Webcast Operation

Last updated: 2025-1-24

I. Feature Overview

II. Pre-Stream Preparation

1. Hardware Preparation

• Recommended Computer Hardware Configuration

• Optional Hardware
  • Video: External camera, camera + capture card
  • Audio: Lavalier microphone, headset microphone, professional microphone
  • Output: Headphones, external speakers
  • Setup: Green, red, or blue screen
  • Network: Ethernet cable, 4G network aggregator

2. Network Environment

• Network affects stream stability; a wired connection is recommended.
• If using Wi-Fi or mobile data, ensure stable signal in the streaming area.
• Stream stability is affected by upload bandwidth. Minimum 2Mbps upload bandwidth is required; 4Mbps or above is recommended.
• You can test your bandwidth at this website (Bandwidth test URL: http://www.speedtest.cn). Open the page, select a nearby node (default if already local). Click "Start Test" and wait for results. After the test, check the "Upload" bandwidth. If it is below 4Mbps, please switch to a more stable network with higher bandwidth to avoid affecting the live stream.

3. Browser Preparation (For Webcast)

Use the latest Google Chrome or Chromium-based browsers such as QQ Browser, 360 Speed Browser, etc. Safari, Firefox, and IE are currently not supported for initiating live streams.

4. Prepare the Live Channel ID

A channel ID is required to start a stream; one channel ID corresponds to one live room. Log in to the Polyv backend, click "New Live Stream" and confirm. Open "Start Stream" to obtain the channel ID and password.

5. Configure Live Room Settings

In the management backend, you can set the live room name, start time, etc. If you want the content to be accessible only to eligible students, set viewing conditions so that students must pass verification to enter the live room.

6. Upload Course Materials

Before streaming, prepare your course materials. After entering the webcast page, click "Courseware" in the sidebar menu, add your documents, wait for transcoding to complete, and then click "Apply". Supported local document formats include PPT, Word, Excel, PDF, etc.

III. Webcast Operation

1. Login

• After the admin creates a live room, a channel ID and password can be provided to the instructor. The host clicks Channel Login to enter the live interface with instructor permissions.

• After logging in to the live list/detail page, click "Start Stream" to enter the live room. The host can log in without a password.

• After selecting webcast, you will be prompted to enter a nickname (default: "Instructor") and password (this page is not displayed for password-free login).

• Upon entry, camera, speaker, and microphone detection is required. If a device is abnormal, click to check individually, referring to the help instructions in the blue box.

• If you have logged in before and the browser has cached data, you can skip detection by selecting the option in the upper right corner of the detection popup.

• After entering the streaming page, configure the necessary settings and click the "Start" button to begin streaming.

IV. Webcast Guest Features

Suitable for co-teaching or small meetings with the host and guests, supporting multi-person connections, PPT page turning, and pen interaction.

• Fill in streaming information, log in, and detect devices to enter the live room.
• Guests can share their screen, initiate check-ins, announcements, surveys, answer cards, lucky draws, and other interactions.
• After being granted permissions, the guest's avatar will appear on the main screen, and they can upload courseware, use PPT page turning, whiteboard, and pen for teaching.
• Guests can also be granted only the first screen or only the pen; these permissions depend on the host's authorization.
• Click the share button in the lower left corner to share the live stream address with students via a link or QR code.

V. Content Sharing

Content sharing displays various types of courseware (text, images, audio, video) to the audience. Polyv provides whiteboard, courseware, multimedia, and screen sharing functions to help you share information freely during video conferences.

1. Whiteboard

The whiteboard provides basic annotation and drawing functions, allowing the sharer to visually express their ideas through drawing.

• The host clicks "Whiteboard" to open the whiteboard editing function.
  • Pen tool and color presets: preset pen type, pen color, and stroke thickness. Color presets affect the color of the pen, text, and shape borders.
  • Line toolbar: modify line color, thickness, line type, arrow settings, add text, etc., in the top toolbar.
  • Text: add text content to the canvas. Press Enter to wrap lines. Click on a blank area of the canvas to finish input. Double-click to edit. Text color follows the current pen preset color.
• There is a pen toolbar at the top of the whiteboard.
• Click the eraser tool icon to delete a single pen stroke.
• Click the delete icon to clear all pen data on the current page.
• The pen toolbar at the top of the whiteboard includes tools for pen, rectangle, circle, arrow, text, etc., for annotation and drawing on the whiteboard area.
• Whiteboard content is synced to all viewers and guests in the live room.
• The pen toolbar supports collapse/expand, move, and modify/delete.

2. Courseware Documents

The courseware function allows you to upload documents such as PPT and PDF from your computer to the live channel for sharing with the audience.

• Click "Courseware" in the left operation bar, then click "Add Document" in the interface to upload courseware.

• Click the courseware button on the left, then click the "Add Document" button in the document area to open the courseware window.

• In the courseware window, click the "Upload" button to select a file from your computer. The file will be added to the upload queue and show progress. After transcoding is complete, click to open.
  • File upload and transcoding take time, depending on file size and network conditions. There are limits on file format and size. If you cannot modify the file, use screen sharing instead.

• In the courseware window, click the "Open Courseware" button to display the courseware content. You can annotate with the pen, turn pages, zoom, and preview for the best sharing effect.

3. Screen Sharing

• Click the screen sharing button on the left. You can choose to share your entire screen, an application window, or a browser tab. Enable "Share audio" to share your local desktop audio with the audience.

• During sharing, click the "Stop Sharing" button to end the screen share.

VI. Interactive Apps

To enhance interaction between the instructor and students during the live stream, you can use features such as check-ins, announcements, surveys, answer cards, and lucky draws.

VII. Member Management

• To maintain a good chat environment in the live room, the host and admin can mute, kick, and manage co-streaming permissions for viewers.
  • Mute: The instructor can mute viewers who post inappropriate comments. Click "Mute" to implement, and click "Unmute" to restore permissions.
  • Kick: During the live stream, if a user violates chat room rules and affects the stream, they can be kicked out. They can only re-enter after the admin removes the restriction in the backend.
  • Co-streaming Permission Management: The instructor can approve viewers who request to co-stream, granting actions such as "Grant First Screen", "Mute Microphone", "Turn Off Camera", and "End Co-streaming".

VIII. Webcast FAQ

If you encounter a network disconnection or other network anomalies during the live stream, the "Start Stream" button on the left will become grayed out, and a prompt will appear. Viewers will no longer be able to see the live video. Please check your network status. After it is restored, refresh the page and restart the live stream.

Note: The live stream may be interrupted, but the chat room may still be usable, and you can still communicate with guests via co-streaming. Use these methods to get in touch and confirm the resolution.