You probably received this message today…at least some of you, inviting you to try out SMBroascast Encoder. So what is SMBroadcast Encoder? SMBroadcast is a program that ultimately WILL replace the Flash Media Live Encoder (FMLE) that you’ve been using for years. SMBroadcast works exactly like FMLE, it’s just another encoder but especially built for Streamate, by Streamate to improve your streaming experience. It’s suppose to be easy to used and should match and even surpass the quality of FMLE!

Of course, you can expect a few bugs here and there since you are all using a different computer, different Operating System etc…Right now it’s only available for PC but should be extended to Mac soon.  As far as installing the software, it’s pretty easy, unlike FMLE. You just need to follow the instructions, log on to your account and voila. A ‘Calibrate’ button will determine for you the best streaming settings. Once the calibration is done, that’s it you can stream.

Once SMBroadcast is set up, your video will appear in the software pretty much like it was with FMLE. That’s normal. During streaming, SMBroadcast will automatically adjust your quality based on your equipment. That means you will always be streaming at the highest quality possible! If you experience any computer or network issues while streaming, your quality will lower temporarily in order to keep your video smooth and prevent disconnections, but will go back to normal as soon as it can. SMBroadcast does all of this behind the scenes, all you have to do is focus on your show!

Here’s how it looks like and how it works:
streamate SMbroadcast encoder

  1. Volume Settings – Adjust how quiet or loud your volume is to your viewers.
  2. Video Quality Meter – This box lets you know if you are dropping any frames. A fully green box while streaming means your video is smooth.
  3. Stream Information – This black box lists info about your stream, such as your video size, current bitrate, and framerate.
  4. Start/Stop Show Button – Use this button to start your show. Remember to start your show on the Streamate Models page first, then start it on SMBroadcast. To end your show, click the button again.
  5. Settings Menu and Help – The “gear” button will open up the settings menu. See below for more information on this screen. Clicking the “?” icon will open the Streamate Help site.

 

Streamate SMbroadcast settings

  1. Tabs – Use the “Credentials” tab to log in or out of your Streamate Models account. Click the “About” tab to see information about SMBroadcast.
  2. Video and Audio Sources – If you want SMBroadcast to use a different camera or mic, you can switch your equipment here.
  3. Record Option – Check the “Allow recording while streaming” option to add a “Record” button to the program! Clicking this button while streaming will save a video to a location you choose. Uncheck the button to stop recording at any time
  4. Current Calibration – This is the calibration info your computer decided on during setup. If your equipment changes, click the “Calibrate” button here to re-do the calibration step.
  5. Show Logs – This “paper” button opens your current session logs. This box will pop up automatically if there’s an important message, or you can use this button to review the logs at any time.

I suggest you give it a try. The more people testing it, the more people giving feedback, the faster we’ll have a nice, easy to use encoder that will make our streaming experience better. So go ahead, download it, try it and report all the bugs you may find:)