Streaming Servers
What are they?
Introduction
So you may not be aware of this, but most mid-size IRL streamers, and basically every single top IRL streamer uses a Streaming Server. They stream directly from their device to a server, which then streams to the platform they use. There are many advantages to this.
Pros: If you lose connection, your bitrate gets too low, your device dies, you need to change out a battery, you need to end it temporarily for privacy, etc., the stream stays live (usually displaying a set page, image, or video until the stream returns).
It's also an easy way to load up on and customize your various overlays. Most phone apps have limitations to how many overlays you can actually have active, and many things you may want the viewers to see would just get in your way.
They also have solid connections, where even if you're in 480p, that's just what the server gets, and it still streams in 1080p60 for the entire stream, allowing you to adjust on your end as you wish, without having to start and stop the stream your viewers are watching. It also always shows those overlays you have on the server in 1080p60 even when you're getting pixelated, etc.
Cons: They cost money, usually in the area of $100 USD per month if you want total control over the server. You also need an ingest URL, which is what you stream to from your device, and that is displayed in OBS on the server as an incoming feed. These are sometimes included, but typically costs $10-35 USD per month on their own.
I tried all three of the servers on this list. I'm sure there are more options, but these are the three I tried. AntiScuff was the one I actually used. They have three options, priced at $50/60/90 month. I used the $90 USD option because it gave me full control of a remote instance of Windows Professional, where when I logged in I was able to do everything on that computer like it was sitting on the desk beside me in my room. It was very powerful, and the connection was very strong. I had very, very few problems with it, and Tican (the guy who I believe runs the operation) was accessible and there to help me with every question I had, even logging in and editing the NOALBS file for me to fix an issue I couldn't figure out.
Pros: Full admin rights to an official, licensed Windows Desktop that is preloaded with everything your streaming server needs to run immediately. Great and accessible support staff. Includes both SRT or RMTP Ingest in the pricing. If you don't care as much about having full control, and do want the cheapest 1080p60 option out of these three, the $60/month plan is probably perfect for you.
Cons: The cheaper options are limited. $50/month is limited to 720p. I also did experience a very rare issue where when I'd go to login Remote Desktop, it would hang up and I'd have to get staff to manually restart it for me. Typically this was immediate though.
This one seems to be the most popular (based solely on the fact that I can immediately identify people who are using it). It's also the most expensive, and runs on Linux. They advertise a 'web dashboard for full control of your stream,' but in my experience I was limited to the OBS Studio window, unable to do anything else on the machine. I attempted to import a video file in an OBS window by browsing the system through an OBS browse prompt, and was successful, but couldn't actually import it into OBS. It just wasn't for me.
I actually tried to set this one up twice because someone else I knew in person had rented one, and within the hour he switched to AntiScuff as well, and prefers it.
Pros: Seems to be very popular and reliable. I'm pretty sure Ice Poseidon uses it. Includes both SRT or RMTP Ingest in the pricing. On the cheapest plan it has built in multistreaming to 2 destinations, on the more expensive plan up to 5 destinations.
Cons: Cheapest plan is $129/month. Runs on Linux (It was a con for me, lol).
I tried this one first. Their cheapest plan is $81/month and also charge a $27 one time setup fee.
Pros: They seem to offer the features that are most important to me, but for $9/month more to have total control with AntiScuff, I ultimately decided against this one and got a refund.
Cons: I don't really see what they offer for $81 that isn't worth paying $21 less to AntiScuff to save some cash, or $9 more to AntiScuff for full control.
I haven't actually tried this service, but they offer three packages, the middle of which at $80/month includes full desktop control, which is the main thing I paid $90/month for from AntiScuff. With that being said, I can't vouch for the service because I've never used it, but it seems legit.
Build Your Own!
You can save a ton on this if you build your own physical server. In my self-built setup though, I still pay $10 per month for the ingest URL via Belabox Cloud, and I'm using a physical computer powered in my house, which also uses electricity, has to be on 24/7, and doesn't have the reliability of a rented server which would have a solid connection and 99.9% uptime.
You do also need some technical understanding of how the entire process works. Still though, I'll tell you what you need, and run through the basics of the setup.
I recommend renting a server for a while first, so you can be hands on with a system that has already been setup perfectly for you, where you can then familiarize yourself with that and try to emulate that on your own.
This setup is based on my setup, what I personally know. I'm sure you can do this with Linux/Mac as well, but it isn't going to be the same process, and I don't know that process.
Requirements:
A physical PC that doesn't suck. Full access to your modem/router and the ability to open ports. RestartOnCrash.exe - Or an equivalent, setup to start on launch. NOALBS - This automatically switches scenes based on bitrate. It also includes Twitch bot stuff that you should manually remove if you aren't using it. OBS Studio - Hopefully you're already familiar with it. OBS Blade (Mobile) - This will allow you to start/stop the stream from your phone, as well as switching scenes. Requires opening ports. Remote Desktop (Mobile) - Requires Windows Professional (not Home), and opening ports. Chrome Remote Desktop (Mobile) - Doesn't require opening ports, but you should really have both in case one isn't working for whatever reason.
Ok, so basically I'm just going to run though the setup like a real human being here, and if you can follow it, great, if not, you may need help or you may need to just rent a server.
Your physical PC needs to not suck. It needs to be good enough to stream from regularly, but also be on 24/7, be controlled remotely, and run a couple of other applications without any problems. It needs to have a solid connection 24/7, both upload and download, or you're going to have a bad time. I'm personally using a pre-built gaming PC I purchased new a few years ago before getting the one I'm currently using for my regular desktop needs. It also needs to have a Windows Professional variant, like Windows 10 Professional or Windows 11 Professional. If you have that, great.
I recommend starting first by going into your bios settings, and this will be different on different machines. Research your own machine to learn how. Once in the bios settings, you're going to want to find the option that will automatically reboot the machine if it loses power. This will make it so if your power blinks, or if it's out for several days, etc, the machine will reboot immediately when power is restored. I also use a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) on both my streaming server and internet modem so that if there is a blink or very brief power outage while I'm doing IRL, it won't affect my stream at all. Once you've done that, and tested it by unplugging and plugging in the PC to see it automatically turn on, then you're going to want to look up and set your PC to login automatically without a password, so that if it reboots at anytime while you're away, it will login and load all the relevant applications. If you don't do this, you will have to connect via one of the Remote Desktop apps and login to actually load all the programs.
Next, enable the built-in remote desktop feature. Note all the relevant information, as you will need it when you open the port and also to login with the Remote Desktop mobile app. While you're at it, also install and setup Chrome Remote Desktop on your PC and mobile device and test it. This application does not require opening any ports.
Now you're going to want to download and setup OBS Studio and NOALBS. In OBS you're going to want to plugin the relevant ingest url and do the same from your streaming device and test it. I recommend the ingest url you can get from Belabox Cloud, but this is SRT/SRTLA only. It's only $10/month. That means it won't work with something like Prism Live Studio, but will work with IRL Pro, or a Belabox. Once you've verified you can see the incoming feed, you can setup everything else like your overlays and scenes. Now, install RestartOnCrash.exe and set both OBS Studio and NOALBS to restart if they crash. Also set this RestartOnCrash.exe to launch when the PC launches. This will automatically start OBS Studio and NOALBS when the PC is powered on.
Once you've done this, in OBS go to Tools and then WebSocket Server Settings. Click the box to Enable WebSocket server. From here you need your Server Port and Server Password. If you select 'Show Connect Info' you should see an IP, but this is your LAN IP and isn't what you want. You need your physical IP. You can get that by googling 'what is my ip' or by opening a command prompt and type 'ip config' and hit enter. Once you figure it out, it's time to head over to the modem/router settings.
In your modem/router settings, you're going to want to add that LAN IP to port forwarding and you're going to want to open one port for the WebSockets settings, and one port for your Remote Desktop. I recommend using a different port for Remote Desktop by simply forwarding it to another port in these settings. The WebSockets port should be fine how it is. It's a good idea to use a different port for Remote Desktop because it's highly likely your ports will be scanned at some point and some random person will try to brute force it, which is typically fine, but it can lock you out in both Remote Desktop and Chrome Remote Desktop, which can ruin your day if you're in another state and can't access your server.
Once you get this setup, use your phone (not on wifi) to try to use both Remote Desktop and OBS Blade. If it's working, you've done it. You've successfully setup your server. You will use OBS Blade to start and stop the stream on your phone.
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