Video Demo
Below is a video demo showing how to enable the enhanced broadcasting feature in OBS, allowing viewers to select their preferred streaming quality for a more optimized viewing experience.
Step-by-step guide
1. Download OBS studio
If you do not have OBS studio installed yet, the first step is to download and install version 31.1.2 or later. This ensures compatibility with the enhanced broadcasting feature.
Official download link: https://obsproject.com/
2. Copy RTMP publish stream name
Once OBS Studio is installed, go to your Dolby OptiView dashboard and create a new publish token for your live broadcast. In the “Publishing” tab, you’ll find your RTMP publish stream name, copy it to use in OBS.
3.Paste your stream key in OBS studio
After copying your token, open OBS Studio and go to Settings. In the left-hand menu, click the Stream tab. At the top, you’ll see a dropdown menu labeled Service, click Show All, then select Dolby Millicast from the list. Paste your copied stream key into the Destination > Stream Key field.
Next, under Multitrack Video, check the box for Enable Enhanced Broadcasting. You can either click Auto to use the default settings or manually choose how many video tracks you want to offer your viewers.
Once everything is set, click OK in the bottom-right corner to save your settings.
4.Start streaming in OBS
Now that everything is set up, head back to the main OBS Studio dashboard and click Start Streaming in the Controls panel to go live.
Once your stream is live, viewers can click the Settings icon at the bottom right of the player, then select Video Quality to choose from the available bitrate options, giving them control over their viewing experience.
Key Benefits
So why are we offering this option from Dolby OptiView Streaming? There are several key benefits for publishers, especially for iGaming operators.
Better iGaming experience without cloud transcoding costs
When iGaming operators want to offer multiple bitrate options to viewers, it typically requires cloud transcoding. It is an expensive process that creates different versions of the video stream. Because of these added costs, many operators stick to a single bitrate, which can lead to issues for users on mobile devices or with poor internet connections. A high-resolution stream may be unnecessary or difficult to load, resulting in buffering or degraded performance.
Dolby OptiView Streaming solves this with its enhanced broadcasting feature, which uses a “passthrough” approach where the encoding happens on the edge, and the transcoding step is skipped entirely. This allows operators to offer multiple bitrate options without incurring extra costs, giving viewers the flexibility to choose a stream quality that suits their device and network conditions. This preference also differs depending on which type of iGaming the player is engaged in, some games require higher resolution while others may prefer smoother playback at lower quality. The cost savings are especially significant for iGaming providers who stream 24/7, where traditional transcoding would quickly become expensive.
An added benefit is improved stream quality. Since the source content is fed directly into OBS without transcoding, the stream retains its original quality, delivering a better viewing experience.
Optimized social casino streaming experience with ABR
In social casino streaming, a host (or streamer) plays games like slots, poker, blackjack, or roulette live while viewers watch, interact via chat, and sometimes even join in the gameplay. For the real-time and interactive nature of these use cases, fast start-up time and smooth, stable playback are especially important.
Offering multiple bitrate options, or adapted bitrates (ABR) in social streaming helps ensure a smooth experience for all viewers, regardless of their device or internet speed. It automatically adapts stream quality that fits viewers’ conditions, lower bitrates for slower connections or mobile devices, and higher quality for those with strong bandwidth. Viewers can also change their resolution manually. This flexibility reduces buffering and improves viewer retention.
Simplifying operations for streaming platforms
Managing bitrate settings across multiple streamers can be a challenge for platform operators. Traditionally, operators had to guide each streamer individually on which bitrate to use, and if streamers exceeded those recommendations, it could lead to unexpected costs.
With enhanced broadcasting via OBS and Dolby OptiView Streaming, operators gain more control. Bitrate settings can now be adjusted server-side, eliminating the need for manual instructions and reducing the risk of surprise expenses. This simplifies operations and ensures a more consistent, cost-effective streaming experience.
