|
United States297 Posts
Since it's MLG weekend, I figure it's a good time to ask people how they usually watch streams. I'll be moderating a PAX panel with DJWheat, EG CEO Alex Garfield, Tosspot, and a local FGC streamer on how to get started as a streamer. If you're not going to PAX, you can still watch it on twitch.tv!. To get ready for Q&A I'm doing a bunch of encoder tests, trying to decide what some good recommendations for XSplit encoder settings are. But to pick the right tests, it helps to know how people usually watch streams. I searched for threads on this but the only one I could find is about the stream pages on the Team Liquid site, not the stream itself.
It would be a big help if TLers could take this 3-question poll about their setup when they are watching streams. Thanks!
EDIT Sorry the first question here is a bit of a mess. I should really be asking "if the stream is offered in resolutions up to 1080p or higher, what would you watch?" If your #1 favorite stream only uses 720p, but your #3, 4, and 5 use 1080p and you watch them using 1080p, pick 1080p. Also assume you don't have to pay for the stream.
Poll: At what resolution do you usually watch streams?720p (123) 47% 1080p or higher (64) 25% 480p (47) 18% lower than 480p (27) 10% 261 total votes Your vote: At what resolution do you usually watch streams? (Vote): lower than 480p
(Vote): 480p
(Vote): 720p
(Vote): 1080p or higher
Poll: What display do you use to watch streams?Fullscreen on my gaming desktop (115) 53% Default player size (not fullscreen) on my gaming desktop (32) 15% Fullscreen on a very large (> 26") monitor or a TV, but still from a computer (28) 13% Fullscreen on a laptop or tablet (23) 11% Default player size (not fullscreen) on a laptop or tablet (12) 6% Other (add a comment to tell me about your setup!) (4) 2% Fullscreen a TV using a Roku or other CE device (2) 1% Smartphone (2) 1% 218 total votes Your vote: What display do you use to watch streams? (Vote): Default player size (not fullscreen) on my gaming desktop
(Vote): Fullscreen on my gaming desktop
(Vote): Default player size (not fullscreen) on a laptop or tablet
(Vote): Fullscreen on a laptop or tablet
(Vote): Fullscreen on a very large (> 26") monitor or a TV, but still from a computer
(Vote): Fullscreen a TV using a Roku or other CE device
(Vote): Smartphone
(Vote): Other (add a comment to tell me about your setup!)
Poll: What's your internet DOWNLOAD speed where you watch streams?> 10.0 mbps (109) 53% 6.0-10.0 mbps (33) 16% < 1.5 mbps (30) 15% 3.0-6.0 mbps (22) 11% 1.5-3.0 mbps (11) 5% 205 total votes Your vote: What's your internet DOWNLOAD speed where you watch streams? (Vote): < 1.5 mbps
(Vote): 1.5-3.0 mbps
(Vote): 3.0-6.0 mbps
(Vote): 6.0-10.0 mbps
(Vote): > 10.0 mbps
*What's that? They're going to live stream a panel about live streaming? Yo, dawg ...
|
First question is kind of awkward. I watch it on the highest quality available without having to pay. Usually 720p, but there's a couple 1080p streams I follow.
|
United States297 Posts
Yeah, and I forgot to include "at Barcraft" in the where do you watch streams question. But I can't edit polls after the fact... it'll have to be close enough for jazz.
|
United States5162 Posts
I like to watch streams popped out taking up about 2/3rds my screen. And as Grobyc said, I'll watch the highest quality that's free.
|
|
|
I can't stand fullscrean, I'm always switching tabs to facebook, TL, liquipedia and other stuff.
|
720p with fullscreen sometimes. But most of the time I am switching through tabs or messaging people on skype.
|
United States297 Posts
I edited the first question a little. Are the people picking 720p because they watch streams that don't have 1080p available? Would you watch 1080p if it were available or is it too much bandwidth/decoding for your machine to deal with while you're alt-tabbing and doing other stuff?
|
Most streams are 720p so that's what I actually typically use, but if 1080p is available I'd use it.
My 2nd monitor is a TV so I'll fullscreen it there if I'm watching big events like GSL. For player streams I usually pop out the player and have it cover 2/3 of screen, so I can use skype, notepad, etc while watching.
|
opterown
Australia54747 Posts
for a multi-stream weekend tournament, i have all streams open on my desktop.
good thing i have two monitors (one of which is 2560x1440 res) ;D
|
interesting that the two highest numbers in "what speed is your internet" are the highest and lowest options ;p
|
240p because I have 90 gb monthly bandwidth TT
|
At the highest available no-costs resolution.
|
i dont have bandwidth caps to worry about but i checked the past three months and im averaging over 400gb a month
dunno how people deal with that bs when it comes to watching streams
if its a big tournament or i am going to sleep i will throw a stream up on my tv, otherwise ill just have one fullscreen on my 2nd monitor if anything worth watching is on
i use the highest available resolution
|
usually 480 in a window on my 24" desktop... I'd like to stream @ 720p but can't due to shitty internets becasue I live in the middle of knowhere 
|
Always the highest resolution.
|
Screenshot of my computer desk inside spoiler. It's a little out of date, but the monitor layout is still the same.
+ Show Spoiler +
The 32" TV there is prime for the HQ streams, and even LQ streams look dandy on it. I don't always have the TV on, though, so monitors two and three get the streaming duty. Most of the time I'll be playing a game or something on 2, with chat windows on 1.
|
Average settings, but, as many people pointed out, i like to switch taps/windows a lot, but sometimes i also go bigass full screen on my 27" Monitor with my popcorn for MLGs and stuff i really like to spend time on. Maybe you should add this category (Fullscreen for big events nights, standard most of the time to be able to switchs tabs and windows, cause i feel lots of people are doing this)
|
I seldom really focus on one or two streams... I'll just run the default size windows (usually highest possible resolution)
+ Show Spoiler +Here's a pic of my old setup ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/x67Dw.jpg) I now have the vertical monitor on the left but the point is two pop-out windows fit very well in that space
|
I watch 720p and usually just on my gaming PC, but I have a 32" TV right next to it in my room that I'll use for finals or other really exciting matches.
Also if there are 2 games I really want to see at once, I turn my TV abot 45 degress and watch 1 on my TV and one on my computer. Pretty sick.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT![[image loading]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15545173/Four.jpg)
