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How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

jordanlewis.org

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Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#61
post #41

Jordan was a little vague in terms of how to get the iPad as a source. I know that QuickTime can capture i(Pad)OS devices as an input source so it might be some built in compatibility when the device is connected via lightning/USB, but another route is NDI. [1] NDI is doubly useful as it: 1. is wireless over the local network 2. allows you to use your phone/tablet's camera as a video source, which can be a reasonable…

Whoops, you're right that I didn't mention that. Connecting it to your Mac via Lightning makes the screen available as a video source.

To be fair I think the green screen whiteboard trick was a much more valuable tip, I've done a similar thing in the past but it's probably less intuitive/widely documented than how to make your device's screen appear.

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#62
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it available as a video source directly in OBS? I know I can open it in QuickTime, but then you'd have to add a layer of window capture... Personally I'm looking for a Windows solution primarily, but if I can open it directly in OBS, I might just run my MacBook and use the NDI plugin from the parent to stream that video to my PC.

Yes, it pops right up in OBS as well as QuickTime and so on. Using another layer of window capture doesn't work very well as I'm sure you know - it gets super laggy!

> Using another layer of window capture doesn't work very well as I'm sure you know - it gets super laggy!

Oh, don't I know. I last looked into this when I had to produce a video explaining the FLP theorem. In the end I opted to just TikZ everything and avoid the iPad route because I couldn't get anything working acceptably well.

(Though I never tried just adding it as an video source directy, I assumed there had to be secret sauce in QuickTime.)

Thank you so much for the info!

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#63
post #60
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NDI HX Capture is the one I've tried: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ndi-hx-capture/id1501247823 In terms of sandboxing, I think it may use APIs that are there for screen sharing on video calling apps. It shows a similar interface to the screen recording feature that was added in iOS 12.

Well I'll be damned. I wasn't aware screen sharing was available in video calling apps either. I suppose my last foray into this "rabbithole" must have been pre-iOS 12. Thanks!

Just spotted it's $10 now, so not a painless thing to try if you're on the fence. FWIW it's worked well for me, decent quality and the latency is not an issue at all for screen sharing, not immediate obviously, but for whiteboarding etc. definitely not an impediment (YMMV dependent on your local network).

Also while it isn't a 'universal' app with an iPad specific interface, the interface is just the button to start broadcasting the screen so other than looking a little awkward on launch, again it's not an issue in terms of the output, you'll still get the full screen.

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#64
post #34
post #4

Do a lot of programmers feel like they could be effective on a livestream? I might be in a minority, but my preferred coding style is very non-linear and sporadic, and wouldn't make for an enjoyable viewing experience.

I think it comes down to your "persona". For example George Hotz does multi-hour long coding streams that are all over the place, but they have some entertainment value because he's a bit of a kooky character.

It made me almost feel bad watching it, though. The dude is clearly so quick -- not even in coding, but just using a computer in general -- that given how much of my life I spend in front of this thing, I think I really missed a trick in not being extra attentive to trying to make sure I could maneuver my way around it as fast as he does.

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#65
post #63
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I'll be damned. I wasn't aware screen sharing was available in video calling apps either. I suppose my last foray into this "rabbithole" must have been pre-iOS 12. Thanks!

Just spotted it's $10 now, so not a painless thing to try if you're on the fence. FWIW it's worked well for me, decent quality and the latency is not an issue at all for screen sharing, not immediate obviously, but for whiteboarding etc. definitely not an impediment (YMMV dependent on your local network). Also while it isn't a 'universal' app with an iPad specific interface, the interface is just the button to start…

I tried one of those AirPlay servers before and it worked... okay for me. I've got my PC on LAN and an access point across the room (albeit without direct line of sight) and I still had network hiccups.

Since it turns out connecting the iPad to a Mac via USB will make it show up as a video source in OBS (not just QuickTime), I'm inclined to run OBS on my MacBook (also on LAN) with the NDI plugin to stream the screen to my PC. If that falls through, I guess I'll bite the bullet and get the app.

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#66
post #4

Do a lot of programmers feel like they could be effective on a livestream? I might be in a minority, but my preferred coding style is very non-linear and sporadic, and wouldn't make for an enjoyable viewing experience.

I don't believe I would be productive on a livestream. That said, I think it would be like exercising a muscle I neglect - similar to the physical exercise I don't do :) I'd probably grow as a programmer if I were more comfortable searching for solutions in front of others.

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#67
Shameless promotion of my own video on setting up OBS; I created this for some of my friends and colleagues when we first started moving to all online teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5KGeiw3KV4 I will note that toward the end of the video on some finer tweaks, my scene was not correctly showing OBS cropping.

That said, this article does a great explaining the Twitch integrations. If you aren't looking into Twitch streaming, that portion can be ignored.

I've been using OBS for creating lecture videos for years. I use it mostly because when I started, it was one of the only free quality stream capture tools out there and I'd seen a few of the early Twitch streamers using it. Since I was teaching, I wanted to imitate the Khan Academy style drawings. The article uses an iPad, but I've gotten pretty comfortable with GIMP and a small Wacom tablet.

My setup (my equipment is a bit old, so it doesn't look like they are still sold):

* Samson Meteorite microphone: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/samson-meteorite

* Wacom Small Pen Tablet: https://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Intuos-Touch-Tablet-Version/dp/...

* GIMP: https://www.gimp.org/

Your two most absolutely crucial components are your sound and your lighting. The sound should get picked up well so the viewer doesn't need to adjust their volume to listen. I know some of my videos have fallen short in this quality because of the mic's positioning.

Also, think about your voice and enunciating your words. Since my lectures are public, 20% of my channel's traffic comes from India and Germany. You don't need to necessarily slow your words (like I did when I started), but you want to make sure each word can be heard cleanly. You may not realize you have a hard to understand accent because it just seems natural to you. You can also mitigate this with subtitles (I've used rev.com for ADA compliance).

Lighting is the other important aspect because if you are going to stream your face, it needs to look presentable. You don't want the lights shooting directly on your face though because that can wash out you texture and color. Like in the article, you want to bounce your lights off a white surface for a softer illumination. I'd recommend reading some indoor filming techniques to get a good setup, since you are effectively on camera.

Likewise, know your eye line. I like to have my camera at just above eye level so when I'm lecturing it looks like I'm talking to my students, rather than looking down/up wherever your webcam is. This was also a tip I gave to a friend last week before he presented at a conference. Acting for the Camera is a nice book you can peruse for small tips like understanding your frame.

Finally, you're going to be very clunky when you start, even if you are at extroverted person. You'll need to become comfortable performing in front of the camera no different than in front of a classroom or audience.

Here are three videos illustrating this point:

[1] One of my first videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEYOixCgGHg

[2] Literally two months later, notice my increase in cadence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltav5tp43RY

[3] Five years later https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dggl0fJJ81k

Once you start, watch some of your videos to see what you think is wrong or weird with them and try to improve.

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#68
post #41

Jordan was a little vague in terms of how to get the iPad as a source. I know that QuickTime can capture i(Pad)OS devices as an input source so it might be some built in compatibility when the device is connected via lightning/USB, but another route is NDI. [1] NDI is doubly useful as it: 1. is wireless over the local network 2. allows you to use your phone/tablet's camera as a video source, which can be a reasonable…

Whoops, you're right that I didn't mention that. Connecting it to your Mac via Lightning makes the screen available as a video source.

... and eliminates the problematic wireless latency overhead.

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#69
post #28

What do you think about running live coding stream on YT vs Twitch? I'm about to start streaming myself, but not sure what platform should I use. Last time I checked Twitch it looked a little bit overwhelming.

Probably stream to both simultaneously until you figure out which one works better for you.

If you get Twitch affiliate or partner I believe you can stream on both YouTube and Twitch still just not simultaneously, at least that is what I have read. Not sure many big streamers have tried so not sure on the details.

Re: How to Run a Live Coding Stream on Twitch Using OBS

#70
So I haven't done any live coding streams in a long time. But I recently recorded a completely unfiltered version of myself coding for a co-worker who is learning to program. I wanted him to see all of the ups and downs. All I did was turn on the recording and just went about my day like I normally do, all cussing and fiddling in my terminal like I normally do. Once you're on for 30 minutes or so you forget you're even recording.

It could be interesting to take this approach then "stream" it as well so you can provide feedback to people watching and also laugh at yourself a little bit.

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