Livestreaming | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 01 Dec 2022 09:50:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Livestreaming | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Win an AVerMedia Live Gamer Extreme 3 capture card! (closed) https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/matthew-wilson/win-an-avermedia-live-gamer-extreme-3-capture-card/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/matthew-wilson/win-an-avermedia-live-gamer-extreme-3-capture-card/#respond Mon, 28 Nov 2022 09:18:43 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=583806 Looking to kickstart your own gaming livestream or YouTube channel? Then we have the perfect competition for you. This month, we are teaming up with AVerMedia to give away a Live Gamer Extreme 3 capture card, capable of recording footage at up to 4K resolution. 

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Update: This competition is now closed and we can announce the winner… Jake Casey! We have reached out to Jake and will be arranging delivery of the prize shortly. Thanks to all who entered – and be sure to stay tuned this month as our Advent Calendar kicks off!

Looking to kickstart your own gaming livestream or YouTube channel? Then we have the perfect competition for you. This month, we are teaming up with AVerMedia to give away a Live Gamer Extreme 3 capture card, capable of recording footage at up to 4K resolution. 

We reviewed the Live Gamer Extreme 3 USB capture card a few weeks ago, praising it for its small size, simple setup process and software. Usually, these sell for £160, but for Black Friday, the capture card is 25% off, bringing the price down to £119. If you fancy your chances at getting one for free, then read on for details on how to enter our competition.

How to Enter

First off, be sure to follow AVerMedia on Twitter and let them know we sent you. To enter the competition, you'll need to send an email to competitions2022@kitguru.net with the subject line ‘I want to win a capture card!‘. If you have an email client installed, you can click HERE.

In your email, include an answer to the following question – what is the maximum record resolution of the Live Gamer Extreme 3? If you need help, you'll be able to find the answer on this product page.

Terms and Conditions: This competition is open in Europe, running from the 24rd of November to the 30th of November 2022 23.59 BST. A Winner will be picked, contacted and announced shortly after the close date. In compliance with GDPR, all entry emails will be deleted from our servers once the competition ends. The winners will be contacted directly by a KitGuru staff member to organise prize shipping. 

KitGuru Says: Good luck to everyone entering – we'll be back next week to announce the winner! 

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The Facebook Gaming app will shut down in October https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/the-facebook-gaming-app-will-shut-down-in-october/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/the-facebook-gaming-app-will-shut-down-in-october/#respond Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:33:46 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=572537 For years, Facebook has been working to compete in the livestreaming space, and even acquired Mixer's assets after Microsoft shut the service down a few years ago. While streaming on Facebook will continue, the dedicated Facebook Gaming app will be shutting down soon.  Meta announced this week that it plans to shut down the Facebook …

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For years, Facebook has been working to compete in the livestreaming space, and even acquired Mixer's assets after Microsoft shut the service down a few years ago. While streaming on Facebook will continue, the dedicated Facebook Gaming app will be shutting down soon. 

Meta announced this week that it plans to shut down the Facebook Gaming app for iOS and Android on the 28th of October. After that date, the app will no longer be functional.

Since launch, Facebook Gaming has been the main app for watching livestreams, some of which come from some very big streamers like Gothalion, who signed an exclusive deal with Mixer months before the service shut down. After Mixer's closure, all partners were offered a new deal with Facebook Gaming, or alternatively, they could get out of their deal early and go to a rival site like Twitch or YouTube. Some, like Ninja, chose to return to Twitch, while others moved over to a new deal with Facebook.

Facebook livestreaming will still exist within the main Facebook app and website, but with the Facebook Gaming app shutting down, we do wonder if we'll see anymore big streamer signings for the service, or if Facebook will focus on retaining the streamers it already has, and attracting newcomers to the space to help build the userbase.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Microsoft couldn't get the job done with Mixer, and Facebook doesn't exactly have much pull with the core gaming audience, which made it highly unlikely that Facebook Gaming would succeed where Mixer failed. 

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Dr Disrespect and Twitch settle lawsuit, neither side ‘admits any wrongdoing’ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/dr-disrespect-and-twitch-settle-lawsuit-neither-side-admits-any-wrongdoing/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/dr-disrespect-and-twitch-settle-lawsuit-neither-side-admits-any-wrongdoing/#respond Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:44:47 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=553503 Back in 2019, Twitch signed live streamer, Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm, to a huge exclusivity deal to keep him streaming on the platform. A quick few months later, Twitch broke off the partnership and banned Guy from the platform. For two years, Guy Beahm has been suing Twitch for breach of contract, but rather than …

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Back in 2019, Twitch signed live streamer, Guy “Dr Disrespect” Beahm, to a huge exclusivity deal to keep him streaming on the platform. A quick few months later, Twitch broke off the partnership and banned Guy from the platform. For two years, Guy Beahm has been suing Twitch for breach of contract, but rather than taking the case to trial, both parties have now settled. 

In a rather unceremonious update to the drama, last night Dr Disrespect simply tweeted a statement that reads: “I have resolved my legal dispute with Twitch. No party admits any wrongdoing”. No further details are offered, so we don't know if money changed hands and we still don't know the true reason behind Beahm's Twitch ban in the first place.

This does not mean that Beahm is now allowed to return to Twitch, nor does it mean he would be willing to return. The only additional piece of information Beahm has offered so far is confirmation that he will remain on YouTube.

There was much speculation around the Twitch ban at the time, as it followed a wave of allegations of inappropriate behaviour levied at a number of notable streamers and creators. Unfortunately, this settlement means the truth will likely never come to light.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We're probably never going to know why Twitch really banned Dr Disrespect, but his career hasn't exactly slowed down since jumping to YouTube, Beahm has even started his own game studio recently and is actively working on a new competitive shooter. 

 

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Twitch integration returns to Xbox consoles https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/twitch-integration-returns-to-xbox-consoles/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/twitch-integration-returns-to-xbox-consoles/#respond Thu, 24 Feb 2022 16:31:20 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=551574 Microsoft went through a lot of changes during the Xbox One generation, from leadership shakeups, to platform overhauls and major acquisitions. While the Xbox One launched with Twitch integration, allowing users to stream straight from their console dashboard, those features were removed and replaced by Mixer integration in 2017. Now, Twitch integration is returning to …

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Microsoft went through a lot of changes during the Xbox One generation, from leadership shakeups, to platform overhauls and major acquisitions. While the Xbox One launched with Twitch integration, allowing users to stream straight from their console dashboard, those features were removed and replaced by Mixer integration in 2017. Now, Twitch integration is returning to the Xbox dashboard. 

At launch, being able to stream directly to services like Twitch from a console was a big marketing point for the Xbox One. Microsoft eventually acquired a streaming service of its own – Mixer, which went on to get full dashboard integration on Xbox One. You could still stream to Twitch from an Xbox One console, but you would have to set it all up from within the Twitch app, as dashboard integration was swapped out in favour of Mixer.

Mixer has since shut down, with Facebook Gaming picking up the remnants of the service. Now, in an effort to make game streaming easier on Xbox consoles, Twitch integration is returning to the Xbox dashboard. The feature began testing in October 2021, and is now rolling out on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles officially.

After the update, Xbox users will be available to link their Twitch account to the console. Then, you'll be able to head to the ‘Capture and Share' tab on the Xbox dashboard and immediately begin a stream and adjust your stream options, like resolution, bit-rate, a stream overlay, audio mix etc. You'll also be able to add a facecam with ease, as the Xbox console supports most USB webcams.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I really liked the initial Twitch integration and snap features that launched with Xbox One. Now, we seem to be getting at least some of that functionality back, which is particularly necessary now that Microsoft no longer has Mixer under its wing. 

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The latest version of OBS should allow Nvidia users to ditch that second ‘streaming PC’ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/damien-cox/obs-nvidia-update/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/damien-cox/obs-nvidia-update/#respond Thu, 28 Feb 2019 13:33:56 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=405366 While livestreaming is more accessible than it’s ever been before, many professionals continue to utilise a second PC in order to maximise performance. Nvidia is aiming to make this a thing of the past, as the latest version of OBS has improved support for the company’s proprietary NVENC hardware encoder, resulting in consistently better frame …

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While livestreaming is more accessible than it’s ever been before, many professionals continue to utilise a second PC in order to maximise performance. Nvidia is aiming to make this a thing of the past, as the latest version of OBS has improved support for the company’s proprietary NVENC hardware encoder, resulting in consistently better frame rates.

Dual PC arrangements often consist of one dedicated gaming system while a second setup handles high-quality CPU software encoding for the livestream. The expenses don’t stop at the two systems, as users often have to double up on peripherals, add an audio mixer and purchase a capture card. To alleviate system strain on a single PC setup, streamers often use their graphics card to encode rather than their processor; however this has been known to impact the frame rate of the game, and therefore the stream.

Nvidia announced its collaboration with OBS to rid these limitations, promising that “the new OBS Studio, version 23, reduces the FPS impact of streaming by up to 66% compared to the previous version.” Internal testing from the manufacturer shows that framerates are increased by up to 48% compared to NVENC’s predecessor x264 Fast, and 27% compared to x264 Very Fast in games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Apex Legends.

This should provide a much-needed boost to anyone with a GTX 600-Series onwards, but the primary focus still seems to be Nvidia’s newer RTX range of cards. This is thanks to “architectural improvements” with Turing that makes RTX GPUs up to 15% more efficient than their Pascal forerunners and supposedly allow the newer cards to “improve image quality at reduced bitrates.”

OBS Studio version 23 is already available to download on Windows, macOS and Linux from the official website. The same improvements will come to StreamLabs OBS “in the near future.”

KitGuru Says: Streaming is a highly competitive scene that should really entice people for monetary reasons, but many newcomers are still intimidated by the sheer amount of production value seen in professional setups. Hopefully this takes the pressure off a little bit, allowing people to easily get into the swing of things.

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LinkedIn jumps on the livestreaming bandwagon with LinkedIn Live https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/linkedin-jumps-on-the-livestreaming-bandwagon-with-linkedin-live/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/linkedin-jumps-on-the-livestreaming-bandwagon-with-linkedin-live/#respond Tue, 12 Feb 2019 16:01:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=403999 Often used by professionals wanting to flex their career experience, LinkedIn is frequently the source of leaks within the video game industry and we couldn’t be more thankful. Now, it seems as though the platform is set to embrace the increasing popularity of livestreaming, unveiling its very own ‘LinkedIn Live’ service. The professional social media …

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Often used by professionals wanting to flex their career experience, LinkedIn is frequently the source of leaks within the video game industry and we couldn’t be more thankful. Now, it seems as though the platform is set to embrace the increasing popularity of livestreaming, unveiling its very own ‘LinkedIn Live’ service.

The professional social media platform has approximately 600 million users across the world, according to TechCrunch, with a greater focus on its rapidly growing video section. LinkedIn Live will give users the ability to broadcast in real-time, primarily aimed at casting events, conferences, product reveals and conducting Q&A sessions with followers.

LinkedIn Live is currently in beta for select participants in the United States, with wider testing to be conducted “in the coming weeks.” Currently, a variety of streaming services are supported, including Brandlive, Socialive, Switcher Studio, Wirecast  and Wowza Media Systems, ”with more to come.” Parent company Microsoft is understandably providing encoding with its Azure Media cloud services.

“Video is the fastest growing format on our platform right now, and the one most likely to get people talking,” said Pete Davies, the director of product management at LinkedIn. “Live has been the most requested feature” since the introduction of video services in 2017, which is a reasonable comment given that both Facebook and Twitter have had live video services for years.

It isn’t clear how LinkedIn Live will be distributed on final release, whether it will be locked as a Premium feature or free to the public. The company confirmed that the testing would not contain ads but “that will come down the road,” according to Peter Roybal, head of video product management.

KitGuru Says: I’ve never been a fan of Twitter’s livestreaming efforts, and Facebook seems much more concerned on its Gaming front for the time being. LinkedIn Live has a clear market that could be perfect for a variety of businesses yet to embrace the video platform.  

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Streamlabs announces full OBS integration with Facebook Gaming https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/streamlabs-announces-full-obs-integration-with-facebook-gaming/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/streamlabs-announces-full-obs-integration-with-facebook-gaming/#respond Fri, 18 Jan 2019 17:29:21 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=401646 Over the past year, Facebook has committed itself to livestreaming, enticing viewers with in-game rewards and making deeper analytics available to content creators. Placing it on equal footing with competitors, Streamlabs has announced that Facebook Gaming is now completely integrated into its OBS software. With access to Facebook’s developer APIs, Streamlabs has ensured a more …

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Over the past year, Facebook has committed itself to livestreaming, enticing viewers with in-game rewards and making deeper analytics available to content creators. Placing it on equal footing with competitors, Streamlabs has announced that Facebook Gaming is now completely integrated into its OBS software.

With access to Facebook’s developer APIs, Streamlabs has ensured a more streamlined experience when getting ready to go live. Streamers will now have access to a “suite of different supported features,” with many more in planning.

Embedded Chat is perhaps the most important addition, providing a widget that adds an overlay to the stream. This benefits both streams that are live and past broadcasts, as viewers will be able to witness the context of every interaction. There have been a number of improvements made to scheduling streams. Not only will a post notify followers when a stream is scheduled to take place, a new “auto-fill” feature will use the post to update the title and description upon going live.

One of Facebook Gamings more divisive limitations is that streamers can only remain live for up to four hours per session. Streamlabs OBS will now notify the streamer when they are approaching this boundary so that they can better manage their content.

“In 2018, we saw a 91% increase in content creators using Streamlabs OBS  (SLOBS) on Facebook,” explains Streamlabs CEO Ali Moiz. “We hope that this full Facebook Gaming integration will open the doors for thousands more to enter the market and make money doing what they love.”

There are some limitations with Facebook Gaming’s integration during these early stages. Firstly, Alert Support for follows, likes and shares is not yet support, but is currently in the works. Secondly, integration is only supported by Facebook Pages and not individual profiles. Users will be prompted to create a Facebook Page upon using Streamlabs OBS.

Once everything is in place, users simply need to grab their stream key from the following series of menus and pasting it into Streamlabs OBS: facebook.com/live/create > Create Live Stream > Choose where to post your broadcast > Share on a Page You Manage > Select Page > Enter Details.

“We’re always looking for new ways to make live streaming easier and more rewarding for our growing community of gaming creators,” explains Product Manager at Facebook Gaming, Nick Miller. “The new Streamlabs OBS integration makes it faster than ever for Facebook Gaming creators to stream. We'll continue to work with partners like Streamlabs so gaming creators can focus on what's most important – making awesome content, connecting with their fans and earning money from their work.”

KitGuru Says: Facebook Gaming is now officially on the same footing as Twitch and YouTube, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be as popular. Still, it’s great to see Streamlabs supporting competition, as it’s sure to bring great features to all platforms in the future.

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Streaming startup Caffeine gets $100 million investment from 21st Century Fox https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/streaming-startup-caffeine-gets-100-million-investment-from-21st-century-fox/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/streaming-startup-caffeine-gets-100-million-investment-from-21st-century-fox/#respond Wed, 05 Sep 2018 15:30:52 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=385916 Although 21st Century Fox plans to shed itself of its film and television studios in a proposed acquisition by Disney, the company isn’t leaving the entertainment industry completely. Its latest move is set to rival streaming behemoth Twitch, as Fox has sunk a whopping $100 million into a collaborative social broadcasting platform called Caffeine. Despite …

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Although 21st Century Fox plans to shed itself of its film and television studios in a proposed acquisition by Disney, the company isn’t leaving the entertainment industry completely. Its latest move is set to rival streaming behemoth Twitch, as Fox has sunk a whopping $100 million into a collaborative social broadcasting platform called Caffeine.

Despite forming in 2016 thanks to the efforts of two ex-Apple executives, Caffeine began materialising earlier this year. Apple TV’s former design lead Ben Keighran and Sam Roberts hope to innovate the livestreaming scene by “re-imagining every aspect of broadcasting,” initially securing $46 million thanks to investments from venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock Partners.

Now that the project is taking off, Jen Folse has traded her role as an Apple TV executive for Caffeine’s vice president of product, while Evernote’s ex-head of human resources, Michelle Wagner, has become the platform’s vice president of people and places. Folse expressed her enthusiasm for the new role, with her excitement stemming from Caffeine’s “new and exciting way for people to discover and consume live content.”

21st Century Fox’s chairman Lachlan Murdoch is the latest member to join Caffeine’s board, after investing a sizeable $100 million into the startup. In particular, Murdoch notes that this will bolster what’s left of Fox Sports under its ‘New Fox’ banner, as Caffeine utilises the company’s expertise to “deliver compelling experiences in esports, video gaming and entertainment.”

“We want to bring the world together around friends and live broadcasts,” adds Caffeine CEO Ben Keighran. “It’s an ambitious goal, but one we believe is attainable with the support of our amazing new partners, our awesome and ever-growing community, and the content that together, we can bring onto the platform.”

Caffeine is currently operating in a “pre-release” model during its beta testing. Keighran expects to launch the platform publicly in 2019, supported by a fair, ad-free monetization system” geared around incentives to keep broadcasters and viewers engaged. It will face harsh competition, however, with Amazon building on Twitch, Google pushing YouTube Gaming and Microsoft having transformed Beam into Mixer.

In order to differentiate itself, Caffeine promises to do its best to rid toxicity by placing emphasis on real-time engagement that prioritises friends. Keighran claims that this will lead to “more meaningful social engagements,” but it remains to be seen how this won’t be inaccessible for newcomers.

KitGuru Says: It is looking like Caffeine won’t be just another streaming platform clone, but one that aims to shake things up a little more. Would you consider switching streaming platform as a broadcaster or viewer, providing Caffeine offers something meaningful to the scene? At least it'll be ad-free in comparison to a certain other service.

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Facebook moves on Twitch’s territory, adding in-game rewards & deeper analytics to livestreaming https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/damien-cox/facebook-moves-on-twitchs-territory-adding-in-game-rewards-deeper-analytics-to-livestreaming/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/damien-cox/facebook-moves-on-twitchs-territory-adding-in-game-rewards-deeper-analytics-to-livestreaming/#respond Mon, 19 Mar 2018 15:30:23 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=367674 Earlier this year, Facebook announced that it plans to improve its livestreaming features in hopes to attract more content creators. Livestreamers aren’t the only focus, however, as Facebook has now revealed its new SDK, allowing developers to reward viewers with in-game items and keep an eye on deeper analytics.  Facebook has been testing these new features over the past couple …

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Earlier this year, Facebook announced that it plans to improve its livestreaming features in hopes to attract more content creators. Livestreamers aren’t the only focus, however, as Facebook has now revealed its new SDK, allowing developers to reward viewers with in-game items and keep an eye on deeper analytics. 

Facebook has been testing these new features over the past couple of months and is now ready to open up Live Broadcasting from PC games to the News Feed opens to developers across the board. When utilised, viewers on Facebook's platform will be rewarded with in-game items and currency of the developer's choosing. 

The aim of this is to provide developers a larger platform to display their content, while rewarding broadcasters with longer viewing times.  In turn, Facebook benefits by monetising its ads, while viewers are further locked into the platform as a new livestreaming entity for gamers.  

Image Credit: StoneMountain64/Facebook

Developers will also get access to “app events” PC, mobile and via the web. This allows for a deeper look at analytics behind the new feature, allowing developers to change and adapt their approach to the new system, or marvel at how much it's benefitted them.  

Facebook integration also allows for the use of an enhanced “Friend Finder” which allows streamers to play with their friends more easily, as well as a “Key Player Stats” section that can help the streamer determine whether or not a player should continue to be a part of their current party.

Developers can sign up for access to the software tools here, which will be made available in the “coming weeks.”

KitGuru Says: Twitch already has a rewards system, which I recently experienced during the Rainbow Six: Siege Invitational livestreams, rewarding me with in-game charms. This is a great feature to keep viewers hooked, especially completionists who can't help but have everything possible. Would you watch livestreamers on Facebook over Twitch? 

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Mixrosoft’s Mixer livestreaming service finally gets tipping and direct purchases https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/damien-cox/mixrosofts-mixer-livestreaming-service-finally-gets-tipping-and-direct-purchases/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/damien-cox/mixrosofts-mixer-livestreaming-service-finally-gets-tipping-and-direct-purchases/#respond Tue, 30 Jan 2018 17:18:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=362450 Microsoft’s Mixer livestreaming service, formerly known as Beam, is finally helping its content creators further monetise their videos by adding tipping into the mix. Mixer is also taking cues from Twitch’s newer features, as users of its platform will soon be able to guide viewers to a direct purchase of the game they’re playing. When …

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Microsoft’s Mixer livestreaming service, formerly known as Beam, is finally helping its content creators further monetise their videos by adding tipping into the mix. Mixer is also taking cues from Twitch’s newer features, as users of its platform will soon be able to guide viewers to a direct purchase of the game they’re playing.

When Microsoft acquired Beam in August 2016, which became Mixer as of May 2017, there were many selling points to choose the platform over more established rivals such as higher quality streams, much less latency and enabling collaborations via its dual-stream mode where other services have to use third-party websites to give the same effect.

Since then, the livestreaming game has gotten a lot more competitive, with YouTube pushing further into the territory, Twitch adding Discord-like features to its service as well as Amazon’s acquisition and the tapping of four YouTube stars, and even Facebook attempting to get a slice of the pie.

In order for Mixer to keep relevant, it must adapt and it seems that Microsoft is starting with the basics. Soon, streamers on Mixer will be able to receive direct tips, which is sometimes more accessible for viewers than the commitment of a subscription.

Streamers will also be able to make money from direct purchases, which allows a viewer to purchase the game you’re playing from an authorised retailer, giving the streamer a little in return for. Unfortunately, direct purchases will only be available for games on Xbox One and the Windows 10 store initially, but might roll out to more vendors as the platform progresses.

Mixer is trailing behind Twitch in terms of viewers and streamers, just passing the 10 million mark instead of its rival’s 100 million users per month. That being said, Microsoft is giving its all to the platform and there has be steady growth over the past year.

KitGuru Says: Choosing where to start streaming is becoming more and more difficult. Twitch is already filled with content creators that it’s hard to get recognition, but platforms like Mixer or Facebook might not showcase the quality of your content to a sufficient amount of people. It seems each have their pros and cons. Where would you start streaming to if you were to begin casting tomorrow? More to the point, where do you prefer to watch gaming content?

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Facebook to improve its livestreaming features, enticing more content creators https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/damien-cox/facebook-to-improve-its-livestreaming-content-features-enticing-more-content-creators/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/damien-cox/facebook-to-improve-its-livestreaming-content-features-enticing-more-content-creators/#comments Fri, 26 Jan 2018 21:45:27 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=362182 Just as Twitch is pushing on YouTube’s turf by introducing its own on-demand video feature, it seems that Facebook is pushing into Twitch’s territory. Its new Gaming Creator Pilot Program is aimed towards gaming broadcasters on the social media site, with its tools set to be showcased this weekend. Facebook is no stranger to the …

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Just as Twitch is pushing on YouTube’s turf by introducing its own on-demand video feature, it seems that Facebook is pushing into Twitch’s territory. Its new Gaming Creator Pilot Program is aimed towards gaming broadcasters on the social media site, with its tools set to be showcased this weekend.

Facebook is no stranger to the gaming environment, with some broadcasters making use of its current livestreaming platform and the experience the company has gained since its acquisition of Oculus. The main aim of the Gaming Creator Pilot Program is to make it so livestreamers find it easier to build a community, utilising the social media platform to the best of its ability.

“There are a lot of great services today, but it’s hard if you’re a creator,” says head of games partnerships, Guy Cross in an interview with GamesBeat. “You have to pull together your broadcasting software. There are tools for managing monetization services. There are tools to manage your community. There are tools to promote yourself, from a marketing perspective. A lot of these tools are actually in the Facebook family of apps, whether it’s Instagram or Messenger or the Facebook platform, our developer APIs, our livestreaming API.”

While Twitch began pushing into new territory by offering exclusivity deals, Facebook is taking a different approach. This might be on the cards later down the line, but Cross assures fans that the main aim is to get content creators comfortable enough to post daily content.

StoneMountain64, one of Facebook’s top streamers explains the benefits of using Facebook instead of pre-established systems like Twitch or YouTube, stating that it is much easier for friends to directly share creator content with their friends and family, resulting in a much more immediate reaction rather than a fragmented approach between multiple third-party websites.

Image Credit: StoneMountain64

Among the new tools will be a payment method to support content creators similar to donations rather than subscribers, improvements on its video streaming quality up to 1080p resolution and 60Hz refresh rate and moderation tools to control trolling. Facebook will also host a dedicated support team that will directly work with livestreamers to refine the experience.

“Basically, we’ll manage these creators like partners,” said Facebook’s Gaming Creator Program lead John Imah. “They’ll have day-to-day management where they can reach out to someone at Facebook that’s assigned to them, whether it’s asking basic questions or finding out what we’re doing in the space. They’ll have someone they can reach out to that can provide them with guidance as to what we’re doing on the platform with products, that type of thing. A lot of the feedback and conversation we see from creators, they love that. They want to feel that they’re a part of the team.”

This alongside an exclusive deal with the Electronic Sports League (ESL) to broadcast Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 tournaments make Facebook a platform to watch when moving forward. We will find out more this weekend at the company’s summit.

KitGuru Says: The more platforms, the better. The problems with YouTube arose because, until now, it’s had little to no competition on its level. Now Facebook, Twitch, YouTube and to a lesser extent Mixer and Hitbox are in on the broadcasting world, we might see more and more practices that favour the content creator above all. How do you feel about Facebook dedicating itself to improving broadcaster features?

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Twitch will soon allow direct video uploads, just like YouTube https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/twitch-will-soon-allow-direct-video-uploads-just-like-youtube/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/twitch-will-soon-allow-direct-video-uploads-just-like-youtube/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2015 18:33:09 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=269389 A few weeks back, YouTube attempted to break in to Twitch's market with YouTube Gaming, its own revamped live-streaming service. Now, Twitch is throwing a punch back with its own VOD service, allowing Twitch users to upload fully edited videos to Twitch. Up until now, Twitch has focussed on being live, but has allowed users to …

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A few weeks back, YouTube attempted to break in to Twitch's market with YouTube Gaming, its own revamped live-streaming service. Now, Twitch is throwing a punch back with its own VOD service, allowing Twitch users to upload fully edited videos to Twitch.

Up until now, Twitch has focussed on being live, but has allowed users to post ‘highlights' from streams or archive previous streams. With this new feature, we could see Twitch channels getting more YouTube-style content, with fully edited videos recorded offline.

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The announcement was made this evening as part of the Twitch Con keynote. Twitch also revealed that it would be switching over to HTML 5 entirely next year. More details will likely be shared soon but for now, we don't have a launch date for VOD uploads on Twitch.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I don't really think that Twitch needed video uploads, the service gained its popularity largely down to its live-focus and interactivity. However, it will be interesting to see if these VOD uploads become popular or if YouTubers start transitioning over to Twitch. If anything, I can see Twitch being used as a mirror for YouTubers who also like to livestream on the side. 

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Overclockers UK is running a competition for UK livestreamers https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/overclockers-uk-is-running-a-competition-for-uk-livestreamers/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/overclockers-uk-is-running-a-competition-for-uk-livestreamers/#respond Mon, 20 Jul 2015 16:08:25 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=259773 Overclockers UK has a little something in store for UK based live-streamers on Twitch, so to get the ball rolling, here is a little giveaway running. If you are a UK streamer, you could end up winning yourself one of three Kingston HyperX Cloud II headsets, while one person will manage to nab themselves a 12 …

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Overclockers UK has a little something in store for UK based live-streamers on Twitch, so to get the ball rolling, here is a little giveaway running. If you are a UK streamer, you could end up winning yourself one of three Kingston HyperX Cloud II headsets, while one person will manage to nab themselves a 12 month premium license for XSplit.

Overclockers UK has set up a newsletter for live streamers, so in order to win in this giveaway you need to sign up with your email, a link to your stream and note how many followers you currently have on Twitch.

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Don't be discouraged by follower count though, Overclockers also wants those who are just starting up on Twitch to get involved. The first big bit of news is set to come later this week so stay tuned for more information if you are currently streaming on Twitch or looking to start out.

Sign up for the Overclockers UK streaming newsletter, HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do any of you use Twitch? Do you stream yourself or just watch? I have a few streamers that I like to watch myself.

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YouTube to launch ‘YouTube Gaming’ for livestreams https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-to-launch-youtube-gaming-for-livestreams/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-to-launch-youtube-gaming-for-livestreams/#respond Fri, 12 Jun 2015 15:24:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=254233 We've been hearing about Google's intent to improve Livestreaming on YouTube for some time now in order to pave the way for game streams to compete with Twitch. Now, YouTube is starting to step things up, with a new app called YouTube Gaming planned, which will act as a hub for gaming content. YouTube Gaming …

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We've been hearing about Google's intent to improve Livestreaming on YouTube for some time now in order to pave the way for game streams to compete with Twitch. Now, YouTube is starting to step things up, with a new app called YouTube Gaming planned, which will act as a hub for gaming content.

YouTube Gaming will apparently be a website and an app for smartphones, set to launch later this summer along with better streaming tools. Currently, YouTube's live streaming process is regarded as frustrating to use and generally isn't received positively. Adding better tools for streamers could improve the amount of people using YouTube for livestreaming.

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In YouTube Gaming, users will be able to add channels to a ‘collection', which is basically a list of channels you want to follow and keep up with. You can also subscribe as you would on YouTube, which will send you notifications every time the channel goes live.

YouTube Gaming will filter out non-gaming content in searches and over 25,000 games will have their own dedicated page. Once a streamer is done being live, they can automatically have that stream converted in to a YouTube video for VOD viewing. An official announcement has not been made just yet but it is expected to come fairly soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While this will make gaming and game streaming on YouTube a better experience, it seems a little late in the game to start competing seriously with Twitch. Do you guys think YouTube could take on Twitch when it comes to game streaming?

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YouTube gets 60 FPS livestreaming https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-gets-60-fps-livestreaming/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/youtube-gets-60-fps-livestreaming/#comments Thu, 21 May 2015 13:00:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=250505 We've been hearing for a while that Google is attempting to make YouTube look like a more attractive option for livestreamers and it looks like the first phase has begun. You can now livestream at 60 frames per second on YouTube, bringing it a bit more in-line with Twitch. If anyone were to stream at …

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We've been hearing for a while that Google is attempting to make YouTube look like a more attractive option for livestreamers and it looks like the first phase has begun. You can now livestream at 60 frames per second on YouTube, bringing it a bit more in-line with Twitch.

If anyone were to stream at 60 frames per second, then they would need to be using an HTML 5 compatible browser. Similar conditions apply for those looking to watch 60 frames per second videos

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Google does mention gaming content specifically in its announcement: “When you start a live stream on YouTube at 60fps, we'll transcode your stream into 720p60 and 1080p60, which means silky smooth playback for gaming and other fast-action videos. We'll also make your stream available in 30fps on devices where high frame rate viewing is not yet available, while we work to expand support in the coming weeks.”

YouTube worked directly with several game capturing companies, including Elgato and XSplit, in order to develop new software for YouTube livestreaming. This all ties in nicely with previous reports, which suggested that YouTube would be making more of a push for gaming and eSports content, following the acquisition of Twitch by Amazon.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: A lot of Twitch streamers prefer to capture at a higher frame rate. However, at this point, Twitch has solidified its place in the market, so it is going to be pretty difficult for YouTube to compete. 

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Valve brings livestream broadcasting features to Steam https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/valve-brings-livestream-broadcasting-features-to-steam/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/valve-brings-livestream-broadcasting-features-to-steam/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2014 09:27:57 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=224584 Valve is moving in to the games broadcasting space, having launched its new live streaming beta service, Steam Broadcasting. Steam users can now opt to let friends watch gameplay or start up a completely public stream, allowing anyone to watch via the community hub. The integration will greatly simplify the live streaming process as you …

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Valve is moving in to the games broadcasting space, having launched its new live streaming beta service, Steam Broadcasting. Steam users can now opt to let friends watch gameplay or start up a completely public stream, allowing anyone to watch via the community hub.

The integration will greatly simplify the live streaming process as you will no longer need any third-party applications. You can choose to stream your entire desktop or just your game window, obviously this has led to some day one issues, such as people trying to stream porn or TV shows, but Valve seems to have a handle on it as it hasn't become a widespread issue.

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There are some limitations though, broadcasts can only be watched in Safari, Chrome and the Steam client and broadcasts can't be archived yet for those wanting to get serious about creating a content library. Additionally, there are no partnership programs, which is a big part of why so many gamers and YouTubers have moved over to Twitch.

Valve is a big player in the PC gaming space but Twitch isn't worried about the company's move in to live streaming, stating that: “While Steam’s broadcasting solution and the Twitch platform are very different with vastly different feature sets, it’s really validating to see a company like Valve embrace streaming in this way.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Steam broadcasting is a pretty good idea and does add an extra social layer to gaming on Steam. However, many streamers, particularly the ones with partnerships, will likely stick with Twitch so I wouldn't worry about its popularity dying down. It would have been cool to see Valve and Twitch team up for streaming integration, much like on the Xbox One and PS4. What do you guys think about Steam Broadcasting? Are you going to start using it? Will it steal people away from Twitch? 

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