How to Use Session Stream Source Transitions
Session stream source transitions are one of the most powerful, yet subtle, aspects of streaming content in PheedLoop. As you may already know from setting up a stream source when configuring a session in your dashboard, you can choose from things like Meet & Stream, Zoom, pre-recorded content, etc.
What stream source transitions allow you to do is set up more than one streaming option within a session, most commonly used to go from something like a pre-recorded simulive presentation to a true live Q&A session over Meet & Stream or Zoom, for example.
Step 1 - Configure Your Session
Choose any session you'd like in your event, and add more than one stream source option. As an example, upload a pre-recorded video, and check the option called "Enable Backstage Meet & Stream" to enable Meet & Stream. Once you do both of these things, you'll have two stream sources configured inside one session. To make things easier, ensure the "Enable Stream" option is enabled in the session as well. You can always turn this on or off anytime from the same place or the backstage we're about to go to in the next step.
Step 2 - Open the Backstage and Find the Stream Source Switcher
Pop open the Virtual Event Portal, and navigate over to the Backstage. The Backstage is only visible to event admins or speakers, and the speakers can only see the sessions they are assigned to in the Backstage. If you don't see the Backstage and are logged in as an admin or speaker, then ensure you have not disabled the Backstage by checking Experiences > Virtual > Settings > "Enable Backstage Section" in your dashboard. Once you're in the Backstage, select the session you were working on in Step 1, and select the "Stream" tab. You'll see a bunch of controls, some extra ones because you've enabled Meet & Stream as a source.
Step 3 - Transition Stream Sources
As you may expect, click on the "Stream Source" dropdown, and select any of the available options. If an option can't be selected, that means you have not actually configured it in your dashboard. If you have more than one option configured, you can select either of the two. If you want to experience what the source switching actually feels like for an attendee, click the "Visit Attendee View" button in the Backstage for the session and play around with switching between the stream sources from the backstage.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I have multiple stream sources configured, which loads first?
If you have not actually selected a stream source from the list itself in the Backstage, then the first available stream source in the order you see things in, in the list, will be the default stream source. The moment you set a stream source, that will be the stream source locked in place until you change it to something else, even if you come back to the session at a later time.
Can I add or modify a stream source to the session while it's live?
Although there's technically nothing preventing you from doing so, this isn't a good idea. Your attendees load the stream sources you have configured behind the scenes when they click into your session, so attendees already in the session will not be able to load your newly added or modified stream source unless they reload the session. We recommend configuring your stream sources ahead of time and during the session itself, limiting your actions to only switching sources but not modifying them.
Can I switch stream sources more than once while a session is live?
Absolutely, go nuts! Switch stream sources as often as you like. Try this out before your event to convince yourself of the behavior you're looking for.
Does Simulive still work if I switch stream sources and come back?
You bet. If you're counting on Simulive functionality with our free Upload & Stream system, then you can go from Simulive to some other stream source and back and the Simulive stream will not start from the beginning, it will continue playing from the place in the video it should be at relative to the start time of the session (not from the point when you switched the stream source).