Live Video Streaming with the Larix Broadcaster Mobile App

This guide will walk you through streaming from a mobile device using the Larix Broadcaster Live Streaming App.

How to Live Stream with Larix Broadcaster

Streaming with the Larix Mobile Broadcaster application requires 3 things:

  1. A mobile phone or table
  2. Larix Broadcaster Mobile App
  3. A Dacast account

Video Tutorial 

Check out this quick tutorial, and discover how you can quickly launch a live stream on your phone or tablet, with Larix Broadcaster Mobile App:

Written Tutorial 

Larix Broadcaster is a free app for iOS and Android that you can use to live stream from your mobile device on the Dacast platform.

Note that Dacast supports iOS 13.1.1+ and Android 9+ so please check your device versions and update if required

Setup is easy. To start off, once you open up the app (if you have just downloaded it), it will ask permission for it to use your camera, microphone, and location. All of these should be allowed.

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - encoder settings

Now once everything has been allowed, it will now take you straight away to the main screen which is essentially the camera capture part, as evidenced below. What you need to do is click on the screw icon (which is the settings part).

To manually configure the encoder, make sure you follow our Live Encoder Configuration Guide and you should be good to go.

Now you will then be redirected to the settings page. What you can do is configure the settings first for the video:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - video settings

What you can change is the video size based on the resolution that you wish to stream at. You can set it all the way up to the highest (1920X1088) or the lowest (176X144). Your upload speed should factor in the setting of this resolution:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - video parameters

For FPS, 30 fixed rate is the preferred frame per second. This should be fine moving forward.

Here are the settings for Apple devices:

apple settings larix

 

For Android devices:

Scroll all the way down then under the Encoder settings part, you can change the video bitrate accordingly (again based on your upload speed and as per our encoder settings guide):

For Keyframe Frequency, we recommend, setting it at 3 seconds. This should be fine moving forward.

Now everything will then be automatically saved, you can scroll back to the main Settings page and then click on Audio:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - audio settings

Now under the Audio parameters page all, you need to change are the following:

  • Channel count: Stereo
  • Sample Rate: 48000

Check out the Audio Parameters settings here:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - audio parameters for channel

These are again, based on our preferred encoder settings, and both should be set to these options respectively moving forward.

Next, scroll back to the main Settings page, then click on Advanced Options:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - advanced option settings

What you need to change from within this page are the following:

  • Frame Height
  • Frame Width

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - advanced options camera frame settings

Again based on the resolution that you wish to stream at, choose the corresponding frames per height and width. Please reference our encoder settings guide.

Now once everything has been changed you can now go straight to the Connections section so that you can manually configure your stream based on the Dacast live channel you will stream at:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - connections settings

Either clicking on New connections (to establish a one-time connection) or Manage connections (to save the given stream details moving forward) will work.

Upon clicking you will be redirected to the stream settings part, which is called Outgoing connections:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - outgoing connections settings 

In this example we chose a new connection:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - outgoing connections new

These are based on the Dacast live channel encoder setup. Please input the following settings:

  • URL: Server/Stream Key (put a slash after the Server URL, then put the Stream key afterward.

In this example my Server URL on my Dacast account is 

  • rtmp://0736d04f-2f1c-b384-d89e-05ec581d0c52.dacastmmd.pri.lldns.net/dacastmmd

Then my Stream key on my Dacast account is 

  • 131a743dc3bf46eeab2537eba0a34c3a_3500

Put them together on the Larix app under URL as:

  • rtmp://0736d04f-2f1c-b384-d89e-05ec581d0c52.dacastmmd.pri.lldns.net/dacastmmd/131a743dc3bf46eeab2537eba0a34c3a_3500

Next, set up your credentials:

  • Login: Username
  • Password: Password

Now all of these pieces of information can be found under your Dacast live channel.  Go to the General Tab, then click on Encoder Setup:

Once there you will see the following, simply copy and paste the information provided:

Now go back to your Larix app, then once you have copied and pasted the following info. You can change the following as a final step:

  • Target Type: Limelight Networks
  • Then click Save.

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - limelight networks setup

You will be redirected to the connections page again on your Larix app. Once stream credentials have been accepted, you will see it as based on my example:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - new outgoing connections example

Go back to the main window then focus on the camera of your smartphone, and click on the big red button on the right:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - mobile setup confirmation settings

Once there, you are ready to start streaming! If you are successful, you will see a timer at the top left part confirming that you are indeed connected to the Dacast server, and streaming is being done now:

Live Video Streaming - Larix Mobile Broadcaster - mobile setup confirmation

That’s it!

Explore our player API  to integrate other great apps to enhance your live streaming experience. You can even use API and mobile SDKs to build iOS and Android apps for viewing.

If you are still having issues please contact our support team in chat or via email support@dacast.com.

Not yet a Dacast user, and interested in trying Dacast risk-free for 14 days? Sign up today to get started.

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Jose Guevara

Jose is a part of the Dacast Customer Onboarding team and started working with the company in 2016. He has vast experience in customer service/engagement and live streaming support.