Q: What latencies can I achieve with DALS?
A: DALS is fully configurable to maintain a set latency or even a range of your choosing. A typical set-up runs at 0,5 - 1,5 seconds of latency glass to glass. We push the infrastructure as far as it can go.
Q: How many different bitrates can i run with DALS?
A: There is virtually no limit. DALS is very CPU-light and we typically run 4-5 different bitrates with the option to go lower or higher as well.
Q: Are the ultra low latency streams adaptive as well?
A: Yes, the adaptive bitrates are always active.
Q: Can different viewers have different latencies?
A: Only if you want them to. Our SDK allows for custom client buffers which can be unique for every viewer. The default setting is to keep all viewers in sync, which is typically not more than fraction of a second off - even on very differing connections.
Q: What web browsers can the viewers use?
A: DALS is compatible with all modern standard browsers. This includes Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge for Windows and OS X along with Chrome, Safari and Samsung Internet for Android, iOS and iPadOS.
Q: What is the highest bitrate I can run with DALS?
A: We recommend keeping the available bitrates within reasonable limits to manage strain on client machines as well as user network connectivity. That said, up to 8Mbps has been verified as stable and going higher is also possible. The limiting factor will be realistic expectations of users' network conditions.
Q: What is the lowest bitrate I can run with DALS?
A: There is no lowest limit. A common set-up includes a "very low" bitrate option of 300kbps or even "audio only" which is typically around 100kbps.
Q: What is a typical TTFF (time to first frame)?
A: Below 1 second is a common TTFF, due to the fact that DALS performs a buffer burst on connecting clients.
Q: Is there an API I can use to integrate DALS?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you offer DALS as a service?
A: Yes, since 2017 DALS is also integrated in a fully hosted CDN. With this set-up you can ingest a stream using your preferred protocol and our CDN handles distribution and playout.
Q: What regions does your CDN cover?
A: We have global coverage using our CDN.
Q: Can I use Docker images to deploy DALS?
A: Yes, it is a very common way of deploying our software.
Q: What environments can DALS run in?
A: The software for encoder, edge, orchestrator and video contribution links is platform independent. We typically install in a Linux environment and have the option to use virtual machines, physical machines, private clouds or generic cloud providers. Note that we also offer full cloud solutions, where you only need to ingest a stream and we handle the rest.
Q: What if my application is more dependent on audio than video?
A: DALS has a built-in feature that keeps audio running even when network conditions are extremely bad. When a client struggles to deliver the lowest quality stream, video is allowed to freeze while keeping the audio running. Additionally, there is the option to create audio-only as a stream quality of its own, effectively enabling an option for the user to disable video.
Q: Is DALS a reliable technology?
A: We are very confident in our technology. It has been serving clients 24/7 since 2016 positioning it in the top bracket worldwide in terms of reliability and consistent performance. Furthermore, resilience is increased by adding failover mechanisms in case third party infrastructure fails.
Q: Are DALS streams secure?
A: Yes. The communication is encrypted and we also have authentication layers on ingest as well as playout.
Q: What method of ingest can I use?
A: DALS supports ingests using RTMP, WebRTC and HD-SDI. NDI and SRT are coming up!
Q: How is DALS priced?
A: There are several options. For the service we can offer a monthly flat rate or a traffic-based price model, whichever works best for your business. For on-premise installs we typically charge monthly per channel to make things as simple as possible. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for a price quote for your use case.
