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Posted by _ - - 9 comments

Review: Noppoo Lolita (Prototype Mechanical Keyboard)

*** Disclosure: I received this prototype keyboard from Noppoo for free, but this in no way affects my review of the product.  My opinion does not sway at all regardless if I bought the item with my own money or it was provided to me at no cost. ***
*** NOTE: This keyboard is a prototype build and has not yet been put on market. It can't be purchased currently, and what I'm showing you is NOT an accurate representation of the final product. ***

I just returned back to the U.S. from a business trip to China.  While in China, I decided to meet with the president of Noppoo to discuss purchasing some of their amazing Choc Mini mechanical keyboards. But when I met him, he had a surprise for me.  He handed me a white box that said "Lolita" on it, told me that Noppoo had been working on it for 1.5 years, and that he wanted my opinion on it. So here we go...















Box Included: Lolita keyboard (with Brown switches), a key remover, a bag of alternate panels that fit on the keyboard, a bag of alternate partially-transparent keys (W, A, S, D, Esc, etc), and a Mini USB to USB cable.


First of all I want to note that this keyboard does not use Cherry MX switches. Noppoo has spent 1.5 years developing their own switches that Lolita will be the first to use. The specific keyboard I was given has their Brown switch in it -- Perfect, that's my favorite mechanical switch!

Noppoo's Brown switch inside Lolita


I've used Cherry MX Brown switches for thousands of hours, and I've now used the Noppoo Brown switches inside Lolita for a few hours, so I will make the best comparison I can.  I have requested specifications on this switch from Noppoo and if/when I receive them, I will update this post with that information. But for now, we're going to have to base everything on "feel".  First, the switch is tactile and not clicky.  So far so good. The resistance (the amount of pressure needed to actuate the switch) feels nearly identical to it's Cherry counterpart. Overall, the switch is good.  But, I do have one gripe with it. The switch doesn't feel tactile enough.  When you press down on a Cherry MX Brown switch, you feel the 'bump'.  On the Noppoo switch, the bump is there, but isn't felt quite as much. Overall I think this switch is something to keep an eye on and is a real competitor. The big question is what the price will be when it goes to market...

















It's a nice looking keyboard...



Lolita also features some nice media keys via 'Fn' + F keys (pictured below). Some of these functions include opening My Computer, Internet Explorer, Calculator, Music track changing and volume adjustments, as well as toggling the Windows key on/off.  Whether these keys are configurable in their function, I have not yet found a way to do so.











 Extra function keys on the F keys





This panel is removable and replacement panels for it are even included in the packaging.  But I'm not sure why...
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Posted by _ - - 2 comments

*** ApocTV.com has secured an exclusive interview with Hashd.tv's CEO Martin Wyss. I also brought Mark from bananaconda.net to co-interview Martin with me. ***


Exclusive Interview with Hashd.tv's CEO Martin Wyss

 
[ApocTV]: How did the name "Hashd" come about and what is the meaning?

 

[Martin Wyss]: Our first idea was to name the streaming service Hash.tv, related to the hash tag used by Twitter (#). However, this domain was already taken, so we used a combination. Hashd is a combination of Hash and HD for High Definition. Our idea is to tag streams and videos, so you will easily find videos and streams related to your keyword. This feature is yet to be implemented but it will allow for simple quick keyword tagging, this in combination with our HD streams leads to Hashd.tv.

 

 

Are there any features to Hashd that 'other' streaming sites don't have that you would like to tell me about?

 

While our tagline "Livestreaming innovated" at this moment might seem deceiving, that is due to our beta version having little to none of the innovative features we have in mind. In this current version, I'd say there are two little nice features. For example we allow streamers to tick an option if they so desire which will only let viewers who have turned AdBlock off, this is completely the streamer's decision to make, and we're simply giving them the option. 

Another small thing is that unlike other streaming platforms, you are able to create multiple streams under one account, with names that do not have to coincide with your Hashd.tv account name, we believe this makes for a more user friendly system. However, those are very very small things in a list of ideas we have, which most of will be available as we progress away from the Beta phase. For example once our new design is on, we plan to experiment with the 'Featured streamers' part of the website, where instead of simply letting popular streamers take up the whole place we want to reserve a timeslot every week that displays small and upcoming streamers for a whole day, we believe in building a proper community up, and many of those small streamers have insane quality content that never gets any attention.

 

 

One of the signature features to Hashd is the ability to block viewers from using Adblock. How exactly does Hashd do this?

 

It is pretty simple, without going into technical part of things, we can detect if a viewer has AdBlock turned on. If the streamer has it turned on, then our player will be 'blocked' to him, the site will simply display an image that basically says 'The streamer has requested that you turn AdBlock off in order to view this stream'. We are aware it can be a controversial feature which is why like I mentioned before, we leave the decision completely up to the streamer.

 

 

 

The rumor is that Hashd will offer higher CPM payouts for partners than competitors, can you tell me any more on this topic?

 

This is a very important question that requires proper explanation. There's many factors involved as to why our CPM payouts could be quite more attractive to partners. For starters, it's much easier to become a Hashd.tv partner at this stage where we are still growing bigger. The minimum average viewers required to attain partnership and a respectable CPM at Hashd.tv is a lot easier than on other streaming platforms, but that particular feature is mainly aimed at small-mid sized streamers, what about the bigger ones you might ask? 

Well, for starters we're well aware that our streamers and viewers is what makes us, without them we're nothing and thus we aim to develop a healthy transparent relationship. For the really big partners we can offer the revenue share CPM program, instead of the flat rate, and they would really get the amount we earned, no hidden fees involved. We have already made some healthy deals with various Ad Agencies worldwide which allows us -with confidence- to say that we are capable of being on par with the flaterate CPM in the market, and we can even go further with the revenue share. We also offer subscriptions like other competing platforms, and the percentage we take out of each subscription varies from one partner to another, it will be agreed upon in our contract with the partners.

 

So yes, you can say that we offer higher CPM technically, but it's not that simple as saying we will always offer higher CPM. It depends on the partner, it depends on the preferred revenue method, and a few other aforementioned factors.

 

 

Does Hashd offer percentage-based revenue sharing or flat-rate for partners?

 

I guess this question has already been answered before, our main option is flat-rate CPM, but we can also offer revenue sharing depending on the streamer's status and numbers.

 

 

For North America, where are your ingestion servers located?  We've heard rumors that there's no ingestion server on the west coast (ie Los Angeles).  Any plans to expand?

 

We have servers in Dallas, Texas. However, since we had issues and were forced to switch server software right after our Beta launch, we haven't activated those servers yet, they will be up in the next few days.

This is just the beginning, of course we plan to expand further than Amsterdam and Dallas, one of the main reasons we launched this early is to test everything and allow the public to be involved as we grow further and remove every obstacle in the way.

 

 

Initially rumors were that Hashd is Own3d.tv, just with a new name.  Does Hashd have any affiliation with Own3d or any other streaming sites?

 

No, we are not affiliated with Own3D.tv in any way or form. We started Hashd.tv from scratch and we’re located in Zug, Switzerland. We can see why people could relate us to Own3D as we're using Bootstrap as well, we decided to create a very simple clean design until we implement our new design soon.

 

Not only are we located in a different country and run by an entirely different team, but we also have a completely different business model from Own3D.tv. We will not promise things we can not afford, even if it means that we don't land any of the big streamers for a while, we simply can't go out and pay some streamer a large sum simply for signing with us, that business model will inevitably lead to failure. We are growing step by step, and we believe with our server structure, upcoming innovative features, and true interaction with our community we will reach our goals.

 

What are your philosophies on what makes a great streaming service?

 

Our main goal is to deliver a high quality streaming service, with innovative features that the community truly wants to see. We believe that the key to success is interacting with the community, listening to every single suggestion, and always delivering based on feedback. However, there's one aspect that I just mentioned that we believe can make or break a streaming platform; the business model.

 

 

Do you have any features that might help low traffic/volume streamers with excellent content to expand their viewership?

 

Yes, it's one of the things we discuss a lot within our team, looking at all those streamers who do not get the proper viewership despite putting in a lot of effort and having an amazing stream. I already mentioned this but doing a rotation of small upcoming streamers in the Featured Streamers on our homepage is an idea we hope to implement once we go live. Reserving one day every week, or an hour every day only for small upcoming streamers.

We also plan on splitting each game into further categories, which means when you hover over a certain game you'll get a list to choose from : All, Pro Players, Shows, Tournaments, Streamers for example. This means that the chance of a small streamer being exposed to the public viewer is a lot higher whenever someone browses based on a specific category in mind.

 

Those are just two things we have in mind, there's many more ideas that we will filter through when it's time to implement the extra features. If anyone out there would like to suggest a new feature, related to this part or anything, please feel free to e-mail us at suggestions@hashd.tv.

 

 

A great streaming service needs great broadcasters, what are your strategies to try to pull in high quality content producers? (ie Signing bonuses or other methods)

 

Like we have expressed before, we're not fond of the signing bonuses idea, we don't think it's a wise way of spending money most of the time. However, it could be possible in one or two situations, we are still studying that possibility carefully to make sure we don't steer away from our business model. When we look at this issue we find ourselves aiming to get low traffic high quality content producers that do not get much attention at the moment, and helping them grow bigger. Since it's extremely hard to get a well-established content producer due to contracts currently running with competing services.

 

Is there anything else you'd like to highlight to your future viewers and broadcasters?

 

We highly appreciate feedback, it's essential to our growth, so please feel free to drop us any feedback you have through the appropriate channel. We plan to grow bigger with our viewers, you will notice our progress if you visit us often during this beta stage, you essentially become a Hashd.tv beta tester by using our service right now, whether as a streamer or a viewer.

It has been great working with our viewers so far, when we ran the HotS showmatch and we hit our very first 1,000 viewers it helped us know exactly where our issues are, and will allow us to fix them systematically.

 

We plan to hold more of these showmatches and also bigger steady tournaments in the near future, so stay tuned for more updates!

 
Thank you so much for your time and best of luck in moving into a bright future!

----------------------------------

Huge thanks to both Martin and Raoul from Hashd.tv for the interview.  I'd also like to thank Mark from bananaconda.net for being co-interviewer with me!

Make sure you check out Hashd.tv !

-ApocTV 
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Posted by _ - - 12 comments


Review: AVerMedia Live Gamer HD (C985)

*** Disclosure: I received this capture card from AVerMedia for free, but this in no way affects my review of the product.  My opinion does not sway at all regardless if I bought the item with my own money or it was provided to me at no cost. ***

If you are involved in the streaming community at all, then you've heard of AVerMedia's Live Gamer HD (C985) capture card.  As far as consumer capture cards go, it's considered one of the high end cards, and for good reason.  Whether you're doing a 1 PC stream setup, 2 PC stream setup, or even streaming your console games, the Live Gamer HD can give you increased performance and/or increased stream quality.


















The card retails for ~$215 USD and in my opinion it's well worth it.  It comes with the card, all the cables and basic converters you could need, as well as a device that plugs into the card and sits on your desktop.  The device has a button on it that allows you to start/stop capture without having do anything software-side.  Additionally, this isn't something I normally mention, but the packaging of the Live Gamer HD was excellent and really impressed me.















Top notch packaging!

SPECS:
Alright, let's get to the specs of the card. It has a max input of 1080p 60fps and an output max of 1080p 30fps or 720p 60fps.  This is quite nice, it means you can have your monitor running at 1920x1080 at 60hz yet output to XSplit (or otherwise) at 720p 60fps, or 1080p 30fps if you choose.  I use a 120hz monitor, so I did what's called the "mirror method".  This involves having your graphics card mirror your desktop on both your monitor's output (dvi/dl-dvi/hdmi) as well as the HDMI to the capture card.  


Another feature of the Live Gamer HD is the option to use the card for hardware encoding.  This means in theory you could have 2x Live Gamer HD's, and use one for capturing and the other for encoding and have zero load on your PC due to streaming.  As this is something I have tested, I can tell you that the hardware encoding really isn't feasible in comparison to using x264 encoder via XSplit for example.  I would highly recommend not getting the card for this purpose.  This card's strength lies in it's capture and output of 720p 60fps, or 1080p 30fps, from a 1080p 60fps source

INSTALLATION:
Installing the Live Gamer HD was truly a breeze. It comes with it's own software called "RECentral" that can be used for both recording and streaming.  I tried the software out and it worked well, but I was eager to get it hooked into XSplit and get that 60fps stream rolling!

















In box: actual capture card (connects into PCI-E x1 slot), a device with a button to start and stop recording (connects into USB-port), CD-ROM with software and drivers, HDMI-cable, audio cable and two adapters – “HDMI to DVI” and “DVI to HDMI”. Also included is a user manual which discusses in detail all the possible ways to connect video sources to the capture card.
 
XSPLIT:
XSplit will automatically detect your stream settings and match the Live Gamer HD's output to match.  For example, if you are streaming at 1080p, it will have the card output at 1080p 30fps.  Currently (2012-10-21), we have a new beta build of XSplit (currently in testing) that allows you to toggle on or off the auto-configuring in XSplit.  This is nice because you can turn it off and force the card to always output at 720p 60fps for example. There was one other problem I did notice in XSplit though, and that was the picture that the card outputted.  It had a "washed out" look to it, as if the brightness was too high.  But, I found a simple fix for this.  In the color settings for the Live Gamer HD in XSplit, just add +4 contrast.  It makes a huge difference!

CONCLUSION:
Overall, I've been really pleased with this card.  Normally I would use DXTory to hook into my games and output to XSplit to get high-fps capture.  When streaming a First Person Shooter game at 720p 60fps for example, I've found my personal frames per second performance to be superior when using the capture card instead.  Even more important, the FPS of my stream is a lot more stable.  This is because DXTory can fluctuate it's fps output via DirectDraw, whereas the Live Gamer HD does not. Currently (2012-10-21), there are a couple bugs that I do want to mention though. First, sometimes when a game will refresh your monitor (ie when a game runs fullscreen) it will cause the Live Gamer HD to output a black screen to XSplit.  To fix this, in XSplit you have to go to Config -> Video Output for your card's settings and hit "OK" and it outputs properly again.  Whether this is an XSplit bug or firmware/driver bug for the Live Gamer HD, I'm not sure.  Second, there's an issue with random (and somewhat rare) freezes/stutters on the output to XSplit.  Though, I'm 99% sure this is an XSplit bug, and once it's identified we should have it fixed.  I would like to note that the card only captures via HDMI, which was perfect for my setup personally.  Also, it does not capture content protected by HDCP -- take note PlayStation 3 gamers!
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The Definitive XSplit Guide
by ApocTV and TechnicalMonkey (XSplit Community Staff)



Intro:
This guide is for setting up and tweaking XSplit.  If you’re not familiar with XSplit, it’s software to live stream just about anything you want.  Whether it’s your desktop, a video game, camera content, a console game via a capture card, or even a video from a file, XSplit can do it!  XSplit can also make local recordings on your hard drive of the content.



Get XSplit:
First off, you need to download and install XSplit from XSplit.com.  This guide assumes you are an XSplit licensed user.  If you are not, as you go through the guide you can adjust the settings to what you are restricted to in the free version of XSplit.

 The video version of this guide:


Main XSplit Window:



Get Speedtest.net Results:
Next, go to www.speedtest.net and do 1 or 2 speedtests to locations near you, making note of your results, or even just saving the image file of your results.



Basic XSplit Setup:
In XSplit, we first need to setup the basic settings.  Go to Tools -> General Settings, and go to the “General” tab.  In here, we want to turn on “Disable Aero Theme”, turn off “Hide from Screen Region”, and turn off “Enable Skype interaction”.  You will also see “Enable virtual camera output”.  This is used if you want to use XSplit as a camera source for another piece of software.  In most cases, you want this turned off.  The last option is “Enable Game Source”.  This is for “hooking” into games and using them as a direct feed into XSplit.  If you are not familiar with GameSource, you can read more about it on XSplit.com.  It also is explained a bit more in depth in the “Add Sources” section of this guide.

Still in the “General” tab of XSplit, you will see where you can set your Microphone.  Select your mic in the dropdown.  Below that is “My Recordings”, and this is where you specify a location where local recordings will be saved when using the “Local Recording” profile in XSplit.  The “Local Recording” profile is setup like a stream channel is, but instead it records it to your computer locally instead of uploading it out.  Keep in mind, you can stream out and also do a local recording at the same time.  It’s a great way to save your content for making VODs later.


(It is highly recommended to use less CPU resources on your desktop while streaming. In Windows 7, you can change the theme by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Personalization on the context menu. You can then force your PC to use either the Windows 7 Basic theme or the Windows Classic (which disables Aero). This will save on both CPU and GPU resources when it comes time to stream.)


Stream Channel Setup:
Now let’s setup your channel where you will be streaming to.  We will assume you have an account with Twitch.tv or Own3d.tv and have already activated your channel by going to your streamer dashboard.  If you don’t have an account, go set one up!  It’s free.


To setup the channel, go to the “Channels” tab under Tools -> General Settings.  Click “Add”, and then choose your stream provider, generally Twitch.tv or Own3d.tv.  As far as settings go, this is where things vary from person to person.  We’ll include some basic “templates” based on your CPU, but even then you will probably want to tweak the settings a bit to find the perfect settings for you.  If you aren’t sure what CPU you have, google “CPU-Z” and download and run it.  It will tell you all the info you need related to your CPU such as make, model, and speed.


We will list two settings for each CPU line.  The first settings are the “low” settings, assuming your CPU is stock and untouched.  The second settings will be marked with “(OC)” and assumes you have your CPU overclocked and are a more advanced user.  Again, these settings are only a rough template, and although accurate, can still be tweaked for each individual:


TABLE #1
CPU                  Resolution @ FPS        Preset          Quality#
i7 3930k             1080p @ 30fps         Fast                10
(OC) i7 3930k     1080p @ 60fps        Fast                10
i7 2600k             1080p @ 30fps      Veryfast             10
(OC) i7 2600k     1080p @ 30fps      Veryfast             10
i7 920                 720p @ 30fps        Veryfast             10
(OC) i7 920         1080p @ 30fps     Veryfast             10
i7 2630QM          720p @ 30fps        Veryfast             10
(OC) i7 2630QM  1080p @ 30fps     Veryfast             10
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc


Anything older than these, you will have to test it out yourself.  If we get input on settings from users with other CPU lines than what’s listed, we will add them into the guide.  Keep in mind, this is what the CPU is capable of, not necessarily what you should stream at.  More explanation later in the guide.




Now to actually setup your stream channel:
Channel
1. Username - Input your username for the stream provider in all lowercase.
2. Password - Input your password for the stream provider. Note: This is case-sensitive.
3. Stream Key - Alternative to your password. You will still see this used at sites like Twitch.tv. Note: DO NOT SHARE YOUR STREAM KEY. ANYONE CAN USE THIS TO STREAM UNWANTED CONTENT TO YOUR CHANNEL.
4. Channel - This should automatically fill itself out and will match your username.
5. Location - This is the ingestion server you will be uploading to.  
To test ingestion servers, first you want to set your VBV Max Bitrate and VBV Buffer to your full upload speed.  To do this, look at Item #8 and #9 in this list.  Those are the fields to input your full speed to.  So if your speedtest.net result was 5Mbps on the upload, put “5000” for both.  Then select an ingestion server near you, and click “Test Bandwidth” button at the bottom of the channel setup window.  Note the results, and then test a couple more.  Whichever yields the fastest speed, use that server. If you ever get lag, you will want to test the speeds again.  Remember, once you are done testing, return your Bitrate and Buffer (Items #8 and #9) to your normal stream settings.
Video Encoding
6. Preset - In almost all cases I recommend “Veryfast”.  If you aren’t sure what to put here, start with that.  You can also reference TABLE #1 above for what you should put.
7. Quality - This number is used to set the quality and affects the bitrate that your stream may spike up to. The max setting allowed for streams is 10. Note: this can be changed manually, and will be covered in the Advanced Guide.  You can also reference TABLE #1 above for what you should put.
8. VBV Max Bitrate (kbps) - This is the bitrate of your video, and directly relates to your upload bandwidth.  Remember in step 2 of the guide we had you speedtest your line at speedtest.net?  Look at the results and note the upload.  Remember, 1mbps = 1000kbps.
Here are some rough examples on what to put:


TABLE #2
Speedtest.net upload result        What bitrate to use in XSplit
1mbps                                                     600
1.5mbps                                                1100
2mbps                                                   1500
2.5mbps                                                2000
3mbps                                                   2400
4mbps                                                   3000
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc


Any higher, and you will want to test it out yourself to find optimal settings.

9. VBV Buffer (kbps) - This should be the same as your Max Bitrate setting (Item #8).
10. Resolution - For almost all users, you want to leave this at “Default Stage Resolution”. This is used to choose a resolution to transcode to. Note: This is generally used to have a stream or recording at a lower resolution, and may affect the picture quality of the video. Use at your own discretion. Recommended for advanced users.
Audio Encoding
11. Format - We recommend “44.100 KHz 16 bit stereo”.  If you know what you’re doing, feel free to change this.
12. Codec - If you are a licensed user, you definitely want to use “AAC-LC”.  This selects the audio encoding method to be used on your stream.  If you are using the free version of XSplit, you will be limited to “Speex”.  Sorry :(
13. Bitrate - It depends on the content of your stream and how important audio quality is to you, but in almost all cases “128000” is fine.  This is 128kbps.
14. Automatically record broadcast - You never want to use this.  If you want to do a local recording, use the “Local Recording” profile, not this.
15. Interleave audio and video in one RTMP channel: In most cases, you will want this turned on.


When you have everything setup, press “OK”.


Now you need to specify the resolution and FPS (frames per second) which you will stream at.  From the main XSplit window, go to View -> Resolution.  Make sure you reference “TABLE #1” above, where we listed CPU’s.  That was what your CPU is capable of, assuming you have unlimited upload bandwidth.  Though, that’s usually not the case.  Now that you know the bitrate of your stream (Item #8 in the channel setup list above), you now can setup a resolution and fps to match that.  Remember, your bitrate directly relates to your resolution and fps.  Here are some recommended templates:


TABLE #3
Bitrate            Resolution                   FPS
< 500            360p (640x360)          25
500-1200      480p (852x480)          30
1200-2200    720p  (1280x720)       30
2200+           1080p (1920x1080)    30
2200+           720p (1280x720)        60
3000+           1080p (1920x1080)    45
4000+           1080p (1920x1080)    60
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc

This assumes your CPU can handle the resolution and fps at each bitrate setting.  Make sure to reference TABLE #1 earlier in the guide and balance it with this table.  Also note, these resolutions are all 16:9.  You want to stream at a resolution that is native to your source, whether that be a game or your desktop, or even a webcam.



Add Sources:
Now you have your channel all set up and you’re ready to stream to it, but what are you going to stream?  We’re gonna show you how to add some “sources”.


In the main XSplit window, you will see “Scene Sources” in the bottom left.  (Note: To the right of that you will see a microphone icon and a speaker icon with bars next to each.  This is where you can set the volume for the default microphone and speaker capture respectively, or you can click one of the icons to mute or un-mute.)  At the bottom left of scene sources you will see “Add”, “Remove”, and “Settings”.  This is how you will manage your sources.  Click “Add”, and you will be presented with a drop-down box with some options.


Add Camera - Add a camera source.  Note: It’s also where you would add a DXTory source if you are using it as a “hook” source for your games.
Add Media File - Add single picture, video or sound/music files with this choice. Some files that can be added to your presentation are .mp3, .wmv, .jpg, .flv, etc.
Add Screen Region - Add a screen region.  A screen region is an area of your desktop.  To add your whole desktop, just click any blank space on your desktop, and the full desktop will be added.
Add IP Camera - You can add an IP camera, which is a camera that is linked to an internet feed.  Most people don’t have one of these, and will just use “Add Camera” to add their webcams.
Add Video Playlist - If you have multiple videos and you want them to play one-after-another, this is where you add them.  There are quite a few features, so play around with it.
Add Title - This is a basic text title.  It also has a scrolling effect that can be used.  Example: “BRB in 10 minutes” can be added on your stream, even scrolling across the screen if you like.
Add Livestream - You can add another livestream as a feed directly on your stream.  Make sure you have access to the content you are adding so you don’t run into copyright infringement.
Add Game - If you have GameSource enabled, you can directly add a game.  GameSource has some pro’s and con’s vs Screen Region.  Screen Region is lower on resources (less lag), but can do only a maximum of 30fps.  GameSource in some cases can result in a bit of lag, but can also do up to 60fps as a source, and also typically has higher quality image than Screen Region.
More Sources - This is where you can access the “Plugin store” and can add other sources that aren’t packaged by default with XSplit.  Have fun here :)



Hotkeys:
If you plan on streaming regularly, this is definitely something you want to setup.  It allows control over many aspects of your stream without having to go to the XSplit interface and click stuff, but rather to just hit a hotkey on your keyboard to handle it.

Go to Tools -> General Settings, and select the “Hotkeys” tab.  Here, you select an item that you want to set a hotkey for, and in the bottom right use the dropdown box to select what keypress it is.  Additionally, you can toggle “modifiers” for the hotkey, such as “Shift”, “Control”, and “Alt”.



We definitely recommend setting up hotkeys for at least a couple scenes, as well as turning on/off your stream.



Glossary:
VOD: “Video On Demand”.  (Example: Videos on YouTube.com or Blip.tv are VOD’s)
Mbps: “Megabits per second”.  This is a measurement of internet speed (aka “bandwidth”).  Note: 1mbps = 1000kbps
Kbps: “Kilobits per second”. This is a measurement of internet speed (aka “bandwidth”).
FPS: “Frames Per Second”.  Measurement of how many images are shown per second in the video.
DXTory: Software used to record PC game content.  It can also be used to output the video via “DirectDraw” which XSplit can use as a source (under Add Camera).  Great quality, allows 60+ fps capture, and doesn’t impact your game performance much at all.  Can be found at  www.dxtory.com



Need More Help?
Join the Official XSplit IRC Help Channel!
Server = irc.quakenet.org
Channel = #xsplit

Not familiar with IRC?
Go to http://webchat.quakenet.org/  and enter your alias under Nickname and put “#xsplit” (without quotes) in Channels, and click “Join chat”.




Authors:
ApocTV ( www.apoctv.com , www.twitch.tv/apoctv )
TechnicalMonkey ( http://thetechmonkey.blogspot.com , http://www.twitch.tv/technicalmonkey )


We are working on an Advanced XSplit Guide also.  It will cover settings more in depth, and help you tweak advanced settings for your stream.


To contact us, you can message us on the XSplit forums:
ApocTV on XSplit forums = apoctv
TechnicalMonkey on XSplit forums = TechnicalMonkey


http://www.xsplit.com
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