Viewing Output Metrics in the Spalk Dashboard

Introduction

Understanding and utilizing output metrics in the Spalk dashboard is crucial for diagnosing and troubleshooting live event streaming issues. This guide provides a step-by-step process to locate these metrics and explains how to interpret them to ensure a seamless streaming experience.

Accessing Output Metrics

Step 1: Navigating to the Dashboard

Log in to your Spalk account and navigate to the dashboard. You can find the Output Metrics section as part of your live event monitoring tools.

Step 2: Identifying Your Event

Locate the event you are monitoring by searching or scrolling through the 'Live Events' section.

Step 3: Locating the output

Click on the ‘Outputs’ tab corresponding to your event, this will display all the active and scheduled outputs for your event.

Step 4: Opening the output metrics

Click on the bar graph icon beside each active output's URL field to open the metrics for that output, here you will find various metrics related to your stream's output quality.

Step 5 (optional): Open in a new tab

In order to view a different time range, or explore the metrics more fully, click the magnifying glass to open the metrics in a new tab. Here you can view metrics at arbitrary times and zoom in on any issues or anomalies.

Understanding Output Metrics

Understanding the behaviour of the Spalk output is critical to ensuring stable performance, and diagnosing issues. Due to the differences in the underlying protocols, the metrics available for each type of output differ for SRT or RTMP outputs.

RTMP Output Statistics

- Encoder Bitrate: Reflects the bits per second processed by the encoder. A stable and adequate bitrate is necessary for a smooth streaming experience.
- Encoder Speed: Shows how quickly the encoder is processing the stream. On average, it should be at 1x speed, indicating real-time processing. 
- Encoder Frames-per-Second (FPS): Indicates the number of frames being processed every second. It should match the intended FPS of the stream.

SRT Output Statistics

- SRT Packet Errors: This metric includes dropped packets (arrived too late to be sent), lost packets (never received), and retransmitted packets (resent due to being reported as lost).
- SRT Bitrate: Represents the total outgoing bitrate, including retransmitted packets, which gives an indication of the network stability.
- SRT Link Round-trip-time: Measures the time it takes for a packet to go from Spalk to the destination and back, which can affect the stream's latency.

Diagnosing Issues using Output Metrics

- High Encoder Bitrate Variability: If the encoder bitrate fluctuates significantly, it could indicate network or encoder performance issues.
- Slow Encoder Speed: Speeds lower than 1x can cause lag and indicate processing power limitations or excessive system load.
- Inconsistent FPS: A drop in FPS can result in a choppy video output, often due to performance issues on the encoder or network congestion.
- Packet Errors: An increase in packet errors, particularly lost or retransmitted packets, can point to network instability.
- High SRT Bitrate: While a stable bitrate is good, an unusually high bitrate due to retransmissions can indicate packet loss or network issues.
- Long SRT Round-trip-time: Longer round-trip times can lead to increased latency, which may cause sync issues between audio and video.

Troubleshooting Tips

- If packet errors are prevalent for an SRT output, investigate potential network issues, such as unstable connections or insufficient bandwidth. The configured SRT latency should be at least 3x the measured Round Trip Time. Learn how to configure SRT latency and other parameters here.
- Check your network throughput and stability and that it is able to handle the stream's bitrate.
- Consider adjusting the stream's bitrate or resolution if the network cannot handle the load.
- Monitor the round-trip time and consider running Spalk infrastructure closer to the location of the event to reduce latency.

Conclusion

Regular monitoring of output metrics is essential for maintaining the quality of your live streams. By understanding what each metric signifies and how to interpret their values, you can quickly identify and address issues, ensuring your audience enjoys a high-quality streaming experience.

For further assistance or if you notice persistent issues that cannot be resolved using the guidelines above, please contact our support team for expert help.

Remember, a successful live event is not just about the content but also about delivering it flawlessly. With the Spalk dashboard’s output metrics, you have the tools at hand to ensure just that.