Discussing misconceptions about the NEC Stream

[Pig Of The Hut]

Below is a conversation I had and was given permission to share to help clear misconceptions people may have about the Nec stream

Also as stated in my recent podcast I ask going further with all BIG E and northeast majors and honestly all majors here on out there one guideline I ask every streamer to live by

DO NOT EVER COUNT ON A HOTEL WIRED LINE

My recommendations going forward:

All streamers own a Verizon 4g device

10-12 gig data plan

Contact the hotel and ask for a staff member w a Verizon iPhone 4S or higher w LTE to run a speedTest on their phone
(I've done this twice and upon arriving tipped that person)


Call Verizon and provide the address of the location of the hotel and ask for specific upload and download coverage for all 4g devices (this can be done I've done this many times)

If Verizon doesn't cover the upcoming area then ask for an AT&T 4g card (next best) and do same procedure

Also if necessary for upcoming tourneys I'm sure community will donate for the stream to ensure it happens 100%

Also never ever ever ever ever try and expect to be able to stream w
Sprint
T mobile
Boost mobile
Virgin mobile
Clear
Or any company such as Clear

And never expect a hard line from TO

Shock is awesome and he definitely helps keep the injustice scene alive in NE and that's awesome and we should appreciate everything he has
Done and is still doing. He brought sooooooo much equipment to help the stream and it was all awesome. The projector screen, projector, monitors, cords, mixer, audio stuff, CPU, etc.

We all need to pull together and just help each other figure out how to go forward to help shock and others ensure our game is streamed and enjoyed

I will say this, a few people made the comment that said "you expect us to have a Verizon plan or get a Verizon 4g just to stream?"

The answer is yes, we do. Anyone who commits to stream an event needs to treat as if they were hired to work the Super Bowl and ensure all bases covered w options if option one doesn't happen and again NEVER COUNT ON HARDWIRE INTERNET AT EVENTS EVER EVEN IF U SEE THE WIRE AND ARE PROMISED

I've been told BIgE, shin Blanka and others have to pay OUTRAGEOUS prices for Internet for their events.

My solution: don't pay it, just stop paying it please. It's an atrocious waste of money and it's unreliable mostly and that money can be used to help pay for the 4g cards and data usage used by individuals like KN who stream promoting your event.

I've ridiculous figures of 1000-3000 dollars for Internet for the weekend. FUCK THAT this is extremely bad business and poor decision making. Use that money to find like I said or help stream w 4g cards

Example 1
12 gigs w Verizon = 14 hours streaming $120.00 x 6 games $720 compared to figures I've heard TOs spend for Internet around $1000-$3000

Think about that

Anyway enough of my thoughts, what are yours?








CEO Jebailey
CrimsonShadow
STORMS
DarthArma
GGA 16 Bit
Keits
Shock
Sabin
SweetJohnnyCage
BigE

 

[godlessmode]

....

As a note if you can find someone with a grandfathered air card you can get limitless bandwidth. I currently have one for work that has no cap on data and is only ~100$ a month.

 

[miloPKL]

TL;DR 2013 - Ultimate SMS Edition

 

[Gesture Required Ahead]

lol you have dartharma in your contacts as 'dartharma'

 

[HellblazerHawkman]

I'm sure it's a little different for tourney streamers, but in my experience as a media journalist, I will reiterate, NEVER fucking count on the venue's internet. In any capacity. I don't know the exact details over this NEC thing, but there's a lot that can go wrong and it's gonna end with a lot of angry viewers.

 

[DarthArma]

There was more to what happened, I'll leave it up to shock to explain. Pig's data was his backup plan and luckily he was there in order to keep the stream there.

I also want to thank you pig for hosting us 2 nights in a row in his hotel room and letting us play on the stream/record set up.

 

[Shock]

I had two other 4G backups that had to leave before the tournament even got started because of a family issue and they came together. We also have yet another 4G option here in the north east that was not used because of all the options that were available, and I will work on guaranteeing that however in the past, it has straight up not worked and it is verizon. The cost of a 4G plan can become ridiculous as many of you well know, and I already put out an enormous amount of money to hold this scene together up here that I don't need a monthly cost, or a $200 bill just to stream when I don't make any money on my stream. The reason I don't is because I don't stream as often as other people like Spooky, Art, Bifu, Jaxel, etc. It's not a source of income for me so I can't justify it. The reason I stream Injustice, MK9, 2D is MK, is because no one else is going to stream for us, why do you guys think I hire Jaxel to stream my own events now? Think about that. Bottom line, we have ways to get it done. Pig's internet saved us, no doubt. Without him, it probably would have come down to have a terrible stream splitting whatever bandwidth Bifuteki had.

We can take a look at the track record for KombatNetwork events the past year not including any streamed from Phil's house or VSM.

NEC last year - TWO 4G streams, one for MK9, one for 2D.

January - Operation Wolf at YesterCades (venue internet is available but only about 3MB up and unstable, verizon 4G gets a very poor signal in the room, stream was OK)
February - Winter Brawl (Two 4G streams using cards/phones from our suppliers)
March - KN Arena (house internet 150 down 70 up)
April - KN Arena (house internet)
April - A Great Injustice from the UltraSpec Warehouse (house internet)
April - Project Injustice (venue internet is available but only about 3MB up and unstable, verizon 4G gets a very poor signal in the room, stream was very bad)
May - ECT5 (4G card by our supplier)
June - GUTSII - (had 4G backup by another one of our suppliers but venue internet was dedicated 90 down 60 up so it was not needed)
July - Rampage at YesterCades (venue internet is available but only about 3MB up and unstable, verizon 4G gets a very poor signal in the room, stream was bad at first but tweaked and improved)
August - Slaughterhouse casuals (house internet)
August - Summer Jam (Big E provided WiFi when the unlimited 4G card I secured was not brought to the event as requested)
August - Stick Wars Infinite Crisis at the UltraSpec Warehouse (house internet - twitch had server issues this weekend so the stream quality was reduced)
September - TFC (Spooky provided 4G when I was not provided venue internet as promised, and my phone's firmware update disabled my unlimited 4G and I didn't know)
September - Kingdom Come at UltraSpec Warehouse (house internet - stream was great)
October - Rolling Thunder at Yestercades (streamed by Jaxel, limited 4G signal bridged with house internet and heavily tweaked stream protocols resulted in a solid stream pound for pound)
November - Stick Wars Ep 4 (4G card through our supplier available, no signal, Jaxel's available, no signal, Kruty's available, no signal, venue internet not functioning - no stream)
December - NEC (Venue internet fail, wireless hotel internet fail, 4G option 1 fail, 4G option 2 fail, 4G option 3 provided by Pig of the Hut worked great, but due to his flight being late we missed some of the early pools)
December 28th will be our next event, a bonus KI tournament at YesterCades which will be streamed by Jaxel.

 

[NB Semi Evil Ryu]

Hey Pig, if you don't mind my asking: About how much upload data did you use for just the actual Injustice tournament event itself? I'm just curious to see how much data is used when streaming an event like that.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Hey Pig, if you don't mind my asking: About how much upload data did you use for just the actual Injustice tournament event itself? I'm just curious to see how much data is used when streaming an event like that.

Pools from 3pm-10pm was about 6-7 gigs

 

[Shock]

Pools from 3pm-10pm was about 6-7 gigs

I know players have helped you out with the bandwidth overage, but I do want to compensate you for it. Get back to me and we can work something out.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

I know players have helped you our with the bandwidth overage, but I do want to compensate you for it. Get back to me and we can work something out.

I got your message and will definitely respond tonight

Thanks

 

[Red Reaper]

Pools from 3pm-10pm was about 6-7 gigs

Interesting how it almost falls in evenly... 1gb per hour.

Of kourse it's better to expect more as a precaution.

 

[sn1kzZe]

He brought sooooooo much equipment to help the stream and it was all awesome. The projector screen, projector, monitors, cords, mixer, audio stuff, CPU, etc.

Do you really need all that equipment? maybe if its more basic we can have more options on people that can stream.
like what do you actually need to stream:

Streaming laptop
Streaming app (xsplit/obs)
Capture card
Connection (4g, line)
2 headsets with built in mics
external cam (salty cam etc, optional IMO)

Am I missing anything? what was Medina using?

 

[Shock]

I have never come to a tournament without some backup way to stream since we started using 4G, shit happens.

I bring

PC (because I hate laptops) with a capture card xsplit, photoshop etc
2 HDMI splitters
HDCP stripper
at least 1 HD projector
analog to HD converter
component splitter (sometimes necessary)
3 headsets and 3 mics (I have considered switching to headsets with mics but they sound like crap for the most part but I do a weekly podcast where the better sounding mics are required so why not use them?)
large audio mixer (again something I have for my podcast more than my stream, it's overkill, but I already have it)
a 20" monitor for production
a 13" monitor for commentators
headphone amp so all three people on stream can hear what's going on
A sub woofer and loud speakers for the stream (replacing this soon)
Headsets for the players
ELEVEN Asus monitors (5 are loaned to us indefinitely by SJC and get us through many tournaments)
6 PS3s (for MK9, MKII, UMK3, etc)
4 (now 5) Xbox 360s (for injustice and normally the rest are supplied by the TO or more often my staff)
2 HD cams
speakers for every setup because NRS game volume is too low
several boxes of extra power, hdmi, ethernet, video adapters, and all kinds of other cables that are absolutely always needed at every event
a bag of spare converters for controllers and a wired 360 pad
4 classic MK sticks (not PDP) for classic MK games that most players don't have and extra PS game pads, in addition a SF stick for myself

So are you can see, it's a lot of shit. The only thing that wasn't mine was the projector screen stand, those are Big E's.

 

[Sabin]

But what about during a snowstorm? I used Verizon 4g and it went out on me completely on sunday during the snowstorm during Curleh Mustache. Can't rely on only 4g. It gets crazy at these events with 400+ n there blowing up their cellphones.

 

[NightwingDayZero]

The FGC needs to get over this "get shit for free" hype.

Tournaments provide more matches and equal entertainment to PPV fight cards.

People need to end the FGC poverty. Is $2-5 so much to ask for? Get together and watch it with friends. Go half if you have to. With over 10,000 viewers on team spooky's channel for top 8 of Killer Instinct - the stream quality could only get better.

$20,000 towards the fighting game community would mean we wouldn't run into problems like this.

 

[ApocaLips]

The FGC needs to get over this "get shit for free" hype.

Tournaments provide more matches and equal entertainment to PPV fight cards.

People need to end the FGC poverty. Is $2-5 so much to ask for? Get together and watch it with friends. Go half if you have to. With over 10,000 viewers on team spooky's channel for top 8 of Killer Instinct - the stream quality could only get better.

$20,000 towards the fighting game community would mean we wouldn't run into problems like this.

I don't think we need to go there because I think there are other ways to raise the money. I bet a donation drive would hit the target pretty fast.

But I'm not at all opposed to PPV, and I suggested it earlier in another thread. Increasing the tournament fee by $1-2 or so would also cover it and is one of the better ways to spread the cost thin.


There are a bunch of solutions here. The community just wants to know how to help so that the problem doesn't reoccur.

 

[NightwingDayZero]

I don't think we need to go there because I think there are other ways to raise the money. I bet a donation drive would hit the target pretty fast.

But I'm not at all opposed to PPV, and I suggested it earlier in another thread. Increasing the tournament fee by $1-2 or so would also cover it and is one of the better ways to spread the cost thin.

There are a bunch of solutions here. The community just wants to know how to help so that the problem doesn't reoccur.

I disagree.

Putting any more financial strain on competitors is absolutely not the solution. There are more streamers by the thousands than there are competitors.

$1 from everyone watching TeamSp00ky last weekend would likely have covered his stream expenses for the year. I don't see why this is such a wild suggestion.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

I don't think we need to go there because I think there are other ways to raise the money. I bet a donation drive would hit the target pretty fast.
.

What fairy tale land are you living in?
More peopel watch streams than go to tournies..... that is where the money lies.

 

[nwo]

December - NEC (Venue internet fail, wireless hotel internet fail, 4G option 1 fail, 4G option 2 fail, 4G option 3 provided by Pig of the Hut worked great, but due to his flight being late we missed some of the early pools)

I might add...hotel service desk fail, elevators fail, hot water fail.

To top it off, a false fire alarm 4:30am Sunday night, evacuating the building outside in the snow.

 

[G4S Claude VonStroke]

I have to say one of the BIG things that makes a difference at tournaments is the use of the projector. It REALLY sucks when there isn't one and everyone is crowded around one small screen and you can't see shit. Later at NEC when the projector was hooked up, it was amazing. Thanks again Shock and summoning for that!

 

[VenomX-90]

Damn Pig, you are on that technical sh*t lol.

 

[Shock]

I have to say one of the BIG things that makes a difference at tournaments is the use of the projector. It REALLY sucks when there isn't one and everyone is crowded around one small screen and you can't see shit. Later at NEC when the projector was hooked up, it was amazing. Thanks again Shock and summoning for that!

It was a pain in the ass getting what was needed to run that projector. Finally C came over and just got it done. We almost always have a projector, a lot of times two. This is what I like about having our own room at the Sheraton, the only problem with that is it makes its harder to find players.

 

[Sami]

AK Pig Of The Hut are you still out of pocket for the stream? I was whoring it most of that weekend so am happy to help cover some of the costs. Don't think if it as a donation/charity (I listened to the podcast!), but payment for services offered (no not like that).

 

[Shock]

lol you have dartharma in your contacts as 'dartharma'

I do too, in fact most gamers in my contacts are in there with their gamer tags, along with a lot of indy pro wrestler gimmicks