FAQ

Camera

Q: What camera do you recommend for use in LiveArena?
A: Remember to ensure that your camera is compatible with your computer. We recommend you to use a semi-professional camera with HDMI output and Black Magic PCI Express video card for input to your computer.

Q: Can I use a Firewire cable?
A: Yes you can, if your camera is compatible with your computer but we recommend HDMI.

Q: How long can my cable be?
A: With HDMI you can use longer cables (up to 30 feet), but with Firewire we recommend that your cable doesn´t exceed 6 feet in length.

Q: Is it OK to zoom in-and-out
A: Yes, no problem, but small camera movements are recommended.

Q: Is it enough to start the camera or do I need to press “Record” in order for my broadcast to start?
A: You only need to start the camera and make sure you are in “Camera mode”, not in “Play/VCR mode”. You don´t have to press “Record”.

Q: The video is fine but I get no sound in my broadcast. Why?
A: The reason could be that your camera is set to “Memory card mode” and not to “Tape mode” or equivalent.

Computer

Q: How powerful does my computer need to be?
See our recommendations.

Q: Can I use a laptop when streaming in LiveArena?
A: Yes you can. But we recommend that you make sure your PC meets the requirements and recommendations and that your computer is compatible with your camera.

Q: Can I use a Mac when live streaming in LiveArena?
A: LiveArena is a Smooth Streaming service and we recommend Microsoft Expression Encoder for software, PC only. Therefore you can try to run your Mac on Windows for Mac OS.

Q: Why do a need a Video Capture Card?
A: You need that in order to be able to receive the video stream from your camera. We recommend Black Magic PCI Express video capture card for HDMI input.

Q: Can I have a screensaver active when live streaming?
A: No, turn your screensaver off to avoid interruptions of your broadcast.

Q: My computer goes into sleep mode during broadcast and my live stream dies. What can I do?
A: Find settings for energy savings mode under the Control Panel and turn your power setting to “Never”.

Internet

Q: What Internet connection do I need?
A: We recommend using a dedicated Ethernet connection of at least 2 Mbit/s. You can of course try streaming with less connection capacity and/or use 3G/4G, WiFi or shared network. This increases possible failure and is not recommended. Try your internet connection here: http://speedtest.net/

Q: My broadcast is buffering every now and then. What can I do?
A: You might want to try to lower the bitrates of your streams. If it is related to insufficient bandwidth contact your local Internet Service Provider for upgrade.

Expression Encoder Pro 4

Q: What is Expression Encoder 4 Pro?
A: Expression Encoder is a professional encoding tool that offers enhancement, encoding, and publishing of rich video experiences with Microsoft Silverlight. Convert and compress multiple video formats to SMPTE standard VC-1 video or H.264 for mobile, web, and HD video scenarios.

Q: Where can I purchase Expression Encoder 4 Pro?
A: Expression Encoder 4 Pro can be purchased from a range of resellers and online resellers or can be purchased for immediate download from Microsoft's online store.

Q: What is the price for Expression Encoder 4 Pro?
A: Encoder 4 Pro has an estimated retail price of US $199.

Q: In what languages will Expression Encoder 4 Pro be available?
A: It is available in the following languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, and Korean.

Q: Is there a trial version of Expression Encoder 4 Pro?
A: No, however there is a limited feature version called Expression Encoder 4 that is free and never expires and is currently available for download here. Some of the limits include the lack of some 3rd party codecs, no live Smooth Streaming for IIS encoding and a 10 minute time limit on the length of screen captures

Q: Where can I find resources to help me use my Expression products?
A: There is an Expression Community Web site that contains a frequently updated wealth of materials on all the Expression products and the Microsoft technologies that they are designed to work with.

Q: What Video formats are supported by Expression Encoder 4 Pro?
A: Expression Encoder will support input of AVI, WMV, WMA, MOV (QuickTime if installed), MPEG and additional formats with suitable (DirectShow) decompressors installed. Output formats are VC-1 and H.264.

Q: How do I get technical support for my purchased Expression product?
A: Visit Microsoft Help and Support.

Q: What should I do if my live stream suddenly stops?
A: Click “Generate” and the stream should start up again. If it doesn´t – wait for 60 seconds and then click “Generate” once more.

Q: My broadcast stops and I get an error message. Why?
A: The cause of error messages in Expression Encoder may vary. The most common are:

  • “Network error” - You might want to try to lower the bitrates of your streams. If it is related to insufficient bandwidth contact your local Internet Service Provider.
  • “Dropped frames” – You might want to try to delete one or more of your streams. It might be enough to lower the bitrates a bit.
  • “Publishing point in use” - Click “Generate” and the stream should start up again. If it doesn´t restart, wait for 60 seconds and then click “Generate” once more.

Q: My broadcast is buffering every now and then. What can I do?
A: You might want to try to lower the bitrates of your streams. If it is related to insufficient bandwidth contact your local Internet Service Provider for upgrade.

Publishers

Q: What do I need to broadcast in Live Arena?
A: You need to register your company or organisation and receive login credentials. And also the recommendations for:

Q: Who can become a publisher in LiveArena?
A: Any registered club, association, organization or company that qualifies according to the rules and regulations set by LiveArena.

Q: What is the maximum number of viewers who can watch my broadcast?
A: We currently don't have any theoretical upper limit for the number of viewers on a live broadcast.

Q: How often may I broadcast live?
A: You can broadcast as often as you like!

Q: How long in advance do I need to book an event?
A: You need to book your event at least 24 hours in advance, but not more than six (6) months in advance.

Q: Can I limit my broadcast to a specific geographic area or location (geolocation)?
A: Yes, once you become a LiveArena Pro customer. (Pro service available in a near future)

Q: May I charge the viewers for watching my event?
A: Yes, you may do that on your own website once you become a LiveArena Pro customer.

Q: Can I sell and display advertisement for my live event?
A: Yes, you may do that on your own website once you become a LiveArena Pro customer.

Q: Must my live event be visible in LiveArena or can I keep it private?
A: In the free version your event will be a part of the LiveArena portal. Once you become a LiveArena Pro customer you can keep it private.

Q: In which bitrate(s) can I broadcast?
A: It´s all up to you! You can stream your event in multiple bitrates enabled by the Smooth Streaming technology and you decide the quality of your streams in Expression Encoder. We recommend at least two streams (1100 and 750 kbit/s) in order to ensure the quality of your broadcast if you meet the recommendation of at least 2Mbit/s upstream connection.

Q: Can my live event be viewed on any device/platform?
A: As long as the device/platform is adaptive to Microsoft Silverlight Player and Peer2View technologies.

Q: Where do my viewers turn if they have trouble watching my broadcast?
A: They will contact you on the email address you entered during the registration process.

Q: How do I connect my camera?
A: Expression Encoder enables you to work with a large number of inputs. For best results when using an external device such as a DV camera we recommend using HDMI connection

Q: How can I broadcast to viewers with a low bandwidth connection?
A: Smooth Streaming is designed especially to enable our producers to broadcast worldwide, to anybody with a decent computer and connection. If your viewers have a very low connection speed and you are smooth streaming with low bitrates, they hopefully can catch the lowest available bitrate offered.

Q: Can I embed my channel on my own website?
A: Yes, with a LiveArena Pro account you can by using an embedded code.

Q: Can I offer pay-per-view with LiveArena?
A: LiveArena does not offer pay-per-view monetization unless you are a Pro customer and then it will be on your own website.

Q: Can I restrict access to my live event with a password?
A: Yes, as a LiveArena Pro customer you can protect it by login on your own website.

Q: Can I broadcast in 16:9 resolution?
A: Yes, Settings to be found in Expression Encoder.

Q: How much bandwidth do I need to broadcast live?
A: For your production needs, we suggest 2000 Kbps or higher upstream bandwidth to stream in high quality. In some cases, using a lower quality setting you can get by with less, but we don't recommend it.

Q: Do I need to worry about copyright issues?
A: In addition to your own original programming, you can use existing copyright-free content on your broadcast. It is your responsibility to make sure the content you broadcast contains no copyright infringements. LiveArena will shut down any account that is breaching content copyrights. See the “Legal” page.

Q: What size and format are best for my logo?
A: The image should be square in formats “jpeg” or “png” and it should not exceed 10 Mb in size.

Q: I didn't receive a confirmation mail after signing up. What should I do?
A: The confirmation mail should have been sent automatically as soon as you finished signing up. If you didn't receive it right away, it could be caused by a typo in your e-mail address or the confirmation mail might have ended up in your spam folder. Please make sure your spam filter enables info@livearena.com to reach your inbox.

Q: How Do I Change My Password?
A: You can change your password from the My Profile page. Note: your password should be at least eight (8) characters long and contain both letters and numbers.

Q: What do my viewers need to watch the event?
A: To be able to watch the videos they need to install Microsoft Silverlight and Peer2View.

Q: Where can I get Silverlight / Peer2View
A: Silverlight is the browser plugin…
Download:
http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx

Peer2View is an application to enhance the experience and allow higher quality streams.
Download for windows: http://www.peer2view.com/Windows.aspx
Download P2V for MAC: http://www.peer2view.com/Mac.aspx

To install the applications, simply press play on the video you want to watch in LiveArena and follow the instructions.

Q: Where do I turn if I have problems with my live event?
A: Contact publisher@livearena.com

Q: For how long can I broadcast each event?
For 12 hours. For longer events please contact: booking@livearena.com

Viewers

Q: Does my browser require any plug-ins?
A: You need to use Microsoft Silverlight Player and you also need to install a Peer2View client. This means that LiveArena can´t be viewed in other media players like QuickTime, VLC, etc.
To install the applications, simply press play on the video you want to watch in LiveArena and follow the instructions.

Download Silverlight / Peer2View
Silvelight:
http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx

Peer2View for windows:
http://www.peer2view.com/Windows.aspx

Peer2View for MACC:
http://www.peer2view.com/Mac.aspx

Q: What are the recommended System Requirements for best viewing experience in LiveArena?

Microsoft Microsoft Windows

Operating System: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
Service Pack 2 Intel® 3.2Ghz Pentium 4 or faster processor (or equivalent)1 GB ofRAM

MacOS Mac OS

Operating System: Apple Mac OS X 10.4.8 or above Intel Core™ Duo 1.83Ghz or faster processor(Intel only) 1 GB of RAM

Browsers:
We recommend that you use the latest version of any browser below.
Internet Explorer 6+ for Windows (XP SP2 or greater)
Firefox 2+ on Windows (XP SP2 or greater)
Google Chrome on Windows (XP SP2 or greater)
Safari 2+ for Macintosh (Intel only)

Q: How do I view a LiveArena event?
A: Viewing takes place in the browser. This means that LiveArena is compatible with most major browsers on most major operating systems. We recommend upgrading your browser whenever possible. Please make sure to enable cookies and turn off pop-up blocker when viewing LiveArena.

Q: Do I need to login to be able to watch an event in LiveArena?
A: No, as a viewer in LiveArena, you don´t need to be logged in.

Q: What kind of Internet connection do I need to view a live event in LiveArena?
A: We recommend viewing LiveArena from a wired connection with a downstream bandwidth of at least 1000Kbps (1Mbps). However you may require higher speeds if the publisher is encoding at a higher bitrate. To test your speed, go to www.speedtest.net. Bandwidth fluctuates constantly (especially if you are using wireless or mobile internet), so running multiple tests is recommended. As a general rule your downstream bandwidth must be greater than the bitrate of the event you’re trying to view. You can find bitrate information in the Silverlight player window (down left hand corner).

Q: How do I search for a live event? Can I search for content from a specific publisher?
A: You can search for an event by using the search tool. Enter a publisher name, tag or keyword in the "Search" field in the right top corner, then press the Return key. You can sort the search results alphabetically.

Q: How can I promote and share an event I like?
A: You can promote the event by sharing it through Facebook, Twitter or by email. Just Click the "Share" button on the event page and choose your way of sharing the event with your friends.

Q: Can I view events in LiveArena in a mobile device?
A: As long as the device/platform is adaptive to Microsoft Silverlight Player and Peer2View technologies. Currently it is not possible.

Q: How do I watch an event in full screen?
A: Move your mouse over the LiveArena Player and click the "Full screen" button or double click to enter Full Screen mode.

Q: Can I watch a live event on-demand?
A: No, this is a live event service only. However, Pro customers may offer a 24h catch-up service for their events.

Q: Can I watch content on my TV?
A: Yes. Just connect your computer to the TV.