Better DLive Survery - My Thoughts About Streaming on DLive So Far

Hey everyone, here is my post for the current campaign from DLive. This post will give my thoughts on streaming, some overall tips for beginners, and some things I would like to see be added to the platform in the future.

How Do I Decide If a Stream Is Good or Not?

While answering this question I'm going to list a few different things that I look for when it comes to streams...

Quality of Stream

The first thing I look for in a good stream on DLive is quality of the stream. 

Is it lagg free? Is it in HD? Can I clearly see the persons webcam? Is the audio clear and easy to understand? Is the volume across the board at a good level?

These are all things that I personally feel define the quality of a stream and to me they are a must have. You need to have a stream that has good quality playback and is in HD. 

At this moment apparently 720p is what you should be aiming to stream at on DLive. 

If you quality isn't up to par or you feel that you could improve upon these features then don't worry! I too have a lot that I need to improve upon and am slowly working towards increasing the quality of my streams. 

Focus on the important things first and then work from up there.

Some other features I think that are really important to a stream are as follows...

A Consistent Schedule

Not everyone can stream all day everyday and I get that, I'm just like you but streaming at regular times is definitely a quality of a good stream. I can't stream for long hours because of work, life, and personal health beliefs so I try to stream everyday for 2 hours.

This allows me to show up, do my stream and gives my viewers the chance to catch me working up the Hearthstone ladder on a daily basis. 

How many times have you wanted to watch a streamer but they are never on, or maybe they stream at random times so you never "catch" them online. Good quality streamers try to stream at the same time everyday on a regular basis the best that they can.

You don't have to spend all day streaming but you do need to have a schedule so that your adoring fans can tune in everyday to watch you  :).

A Good Quality Webcam

A webcam is very important and a good quality HD webcam at that. Don't be afraid to show your face! I know, I'm naturally a shy person myself but don't worry we wont judge. We are a friendly community at Dlive (and Steemit) and we want to get to know you.

Having a webcam will allow your viewers to connect with you and improves the interaction level of your streams as well.

I currently use and highly recommend the Logitech c920, you most likely won't need anything better than that.

Interacting With Your Viewers

This is the last point I'm going to talk about and I think it's one of the most important things to learn how to do well after you get a stable stream going. 

Talk to your viewers and interact with them. 

No one watching? 

Pretend like someone is and just talk! 

If someone is coming to your stream and your talking and explaining what you are doing that will entice them to hang around and watch your stream. 

Some people will talk in chat others don't. 

Just because no one is talking doesn't mean no one is watching, remember that!

I know it feels weird at first but after a few streams it will become natural. I know for myself it helps if I can get the house to myself which is why I stream in the morning when my gf is at work. 

What Do I Think About DLive?

I am really blown away by this platform and I think it's one of the best projects at the moment happening on Steemit.

 I truly do believe that DLive is going to go far.

Yes we have a long ways to go but the devs and admins are doing an amazing job. The last update was great and the weekly contests and promotions are giving us streamers a great opportunity.

There's a lot of things that I think Dlive can add and I'll list a few here....

• Creating a games category on the homepage for viewers to easily find streamers playing games.
• Adding an option for streamers to upvote comments directly from the Stream dashboard.
• Uploading streams as videos directly to the platforms automatically.
• Making chat usernames clickable that redirects to Steemit profile or Dlive profile.
• Fixes for some common bugs like streams disappearing on the front-page.
• Setting up tournaments and events around certain games with members from the community. (Weekly or daily Hearthstone tournaments and donations for prizes! :))
• And many more....(Great work Dlive!)

Overall there's lots to add but I think overall the platform is great and with the updates coming in as they are Dlive will be the best streaming platform in no time on the web!

Take that Twitch.

Why I Started Streaming on DLive?

To be honest I started streaming on Dlive as a way to regularly produce content and break into the community on Steemit.

For those of you who know me I used to stream on Twitch a few years ago but frustrated with the lack of results I was getting. 

I turned to Dlive to once again try to relive my dream as being a part time video game streamer. I have had more success on Dlive in the past few weeks than months from streaming on Twitch.

I've been blown away with the results I've gotten so far, the people who have stopped in my stream to say hi and just the overall support I've been getting is almost surreal.

Because of this my main focus on Steemit has switched to streaming video games and in the near future I may even start doing longer streams! and some cool streaming events. :)

I have big plans for my streams as well, currently working on an overlay and improving my skill at Hearthstone so I can provide better advice on stream to viewers ;).

I'm also thinking about saving up my Steem to purchase a better streaming computer so that I can play a wider variety of games in the future. Big plans in the near future but I gotta take it one day at a time for now and be patient and stay focused.

Before I end this post I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me and thank you for the crew at DLive. 

You guys rock, keep it up!

Cheers.

Robin.