Low Latency

Businesses are learning that video is an effective way to engage and attract customers, and being able to quickly transit video content is crucial in providing real-time communication without lag. Latency refers to the delay between capturing video and when it appears on the viewer’s screen. At Niagara Video, we specialize in providing powerful, flexible, and cost-effective low latency solutions for many applications to ensure near real-time streaming across any device, any place, anytime.

Low Latency and How It Works

Latency is expressed in units of time. While there are no standards that dictate what is considered low latency and what is considered high latency, low latency usually means that the time between capturing video and it appearing on the viewer’s screen is lower than average in that particular field of broadcasting. Typically, latencies less than five seconds are considered low latencies. Some of our solutions can achieve latencies less than 1 second.

Latency is affected by several factors. If you are trying to achieve low latency, there are some potential obstacles that you could face, some of which are easier to resolve than others. Some common factors that can affect low latency include:

• Distance. Your video can have longer delays if you are located far away from your satellites, internet hub, or ISP.
• Video Format. The larger the stream size, the greater the chance of errors and re-transmissions, increasing streaming latency.
• Encoding Protocol. The encoder needs to be optimized with the proper protocol and configuration to send signals to the receiving device with as low latency as possible.
• Connection Type. The type of connection you have will determine your transmission speeds and rates. For example, optic fibers transmit data quicker than wireless internet.
• Bandwidth. With greater bandwidth, you’ll have faster internet and decreased congestion, resulting in faster data transmission.
• Internet congestion. You can have all of the above optimized but if your Internet connection has too many subscribers you will still have a hard time delivering a low latency stream

Low Latency Applications

Niagara Video has many customers that require low latency solutions. Some common applications requiring low latency include:

• Gambling, Betting, and Bidding. Live auctions, online casinos, and sports betting all require low latency to allow players and bidders to participate in real-time, decreasing the chance of someone gaining the upper hand.
• Online Video Games. Action from online video games must reflect in real-time on the player’s screen. If there is any lag, it will compromise gameplay and overall experience.
• Second Screen Experiences. When watching live events on a second screen app, such as a sports league or television network app, you are probably several seconds behind live TV. Having low latency delivers a consistent viewing experience without the risk of being spoiled by comments or notifications from people who saw what happened before you did.
• Video Chat. Video chat platforms, such as Skype, Zoom, and more, benefit from low latency as it ensures uninterrupted conversation without communication breakdowns caused by lagging. Our new systems use these same protocols for meeting where latency is critical.

 

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Low Latency Solutions from Niagara Video

Niagara Video provides the following solutions to address issues and challenges of low latency:

• We use the latest transport solutions to accomplish reliable connection over the Internet including RTMP, WebRTC, SRT, RIST, RTP/FEC, and HTML5.
• Instead of using expensive satellite or leased fiber, we enable use of the public Internet with similar capabilities regarding latency.
• Our low latency technology combined with the flexibility of using encoders that transport over the Internet opens up where you can capture live video.
• We offer standards-based solutions to ensure compatibility across your network architecture.

Niagara Video Capabilities

With our low latency solutions, organizations benefit from the following capabilities:

Contact Us Today for Low Latency Streaming Solutions

Low latency is important in ensuring real-time video transmission. At Niagara Video, we offer powerful, flexible, and affordable low latency solutions for a variety of applications. The world’s most respected content delivery networks, broadcasters, and network solutions providers rely on our high-quality products and solutions to deliver audio and video streaming to millions of people around the world every day. For more information on how you can take advantage of our low latency solutions, request a quote or contact us today.