So @dlive put out questions to the current users, wondering what people thought about their experiences thus far, and how the service could be improved and change over time. Link to their campaign post here. Below are some of my thoughts and experiences having used DLive for a little over a month thus far.

How do you decide a stream is good or not?

That’s both an easy and a tricky question. Let’s tackle the easy bits first:

The stream needs to have decent video and audio quality.

At the moment, that really means 720p, and preferably as few dropped frames as possible. DLive at the moment can be tricky to navigate from a technical standpoint, especially compared to other platforms like Twitch or YouTube. It’s common to stream at much higher bitrates there, but at the moment, the sweet spot on DLive is between 1500-2500 bitrate for a steady 720p stream.

For audio, while an external mic isn’t necessary, it’s apparent if someone is using one. And when combining the external mic audio with the game audio, getting that balance right is critical. And for me, that’s a question I ask my audience every time I stream. I want to hear from the people watching whether or not the audio and video are up to par.

The more subjective side of stream quality comes down to style.

While I don’t want to impose my desired aesthetic on anyone’s creative pursuits, it is apparent pretty quickly whether or not someone is making those creative choices deliberately. For example, I prefer to watch streamers who utilize a webcam/camera. I really enjoy the personalities, and how they interact with the games, they are playing, not just the games themselves.

But, if someone is doing a speedrun of “Getting Over It”, then it makes sense not to worry about the camera per se. It’s all about the action in the game, and the performer doesn’t want to be concerned with how their face looks as the attempt to scale this unforgiving mountain.

Beyond a webcam, it’s nice to see that a streamer has put real effort into the layout choices on screen. That can be graphics, overlays, animations, alerts, etc. And that’s not to say I want to see a CNN ticker on every stream, but rather the look and feel of those elements matches the tone of the streamer and the game.

Finally, interaction with the audience is critical to how I view the quality of a stream. It can be hard to follow along with comments on DLive sometimes, especially since loading the video page can be taxing on a CPU that’s already trying to stream, but there are plenty of workarounds for that.

And if the streamer isn’t interacting, then what’s the point? The ability to feel like, as an audience member, you are experiencing this game alongside the person playing it is what makes everything feel special. So response to comments, Discord chats, etc. are all a great way to show that you are really there for the audience, as much as you are there to play the game.

What do you think about DLive, and how can DLive improve?

I think it’s come a long way, particularly from a community standpoint. I first streamed on DLive over a month ago, on December 26! The community was almost nothing like where it is today. I had a pretty good first experience though, as everything worked for me (and I got my first chicken dinner on PUBG ever, and I believe the first chicken dinner ever streamed on Dlive #justsayin)

But since that time, and thanks in large part to the Steem Power delegations that DLive have received, the community has really taken off. For me, DLive is the only space on the Steem Blockchain where you don’t have to talk about either the whale wars or cryptocurrency in order to get noticed. And that has been a breath of fresh air for me.

As for the technical and UI side of DLive, tI still think there are a lot of small bugs and tweaks that need to be made, which the team is certainly aware of. Some things, like needing to use a custom RTMP, and changing the credentials each time you stream can be annoying, but I’m not certain that’s something which can be fixed, given the nature of monetizing posts on the Steem Blockchain. That said, here are 3 things that I think the DLive team should consider in future updates:

A Popout Chat

This is critical for me. I can currently do this on every other streaming platform, but for DLive, I need to keep the entire video player/edit window open. This puts a strain on both my CPU as well as my internet. I do know someone who is building a popout chat as we speak, but I think this feature needs to be implemented at a platform level, not just from third party devs.

Embedded Video Player

Currently, when the post goes out to Steemit or Busy, there’s just the thumbnail which is clickable, and sends you to the stream. But, not everyone who sees this post will immediately know that the image will send you to a livestream video. Instead, there should be an embedded video player within the posts. While this functionality is also partially dependant on the platform (like Steemit or Busy) to display, DLive could begin to build the player to do this.

Notifications

This one is basically not possible until there is a dedicated Mobile app. In the meanwhile, they could implement email based notifications, but that would require users to input their email, which many users might prefer not to do. But they could partner with Steemify until then, and potentially try to build in a new function for DLive specific posts to notify users when someone is Live.

Some thoughts on why I started streaming, what I’m streaming, and how I’m planning to improve…

I’ve been a fan of gaming content for the last few years, and only within the last year or so did I start watching livestreams. But over that time, I’ve slowly collected all the gear and knowledge that I needed to stream. I got a PC for the first time in years to play VR, bought a Mic and a webcam, and did a few streams on Youtube and Twitch. But nothing was ever nearly as consistent as when I started on DLive.

For me, the discovery of Steem (Steemit, DTube, DLive) really struck a chord with me. I currently work in advertising, but despite my profession, I see such a disconnect in the monetization models of current social networks. The creators are paid too little for what they contribute percentage-wise, and they have so little control over the system. Youtube’s recent demonetization trend is prime example of how this disconnect is particularly challenging for creators. So when I got involved in Steem, I dove right in. And DLive just seemed like a great way to get involved, in ways that I was already passionate about.

Nowadays, I’m streaming a variety of different things…

Games

I’ve been streaming PUBG, DragonBall FighterZ, Pokemon, and Guitar Hero lately. A nice mix of new and old. But I want to keep exploring new games, both multiplayer and story-driven. Personally, I want to be known for me, my personality on the stream, rather than the games or my skills (or lack thereof).

The Bachelor

I’ve also been streaming my reactions to The Bachelor LIVE. It’s a silly reality show, but one that myself and my partner love to watch for numerous reasons. We even know someone who’s on the show this season!

Creating @buildalegend

I’ve also created a whole new account for this idea I had, which was a Hearthstone account that was completely funded and “run” by the Steem community.

It’s a project I’m really excited about, and we’re doing it in collaboration with the @steemgc community. Our first pack opening and gameplay stream is Feb. 6 at 9 PM EST, so definitely check it out. More details on the project here

As far as improving my streams, the main thing I need is a new dedicated gaming PC. I’m currently playing PUBG and other games either on my XBOX, PS2, or Retro Pie. Which is fine, but limiting in terms of playing with others from DLive, since many of them play on PC. And I really want to play some of these games with other DLivers! So that’s the next thing on my list, and my goal is to fund that entirely from the Upvotes that all of you are giving me on the content. If I can get that level of support, that shows me that it’s worth the investment, both in time and money.

I’m also looking more into custom overlays and animations for my stream, via a service called Ovrstream. Still getting all that setup, but with luck I can establish a consistent look and feel for my streams, and a bit of “branding” in the process.

Longer-term, we have a room downstairs that I would love to turn into a dedicated gaming/streaming room. The goal would be to get a couch, a DSLR camera for better quality video (wider angles too), decorate the walls, and stream not only games, but couch-coop experiences and other things. I want to make our space the NYC hub for the DLive community. It’s a lofty goal, but I think I’ve got the chops and the community here to do it.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on my plans for the future, and if you have any suggestions for my streams or games that I should play, definitely let me know in the comments. And I did a post a week or so ago where I detailed all the ways that you can take your stream to the next level, which I felt was a relevant place to send people from this post to. Check it out here

Appreciate all the support I’ve gotten thus far, and I look forward to seeing everyone in the comments section of my streams!

Check out the DLive Discord to get more involved in the community
And you can check out DLive here if you haven’t already: https://www.dlive.io/