live

Are you looking for a powerhouse device that will allow you to deliver reliable Facebook Live streamed events? Wowza Media Systems has developed the ClearCaster™ appliance to do the trick: broadcast quality, real-time health monitoring, simple setup, professional design. Learn more: From Wowza

Twenty years ago, every TV show had a live studio audience. That’s because direct feedback from viewers is extremely valuable: The broadcaster can hear their gasps and claps, gauge their performance and react accordingly.

Today, the nature of audience engagement has changed. Many broadcasts now happen online, where there is the opportunity to engage realistically with millions of viewers. Facebook Live has exploded in popularity because it allows the world’s largest online audiences to react and interact in an way that enriches the live experience for both the broadcaster and other viewers.

This is why we created the Wowza ClearCaster™ appliance. It’s the first device that’s purpose-built to increase the success of Facebook Live streaming. We developed ClearCaster in close collaboration with Facebook: They expanded their APIs to support our professional appliance, connecting your live production workflow directly to Facebook Live.

Of course, there’s more to a successful live event than simply sending video to Facebook. Live events can be chaotic and stressful. But ClearCaster has a solution for your top streaming challenges:

• You need to know the exact moment you’re actually live—so ClearCaster has a frame-accurate, go-live countdown clock.
• Your talent needs to know what comments are coming in, without looking down at their iPhone at video that’s 10 or more seconds behind—so ClearCaster has a Talent View showing real-time follower feedback.
• You need an appliance that is tightly integrated with Facebook—so ClearCaster is the only option you can select in the /live/create drop-down menu.
• You need automated recovery when things go wrong—so if your network temporarily goes down, ClearCaster will automatically reconnect, and Facebook will pick up the stream.

More than one in four people on the planet are on Facebook, and many now stream live videos two or three times a day. In other words: To truly engage with your communities and groups, you need to be on Facebook Live. But streaming to this platform can present some challenges, even for professionals...[continue reading]