No, Dacast does not offer any discounts for certain types of organizations.
Is There a Special Rate for Non-Profits?
There isnt a special rate for non-profits, schools, religious entities, or other organizations. The pricing found on the main page applies to all, although discounts are available through larger plan commitments.
How to Access Custom Pricing
If your organization has special streaming needs, we invite you to contact us to learn more about custom-priced plans.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact us any time, Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
Yes. Your subscription will automatically renew at the same monthly or annual price unless you cancel before the end of the billing period. If you bought a Monthly plan and prepaid for 3 months, it will begin monthly renewals at the end of the prepaid 3 months period.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact us any time,Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
To update your billing information you navigate to the Account/Billing section after yousign into your Dacast account. By clicking on Update Payment Method you will be able to change your payment method.
NOTE: Your financial institution may automatically update the expiration date on a credit card as a courtesy. Some financial institutions do this to ensure that accounts using recurring payments remain in good standing when a new card is issued. In some cases, your financial institution may also allow recurring charges to continue on an expired card. If you have any concerns about this process, please contact your financial institution.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact usany time,Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
Unfortunately, Mailinator and Yopmail setup are impossible for live streaming on Dacast because our system does not allow disposable email addresses like these.
We recommend using legitimate emails like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook. You can even use your own company email that uses your own domain.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact us any time,Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
GB is an abbreviation for gigabytes, this is a measure of data generally used to specific storage space on a platform or as a level of traffic for bandwidth, and is equal to roughly one billion bytes, or 1,073,741,824 bytes to be exact. Another measure for a gigabyte is that it is traditionally equal to 1,024 megabytes (MB). Dacast does a simpler metric where a GB is equal to 1000 MB, and similarly, a TB is equal to 1000 GB.
In terms of how this relates to Dacast, there are two ways. The first is from bandwidth, which refers to the amount of traffic caused by streaming (higher audience and higher bitrate translate into more bandwidth being consumed). The second is from the amount of storage given to accounts, which is measured in terms of GB.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact us any time,Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
As our main payment sources, Dacast supports both credit cards (all major credit cards accepted) and PayPal.
If you wish to purchase an event plan or an annual plan you can also pay by check or wire transfer. For wire transfer information please contact one of our sales representatives.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact us any time,Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
For the “event plan” or any other Dacast plan, the bandwidth expires 12 months (1 year) after being purchased.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact us any time,Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
Dacast will charge you monthly or annually (depending on your plan), on the anniversary of the date you initially purchased the subscription. Charges are billed at the beginning of your billing cycle.
If you would like to know your next billing date or current plan, you can visit the Plan section after you sign in and click Account.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact us any time,Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
It is super simple! Once your account is set up with the Advanced Video Hosting Platform, you will automatically be redirect to this platform when clicking on the VOD section of your DaCast account.
Once you are in the Advanced Video Hosting Platform, you can easily go back to your regular DaCast account by clicking on the Live section of the Advanced Video Hosting Platform.
Contact Dacast support at any time and ask about Advanced VOD. They will grant you access so you can evaluate it and purchase the add-on by clicking Upgrade my plan in the top right of your account.
Once you have the Advanced VOD add-on, click Video on demand in the main menu to access the VOD platform. Once there, you can click Live in the main menu to go back.
No but if you decide to purchase the VOD add-on then we can discuss migrating your library into the VOD platform so you can take advantage of the full set of features for your existing assets.
To try out the advanced video hosting platform, you need to have a Dacast account. If not, just sign up for our 30 days free trial.
Then, you can just contact our 24/7 customer support team who will set up your account to make sure you can try all the features of the advanced video hosting platform such as China VOD delivery, AES encryption,
Our documentation is automatically updated each time we improve our API.
You can test each API call directly in the documentation. To do so, please enter your broadcaster ID (BID) and your API key using the following format:broadcaster ID_API key
Those information are available in your API section under your PREFERENCES section
SDK for javascript available here, documentation included: https://github.com/dacast/api-nodejs
SDK for php available here, documentation included:https://github.com/dacast/api-php
Step 3: Contact Us
If you are still having issues after investigating our available tools and documentation, you can contact us or write an email to api@dacast.com including:
“API issues” in the object of the email
your API key
the API call you made including the time when you tried it
any response or error message you received
For faster response, please be advised not to include non API-related issues in this email.
Closed captions refer to the visual display of the audio in a program, such as a TV broadcast.
The standards widely used for online video are:
– CEA-608, also known as Line 21
– CEA-708, the latest standard for digital television.
Does Dacast Support Closed Captioning in a Live Stream
Live captioning with 608 and 708 is possible with Dacast’s latest default player.
Note that broadcasters need to have their own infrastructure to insert closed captions to their live streams.
If you have any questions about accessing or using the closed captions feature, feel free to contact us directly. Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
If you want to make your video inaccessible, you must turn off the VOD or live stream.
How to Turn Off Streaming on VOD
In order to turn off Dacast live streaming or any VOD, you must navigate to the content and click Description. From there, you can toggle the VOD file, live stream, package or playlist to Off like so:
Doing so will not only make the video inaccessible but if the content was monetized, it will disable the paywall preventing future people from buying the content.
Turning Live Channels Back On
To make it clear, in the case of live channels, the stream will not automatically turn back on again once you start to stream through the encoder. You will have to go back into Description and manually toggle it On again before this will happen.
If you stream often and offer a free stream, we recommend just leaving the channel on to make it easy to begin streaming again during your event or programming.
Dacasts new platform makes low latency streaming standards at every plan level. This means to get low latency streaming set up, you simply need to select standard (HTML5) or compatible (direct M3U8 format if this is available with your plan) as your stream type. You also cannot turn on the 30 Minute Rewind option.
What is Dacast’s Live Streaming Latency?
Both of these choices will give you access to a channel with about 12 to 15-second latency, which is considered low latency by industry standards. The actual latency you experience might be longer if your internet upload speed is slow or your encoder is using too much of your computers resources.
Please note that enabling the 30 Minute Rewind setting will increase the latency to roughly 40 seconds.
For any questions regarding low latency streaming with Dacast, please visit our support website. You can find detailed tutorials on all Dacast features, email support, and 24/7 chat support.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
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The advantage of using our own HLS compatible live streaming software encoder based on OBS Studio is the cost (free for everyone) and the super-fast set-up with preset encoding settings. However, you are more than welcome to use your own HLS encoder if you do have one.
Below is an example of the settings we used with a Haivision HLS compatible encoder to stream on a Dacast low latency channel:
Note:For a minimal latency you might want to use :
segment duration: 2000 ms
segment count: 3
If you have tips and suggestions, please contact us or post it in the community section.
If you haven’t signed up for a Dacast account and are seeing this on your credit card statement, chances are you bought access to a stream/video recently from one of our live streaming customers or partners.
So either you did a Pay-Per-View for an event or signed up for a subscription. Try to line up when you purchased and if you watched anything that day for which required payment.
More on Pay-Per-View Streaming and Video Monetization
The beauty Dacast is that you have the power to control how you monetize your content down to the smallest of characteristics on your paywall. With the help of player API, you can tweak and customize your secure paywall to best serve your audience.
In addition to the endless possibilities with API, the new paywall also comes equipped with some built-in features that include settings geared towards accommodations for global viewers.
Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
Yes, Dacast uses a worldwide content delivery network in order to send streams to viewers. This includes both live and on-demand services.
This is due to the CDN connection that Dacast utilizes (Limelight Networks), which has a server presence all over the world.
Background:
Limelight Networks’ interconnection policy seeks to enhance its global connectivity to other networks. Interconnection with any partner network should be mutually beneficial and meet certain technical criteria. Limelight Networks practices a selective peering policy. Due to their peering program, Limelight Networks, Inc. operates AS 22822 as its global backbone network but also has other ASNs in specific regions and markets. Limelight’s Interconnect markets and respective ASNs include Canada.
According to CDN Intelligence Reports, the global mobile Content Delivery Network (CDN) market is predicted to reach US$70.3 billion by 2025. This is indicative of the continued growth of online video content, increasing the use of Internet services, and the rise of mobile web access.
Best Practices:
Always go to www.testmy.net and click on the Upload Speed Test tab before starting to live stream to check out the available bandwidth you have for streaming. You should set your streaming bit rate to 75% or less of the reported Upload Speed and everything should be fine.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
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Please note that we have been using Akamai DEEM (dynamic encoder to entry-point mapping) approach for the selection of the publishing point for several months.
This new approach provides improved throughput and automatically optimizes entry points based on current Internet conditions. Therefore, there is no more the possibility to select a publishing point in the new back office because Akamai automatically optimizes it for you to ensure a high-quality ingest.
The first option is to set up Playback Protection, which is essentially overage protection. In this scenario, you put a credit card on file that is authorized to refill your bank of bandwidth if you go over your monthly bandwidth or Event Plan bandwidth.
An alternative option is just letting the bandwidth run out. This will cause your streams to shut off when you burn through the bandwidth on your account, but you will not suffer any additional consequences.
Please note that there is a two-hour delay on analytic reporting, so it might take a moment for the system to detect that you are out of bandwidth.
Your stream will not shut off until the detection is made. This means in some scenarios you might find yourself in the negative if you continue streaming within a two-hour window.
When Does my Bandwidth expire?
Note that all bandwidth expires after 12 months (1 year).
Unused video bandwidthrolls over each month and stays on your account as long as you are on a monthly or annual plan.
If you cancel your plan or decide to downgrade to a lower monthly plan level, theremaining bandwidthwill be removed from your account.
We encourage you to check out ourvideo bandwidth calculatorfor an estimate of how much bandwidth your need to purchase.
When Does Event Plan Bandwidth expire?
For the event plan or any other Dacast plan, the bandwidth expires 12 months (1 year) after being purchased.
Any questions or you want to access this feature?Pleasecontact us.
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A CDN is a network of servers that deliver a web page or web content, such as video, to a user. The CDN copies the web content to a network of servers that are dispersed to different locations around a geographic region.
When a user accesses content that is part of a CDN, the CDN will redirect the request from the originating sites server to a server in the CDN that is closest to the user and deliver the cached content.
The closer the CDN server is to the user geographically, the faster the content will be delivered.
Dacast uses top-tier CDNs including Limelight and Akamai, which have some of the largest networks of servers in the world. The global nature of these servers ensure scaleable and high quality live streaming.
Benefits of Using a CDN
A content delivery network (CDN)/content distribution network is a network of servers and data centers.
As a broadcaster, providing your viewers with high-quality video content is absolutely essential. You want to create an enjoyable viewing experience to keep your viewers coming back.
Using a global CDN provides several benefits that relate to bringing that high-quality experience to viewers in broader geographic regions.
Some improvements that CDNs offer include faster loading times, lower bandwidth costs, higher content availability, and enhanced security.
Speedier loading times reduce latency. Since viewers tend to have little patience for lagging and buffering, this is a major plus.
CDN vs. Video Hosting
Since they work so closely together, CDNs are sometimes confused with video hosts. When it comes to professional broadcasting, this is not an either/or situation.
A video host (ex: Dacast) is where your video lives. A CDN is simply the tool that brings it to your viewers.
Think of your nervous system. Everything is operated by your brain, but chains of nerves send signals all over your body to give it the information it needs to function.
A video hosting platform is a brain. It sends videos (or signals) to people to viewers via content delivery networks (the nerves). Both parts work together to bring viewers the content that has been requested.
Your online video host and CDN will work together to produce a high-quality broadcast.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
An encoder is software or hardware that converts video files from one format or code to another. Encoding is an essential part to live streaming.
Here is a quick rundown of how encoding fits into the live streaming process:
A camera captions video files in the RAW format.
RAW files are transmitted to the encoder.
The encoder converts the RAW files into streamable .mp4 files.
The .mp4 files are transmitted from the encoder to your streaming platform.
Your streaming platform uses HLS (or another protocol) to transmit the .mp4 files to the viewers devices.
The encoding process happens in a matter of moments when it comes to live streaming to keep your latency low.
With Dacast, you can use any encoder that outputs into RTMP or HLS.
If you have never used an encoder before or are unfamiliar with what this is, we recommend starting with our customized version of our OBS Studio. This software is free and will allow you to start streaming in a few clicks.
Required Encoder Settings on Dacast
The following encoder settings are required for live streaming with Dacast, regardless of your selected resolution and bitrate:
VIDEO CODEC
H.264 (x264 may work)
FRAME RATE
25 or 30
KEYFRAME INTERVAL
2 secs (or 2x frame rate)
SCANNING
Progressive
ENCODING BITRATE
Constant (CBR)
AUDIO CODEC
AAC
AUDIO BITRATE
128 kbps
AUDIO CHANNELS
2 (Stereo)
AUDIO SAMPLE RATE
48 kHz (48,000 Hz)
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
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For example, if you own the website www.test.com, you can set up a restriction to block sites that arent www.test.com from trying to grab and reuse your embed code. H2> How a Website Referrer Relates to Dacast Under the Security tab, there is a section called Domain Control. You can click the padlock icon to edit these settings for a live stream, video, or playlist.
To manage and apply global settings across your account by going to Settings on the left sidebar and click Security. Scroll to Domain Control to add or edit your referrers.
Here is avideo that explains how to set up this feature.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
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Bandwidth is a rate of data transfer, generally a metric of how much data can be sent in a given time period that is mandated by the stress and traffic caused on a server.
For Dacast, this refers to the amount of traffic caused by streaming (higher audience and higher bitrate translate into more bandwidth being consumed).
How Does Bandwidth Relate to Video Streaming?
This is a very broad question as video streaming depends on your specific needs. More specifically, the price of your Dacast package will largely depend on the bandwidth needed for your project.
The bandwidth depends on how many viewers you are expecting, how long would they be watching, and the quality of your stream (low definition, medium definition, or high definition).
You can use the Dacast bandwidth calculator for an estimate of how much bandwidth you will need.
However, before committing to a plan we strongly recommend speaking with one of our knowledgeable sales representatives to give you the most accurate estimate. Contact us at 855-896-9300.
Any questions or need help with our pricing plans or bandwidth calculator? Please contact us.
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Progressive Download is a technique wherein video, or audio content can be watched while downloading to a computer or device. This process differs from streaming in that the file is saved to your computer during the process, although sometimes without the user knowing it and sometimes only temporarily.
Dacast uses a strictly streaming approach that does not support progressive download. This is due to the large volume of content behind paywalls for which a progressive download approach would be prohibited and allow people to take paid content and redistribute it to others easily.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
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There is no viewer limit for videos on regular Dacast accounts. We have facilitated broadcasts with hundreds of thousands of concurrent viewers.
Dacast uses a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) that allows users to stream to vast audiences without the concern of hitting a limit that would overwork a smaller server network.
This top tier CDN is available on all plans. If you plan on streaming to large numbers of viewers, please make sure you purchase the appropriate amount of bandwidth.
Any questions or you want to access this feature?Pleasecontact us.
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The terms frame rate and FPS are often used interchangeably. FPS stands for frames per second and refers to the number of video frames that display each second in video.
Essentially, FPS is the unit of measurement for frame rate.
You can control how many frames per second a video has when broadcasting over Dacast in your encoder settings.
The human eye is well equipped to see over 100 FPS, although the defacto standard is often around 60 FPS. As a rule of thumb, you can get away with lower FPS (which would also lower the amount of bandwidth you are using) if you are streaming low motion content.
If there is really fast motion in your video, you should use a higher FPS to make the motion appear more fluid.
VP9 is a proprietary codec that was developed by On2Technologies in May 2003. It is also called the TrueMotion video codec. VP9 is a lossy video compression format and is often used by JavaFX, Adobe Flash and Flash Video Files.
Dacast does NOT recommend using VP9.
If you plan to do All Device (HTML5) live streaming it is recommended to use the H.264 video codec instead.
If the H.264 codec isnt an option for you, Dacast also supports the x264 codec.
It is possible to live stream with VP9, but it has known playback issues in certain digital environments. Use it at your own risk.
What is an Encoder?
The VP9 codec has to do with your live stream encoder.
Encoding is a process used to convert the RAW video files captured by a camera into digital files suitable for live streaming over the internet.
When you buy a Dacast Streaming Plan, you are buying access to a range of Dacast platform features and services for a period of time and with a certain level of usage (bandwidth) included. This includes the player, broadcast manager platform, content management, access to support, and more.
Dacast is unique from most other existing services in the way that we allow unused bandwidth to roll over from month-to-month for up to 12 months.
If you only used half of your Starter plan bandwidth, the remaining 50% would roll over into the next month. However, this bandwidth only remains available for the life of the plan.
Therefore, an account can not continue to be used, or unused bandwidth reserved for later when the service is canceled or suspended.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
Dacast provides two embed code options for live streaming: JS and iframe. Both of these work for playback on your website or app via desktop and mobile devices as long as the content itself supports it.
The JS embed code is the default embed code for Dacast, and it supports the most features. This includes being responsive if the elements are designed inside is a different size and working with the referrer restriction feature.
To embed it in a WordPress website for instance, just copy and paste it in your article. This must be done in the text mode.
The iframe embed code is the most universally compatible embed code. The caveat is that some features do not work with it.
This embed code is not responsive, which means it’s a fixed size. The full-screen feature is also sometimes removed. This usually happens only if you are using iframes within iframes.
Additionally, the URL-based referrer restriction feature does not work with the iframe embed.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
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It is quite common for encoders to get out of sync when streaming both video and audio feeds if the CPU of the machine running the encoder is being taxed.
If you are encountering this issue, please take a look at the system resources monitor while streaming. It might be that you need to change some settings, or perhaps your computer needs an update.
Usually, the CPU going over 60% (especially over 80%) can definitely result in issues. Dropped frames can also result in issues as well. These are typically ISP, packet loss, or server-based issues.
There are several ways to determine probable causes. Monitoring your encoder tells you everything from the actual input to the actual processing of the stream.
This also applies to the resulting file archive these encoders might be saving to your computer. For more tips on how to diagnose broadcasting issues, check out our guide on how to troubleshoot your live streams.
Required Encoder Settings
Check your encoder settings to make sure they are set in accordance with Dacasts required configurations.
The following encoder settings are required, regardless of your selected resolution and bitrate:
VIDEO CODEC
H.264 (x264 may work)
FRAME RATE
25 or 30
KEYFRAME INTERVAL
2 secs (or 2x frame rate)
SCANNING
Progressive
ENCODING BITRATE
Constant (CBR)
AUDIO CODEC
AAC
AUDIO BITRATE
128 kbps
AUDIO CHANNELS
2 (Stereo)
AUDIO SAMPLE RATE
48 kHz (48,000 Hz)
Any questions or you want to access this feature?Pleasecontact us.
Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
Multi-Bitrate Streaming on iOS It is not possible to select a video bitrate on a video on iOS. This is a limitation coming from iOS, the best video bitrate is automatically selected so your viewers have nothing to worry about.
Multi-Bitrate Streaming on Android It is possible to select a video bitrate on a video on Android.
If you have any questions about this feature, please contact usany time,
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This column acts as a detailed Q&A for how storage works over the Dacast system. Please feel free to comment on which topics you’d like to see addressed here.
How Much Storage is Included with My Account?
This depends on your plan level. Please log in to your Dacast account and click DASHBOARD and the top center box shows how much included storage you have. If you are considering buying a plan, and not sure which to go with, please consult ourpricing page.
How Much is Storage if I Go Over?
The answer to this varies. Starter Plans and Event Plans are charged $0.15 a month for each GB of storage they go over their limit.
How Often is Extra Storage Billed?
If you are over your storage limit, extra storage is billed monthly.
What is the Minimum Charge for Extra Storage?
For monthly plans, there is no minimum and the charge for extra storage occurs on the same day as your plan rebill date.
How do I Purchase Additional Storage?
Please reach out to our 24/7 Support team at: www.dacast.com/support You can also increase your included storage by upgrading to a higher plan.
How is Storage Cost Calculated?
Storage cost is calculated from the peak storage used each month for the plan. So deleting all videos just before the billing date, for example, will not bring the cost to 0.
How Does Multi-bitrate Work with Storage?
All bitrates are added up and factored into the storage amount:
Do Inactive Files Count Toward My Storage Total?
Yes, all files on your account (up until they are deleted), regardless of whether they are turned ON or OFF, count toward your storage total. If you are unclear what your total storage might be, please click DASHBOARD on the left sidebar after logging into your account.
If I Cancel My Plan, What Happens to My Stored Files?
If you cancel a plan, and dont purchase any additional data bandwidth, your files will be removed from your account.
Any questions or you want to access this feature? Please contact us.
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The ICP 19031887 contract with China-based CDN services ensures fast delivery without buffering. Hosting Video on Demand in Chinain just a few clicks is a rarity in the online video industry. With multiple points of presence (PoPs) across the mainland, you gain access to 1.4 billion people behind the Great Firewall.
Serving video content in mainland China is available via our VOD hosting solution.
It is an add-on to existing plans rather than a plan in itself. With our current live streaming pricing plans, this feature will cost from $100, billed monthly, or $200 annually according to your plan.
Any questions or you want to access this feature?Pleasecontact us.
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Streaming and hosting videos on Dacast uses both video bandwidth and storage. In order to generate an estimate of how much bandwidth youll need, we suggest checking out our bandwidth calculator.
In this post, were going to walk you through the process of buying extra bandwidth so that you never run out when youre in need.
On the left sidebar of your Dacast account, click Account > Plan > Additional Data. You will see the pricing indicated on a chart. The higher the bandwidth, the lower the price.
When you click on the Purchase Data button, you will be redirected to the next window. Simply indicate the amount of bandwidth you wish to purchase.
In this example, based on the pricing, 1 to 5TB cost $0.25 per GB, so in order to purchase 1TB, you put 1000 (1TB=1000GB). The price will then cost for this purchase at $250 (1000GB x $0.25).
When you click the Next button, you will need to input the mode of payment. You can choose one that is already saved on your Dacast account or use a new one.
How to Purchase Extra Storage
If you are over your storage limit, the extra storage will then be billed to you monthly. Pricing would vary depending on the plan.
For example, Developer Plans and Event Plans are charged $0.15 a month for each GB of storage they go over their limit.
If you want to purchase extra storage on your Dacast account beforehand, you can get in touch with your account manager directly or our 24/7 support team, who will then push your request directly to the account manager.
Another option is to increase your included storage by upgrading to a higher plan.
If you have any questions about video bandwidth or need help with this Dacast feature, feel free to contact us directly.
Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
Please note that we have been using Akamai DEEM (dynamic encoder to entry-point mapping) approach for the selection of the publishing point for several months.
This new approach provides improved throughput and automatically optimizes entry points based on current Internet conditions. Therefore, there is no more the possibility to select a publishing point in the new back office because Akamai automatically optimizes it for you to ensure a high-quality ingest.
A CDN is a network of servers that deliver a web page or web content, such as video, to a user. The CDN copies the web content to a network of servers that are dispersed to different locations around a geographic region.
When a user accesses content that is part of a CDN, the CDN will redirect the request from the originating sites server to a server in the CDN that is closest to the user and deliver the cached content.
The closer the CDN server is to the user geographically, the faster the content will be delivered.
Dacast uses top-tier CDNs including Limelight and Akamai, which have some of the largest networks of servers in the world. The global nature of these servers ensure scaleable and high quality live streaming.
Benefits of Using a CDN
A content delivery network (CDN)/content distribution network is a network of servers and data centers.
As a broadcaster, providing your viewers with high-quality video content is absolutely essential. You want to create an enjoyable viewing experience to keep your viewers coming back.
Using a global CDN provides several benefits that relate to bringing that high-quality experience to viewers in broader geographic regions.
Some improvements that CDNs offer include faster loading times, lower bandwidth costs, higher content availability, and enhanced security.
Speedier loading times reduce latency. Since viewers tend to have little patience for lagging and buffering, this is a major plus.
CDN vs. Video Hosting
Since they work so closely together, CDNs are sometimes confused with video hosts. When it comes to professional broadcasting, this is not an either/or situation.
A video host (ex: Dacast) is where your video lives. A CDN is simply the tool that brings it to your viewers.
Think of your nervous system. Everything is operated by your brain, but chains of nerves send signals all over your body to give it the information it needs to function.
A video hosting platform is a brain. It sends videos (or signals) to people to viewers via content delivery networks (the nerves). Both parts work together to bring viewers the content that has been requested.
Your online video host and CDN will work together to produce a high-quality broadcast.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
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It stands for File Transfer Protocol, and deals with FTP clients like Filezilla as a way to upload content to your account. FTP clients are external programs which allow you to connect to a web service, like Dacast, using login details that include a:
server
username
password
This is the suggested method for uploading files around or over 1.5 GB in size. If you need help on using this feature over Dacast, please refer to this video tutorial.
The promo code limits apply to uses, not users. In other words, a promo code set to a limit of one can only be used once.
This rule applies even if the same user attempts to apply a promo code a second time.
Types of Monetization Available with Dacast
Promo codes can be applied to any monetization methods that use the Dacast paywall. There are three methods of monetization offered by Dacast: SVOD, TVOD, and AVOD.
SVOD is a subscription-based method that allows viewers to have unlimited access to a video library for as long as their subscription lasts. Subscriptions are typically weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
TVOD is most commonly known as pay-per-view. As the name suggests, viewers pay for what they want to watch.
AVOD refers to ad-based monetization. You have the option to serve ads on your content. Ads are funded by your advertisers, so rather than paying out of pocket, your viewers pay for the content with a minute or so of their time.
Both SVOD and TVOD use the Dacast paywall, so you can set promo codes for any content that is monetized with either of these methods.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
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It is super easy! As long as you already have your ad network, and are on a paid account with Dacast, it is as easy as 1-2-3.
Simply enable the pay-per-view advertising feature on the engagement page of your VOD section, then once you have done so, just click on the New Ad button and it will help you generate a URL.
You just need to copy and paste the URL of your ad in your Dacast account and thats it.
This paywall section of your Dacast account gives you access to the main tools you need to monetize video content.
Some of the paywall functions include:
Access to your saved pay-per-view/subscriptions/promo codes presets (section Presets of your Paywall
Creation of price groups and promo codes (section Groups of your Paywall)
Access to your Pay Per Views and Subscriptions balance lines (section Transactions of your Paywall)
Access to your balance (section Withdrawals of your Paywall)
Customization of your paywall using paywall themes (section Theming of your Paywall)
Payment requests and managing your payment settings (sections Settings of your Paywall)
SVOD is a subscription-based method that allows viewers to have unlimited access to a video library for as long as their subscription lasts. Subscriptions are typically weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
TVOD is most commonly known as pay-per-view. As the name suggests, viewers pay for what they want to watch.
AVOD refers to ad-based monetization. You have the option to serve ads on your content. Ads are funded by your advertisers, so rather than paying out of pocket, your viewers pay for the content with a minute or so of their time.
You do not need to worry about that. Our new secure paywall prevent multiple logins at the same time. This means that several viewers cannot share the same login following a single purchase and watch the content simultaneously. If you still have questions about it, please feel free to reach out to us 24/7.
It is not possible to watch simultaneously a video content with the same login. So even if a viewer shares his login, no one will be able to access the video content at the same time.
The Dacast paywall manages different currencies to enhance the inclusivity of the platform.
Here is how Dacasts monetization tools manage different currencies:
STEP 1: Your viewers pay the pay-per-view or subscription price for your video content in whatever currency pricing you set up in your Dacast account. All the transactions are available under Paywall > Transactions.
STEP 2: Dacast collects the money and converts automatically and directly the transaction amount from the selected currency into the paywall balance currency chosen for the broadcast.
STEP 3: Dacast takes its commission fee (9.9%, plus $0.40 on each viewer purchase.)
STEP 4: Dacast pays you back the net revenue in USD, EUR, or GBP (based on your initial paywall set up) when you request your payment.
To show you how this works in action, were going to give you a little walkthrough of transactions in the Dacast dashboard.
Once youre in the Dacast dashboard, please go to the Paywall section. Click on it and choose Transactions. Here you will see all transactions on your account.
You will see:
Currency
Price (the amount the viewer paid)
Credit (this part is converted to USD if the viewer purchased in different currency)
Debit (the debited amount or the commission Dacast collects from the purchase)
If you want to request a withdrawal of your earnings, simply click on Withdrawals:
Here you will see where you can add your preferred withdrawal method if its your first time doing so. At this point, you can also make a new withdrawal request.
For withdrawal methods, you can use the following:
Bank Account (US & International)
Check
PayPal
There is some information that you should gather once you decide which withdrawal method you are going to use.
For bank accounts, please gather:
Account number
Routing number
Account holders full name and address
Bank name and address
For check details, please gather:
Payees name and address
For PayPal details, please gather:
The email address associated with your PayPal account
Once you have filled in all of the information, simply click Withdrawal Request.
Please note, for first-time payment request withdrawals, the first payment request will take a minimum of 30-35 days to process. Subsequent withdrawal requests will take less time.
The processing delay, minimum withdrawal request, and fee for each withdrawal method are as follows:
PayPal funds transfer
Delay: 10 business days minimum (after the first payment has been made)
Minimum: 1000 USD
Fee:
US: Free
International: 5 USD
Check
Delay: 10 business days minimum (after the first payment has been made)
Minimum: 100 USD
Fee: $10
Money transfer to a US bank account
Delay: 10 business days minimum (after the first payment has been made)
Minimum: 100 USD
Fee: Free
Money transfer to an international bank account
Delay: 10-15 business days minimum (after the first payment has been made)
Minimum: 250 USD
Fee: 10 USD
The reason for the 5-day minimum delay is because it is dependent on our assessment of refund and dispute risk from viewers who purchased the content.
If there is any refund and dispute activity, there may be a longer delay. So, therefore, as a word of advice, we always recommend that broadcasters leave at least 10-20% of the balance to minimize any payment delay.
Types of Monetization Available with Dacast
As a reminder, there are three methods of monetization offered by Dacast: Subscription, Pay-per-view, and Ad-based monetization.
Subscription-based: allows viewers to have unlimited access to a video library for as long as their subscription lasts. Subscriptions are typically weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Pay-per-view: as the name suggests, viewers pay for what they want to watch.
Ad-based monetization: serve ads on your content. Ads are funded by your advertisers, so rather than paying out of pocket, your viewers pay for the content with a minute or so of their time.
If you have any questions about video monetization or need help with this Dacast feature, feel free to contact us directly.
Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
When it comes to video monetization, a subscription requires a viewer to pay for unlimited access to your content over a fixed amount of time.
Pay-per-view, on the other hand, requires viewers to pay for access to individual pieces of content.
Video Monetization
To put these two video monetization methods into perspective, someone can set up a biannually subscription where viewers can watch uploaded content as much as they like over that year. Someone else can set up a pay-per-view for a two-hour program, where the viewer gets to watch only that program and nothing more.
Please note that a subscription enables you to automatically bill on a recurring subscription cycle, while pay-per-view is a single payment billing model.
Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.
Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
Credit card and Paypal can be used when purchasing a PPV or a subscription. Please note that with Paypal, your viewers will have access to less currency options compared to credit card.
However, if you need a specific currency that you do not see in your paywall, please contact us.
Yes! The Dacast Online Video Platform supports video monetization for both live and on demand content. What is video monetization?
Simply put video monetization isgetting paid for the videos you publish online. Not so much for the creation, but rather when audiences view or download your content. The more people that watch the greater your earnings.
But how does it all work?
Broadcasters can generate revenue from their videos in a number of different ways. The most common include inserting ads, incorporating sponsors, offering subscriptions, or creating product or service reviews.
Types of Monetization Available with Dacast
Dacast supports the following monetization methods: Subscriptions, Pay-Per-View, and Ads-Insertion.
SVOD is a subscription-based method that allows viewers to have unlimited access to a video library for as long as their subscription lasts. Subscriptions are typically weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
TVOD is most commonly known as pay-per-view. As the name suggests, viewers pay for what they want to watch.
AVOD refers to ad-based monetization. You have the option to serve ads on your content. Ads are funded by your advertisers, so rather than paying out of pocket, your viewers pay for the content with a minute or so of their time.
How Do You Monetize Videos?
One of the easiest ways to get started with video monetization is by inserting ads or using suggested content links in your published media. Anyone who has ever watched aYouTubevideo will recognize this concept. As viewers engage with these sponsored links you earn income for each click or a percentage of completed affiliate sales.
Broadcasters can also look for sponsors and include targeted product placement throughout their content. With sponsors, you need to have a decent following to charge premium rates. However, if you cater to a specific audience or niche,brands will still pay good money for advertising (even with a smaller following). The key is ensuring any sponsors align with your site values and audience interest.
Dacast is now a unified video platform that includes live and on demand streaming, making advanced video hosting a standard feature. We are in the process of a full migration, and for all customers interested in the new offering, and have put together a thorough tutorial on how to navigate the Dacast VOD solution. We will cover everything from video uploading, transcoding, live stream encoding your videos, to video monetization, and configuring the integrated paywalls and more.
To access this tutorial, please click and navigate to this support article:
In March 2019, Dacast acquired vzaar, a professional video hosting platform based in London, England. Recently, Dacast released a unified video platform which includes live and on demand streaming, making advanced video hosting a standard feature. We are in the process of a full migration, and for all customers interested in the new offering, and have put together a thorough tutorial on how to navigate the Dacast VOD solution. We will cover everything from video uploading, transcoding, live stream encoding your videos, to video monetization, and configuring the integrated paywalls and more.
To access this tutorial, please click and navigate to this support article:
In this post, we are going to discuss what VOD is, what VOD stands for, and explain the meaning of VOD. We will also explain the differences between VOD streaming and VOD streaming.
What is VOD?
VOD stands forvideo on demand and is a way of accessing content online from video libraries without traditional playback. Where traditional broadcast channels and media outlets forced consumers to view content on their schedule, VOD services allow audiences to access videos at their leisure and from any compatible device.
What does VOD stand for?
VOD stands for video on demand. In the video streaming space, VOD refers to content that is uploaded to a library for viewers to access at their leisure.
What is the meaning of VOD?
The meaning of VOD streaming is different from live video streaming because it is previously recorded as opposed to broadcast in real-time.
Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video are some examples of streaming services that use the VOD model. A lot of VOD platforms use OTT streaming, which means they stream over the internet.
Since Dacast is a unified streaming platform, it supports both live streaming and advanced VOD hosting. Your viewers will not access your videos directly on Dacast, but rather in a VOD library that you build on your own site or app using a Dacast embed code.
Professional-grade VOD content is most popularly monetized with subscriptions or pay-per-view. However, it is possible to monetize with advertisements or advertisements paired with subscriptions.
VOD Features on Dacast
In 2019, Dacast acquired vzaar, an advanced VOD hosting platform. More recently, the two platforms have merged, giving users a totally seamless, unified streaming experience.
Because of this merger, Dacast has inherited quite a few powerful VOD features.
With the help of these and other VOD-specific features, you can expect a pleasant user experience for both you and your viewers when you use Dacast for your professional video hosting needs.
Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 30 days? Sign up today to get started.
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Please note that enabling the 30 Minute Rewind setting will increase the latency to roughly 40 seconds.
Since they work so closely together, CDNs are sometimes confused with video hosts. When it comes to professional broadcasting, this is not an either/or situation.
Dacast provides two embed code options for live streaming: JS and iframe. Both of these work for playback on your website or app via desktop and mobile devices as long as the content itself supports it. 
When you click on the Purchase Data button, you will be redirected to the next window. Simply indicate the amount of bandwidth you wish to purchase.
When you click the Next button, you will need to input the mode of payment. You can choose one that is already saved on your Dacast account or use a new one.
STEP 2: Dacast collects the money and converts automatically and directly the transaction amount from the selected currency into the paywall balance currency chosen for the broadcast.
You will see:
