YouTube Live has always been a service most suited for gamers who like to stream what they are playing with their audience. It is Google's answer to Amazon's similar streaming service, Twitch. However, the Sundar Pichai-run company recently updated the Youtube Live service to bring in some additional features and much-needed changes. In a blog post, YouTube Live's product lead, Kurt Wilms outlined exactly what these changes are.
Ultra-low latency
The update will decrease the latency of the stream, meaning that the streamers would be able to interact with their audience, almost in real time, without any delay.
This has been a major issue in Twitch as well. The company claimed in 2015 that it had made certain changes to limit latency times. However, Twitch users have reported that they still experience a significant amount of delay while trying to interact with their audience, while streaming.
The ultra-low latency in YouTube Live's latest update will offer fans the ability to send texts and messages to the streamers and almost immediately receive answers within just a few seconds. Prior to the update, fans would have to send a message, following which the streamer would react. However, due to high latency, this reaction would be streamed a long time after the streamer has in reality done so, creating a sort of lag between the interaction.
While low-latency has its advantages, there are also a few caveats in such a system. Firstly, people with a slower internet connection would experience greater periods of buffering. Minor service interruptions may also occur at some point. Although Wilms did not refer to these problems in the blog post, the issues may be experienced after the update.
iPhone and iPad users can now stream through YouTube Live
Apple device users will now be able to take advantage of the Apple ReplayKit in their phones and tablets to live stream through YouTube Live. The handset's front camera and microphone will also allow users to add their own video and even commentary to the stream. This means that iPhone and iPad gaming streams can now also be shared among the streamers and the audience.
However, to keep using the feature, people must ensure that the game or app that they want to stream can support Apple ReplayKit.
These changes would surely give the Google platform a slight edge over its Amazon counterpart. Although gamers like to use both the platforms, the companies seem to be in a constant struggle to offer more to players. At the moment though, both Twitch and YouTube Live are quite popular among streamers.
