Latency Issues Are a Priority for Super Bowl Streaming
For people that have decided to cut the cable cord and watch Super Bowl LVII online, some of them will likely face issues with lagging while watching the live-streamed broadcast. Latency issues have become a problem for anyone hoping to stream the big game, especially those that want to place a live Super Bowl bet during the contest. Problems with lag can even make talking about the game with friends and family more difficult.
To have true interactivity while watching the game, providers are working on the problem of offering to stream in real-time eventually. Many viewers who want to have personal interactions during the game can not do so if the stream they are watching is delayed by 15 seconds or more. Watching the game on cable can also experience slight delays, but this is much different than a live stream that constantly buffers or freezes.
What’s The Solution?
Live television signals are usually transmitted into homes via a cable connection or over the internet. The advantage of using cable is that it can deliver ultra-high-definition picture quality without buffering or delays. However, transmitting video over the internet will have the same limitations in speed and reliability that can be experienced on websites or when using virtual meeting software, including buffering, freezing, and downloading delays.
Latency is the top priority for sports fans to have live streaming with no limits truly. The top Super Bowl broadcasters are increasingly less tolerant of streaming services that don’t perform well, and viewers are also becoming less forgiving.
Providers with live video latency of up to 45 seconds behind the main network broadcast feed will require networks to move as close to broadcast equivalency as possible. This means they will be required to lag from six to a maximum of 15 seconds behind the network.
Latency is a common issue that some people never have to deal with, while others constantly experience problems. For those with difficulties, many steps can be taken to make watching live TV or checking your team’s odds to win the Super Bowl available instantly in real-time.
Because of how live streaming video is processed, the latency is always higher. Segments for both video and audio are individually processed, making a very fine balance. If video files are too small, processing them could lead to a lower resolution.
If they are too large, it could cause buffering, as each video segment must be completely generated before the next process phase can be executed. However, ultra-low latency solutions are costly, and implementing them will always outweigh the potential benefits, especially for big events like the Super Bowl.
The Path To Broadcast-Quality Live Streams
Everyone agrees that the level of live streaming latency needs to be reduced. It’s common today for fans streaming live sports online to have latency delays from 45 to 60 seconds or more. Reducing this number to less than seven seconds – equal to a cable broadcast – will eliminate live Super Bowl betting being almost impossible due to lag. It will also eliminate key game moments being spoiled for the viewer on social media.
The top factor in reducing latency is internet speed. The other is the method by which streaming is transmitted throughout the home. Ethernet connections are the most consistent and fastest way to connect. Also, the router must be a recent model and placed in an optimal location if using Wi-Fi.
In 2023, the best and fastest way to watch the Super Bowl will still be through cable or satellite TV. It still needs to be determined whether the major streaming services will make improvements to the streaming feeds that will be offered. For those fans planning to stream the game, there are still steps they can take to improve their home network and avoid buffering and delays once the big game kicks off in February.
