What's inside this article:
- Basic information & best practice
- Schedule live content
- About fallback widgets
- Create a new Live stream widget
- Select the stream source
- Set the widget duration
- Select a fallback widget
- Set the streaming properties
- Configure the widget settings
- Preview the widget
- Set the status and save the widget
Basic information & best practice
You can use a Live stream widget to share a live video or audio stream on the public website.
Each Live stream widget must be connected to a tube (the stream source). If the stream source is an audio tube, the widget streams audio content. If the stream source is a video tube, the widget streams video content. The correct stream source (tube) must be selected in the widget settings.
Best practice for using this widget:
- Ensure live content is scheduled at least 10 minutes in advance (unless the stream source is a 24/7 tube).
- Consider adding a fallback widget if the widget will not stream 24/7.
Find more details on these topics in the sections below:
Schedule live content
In most cases, a Live stream widget can only stream content that is scheduled in advance. The exception is if the stream source is a 24/7 tube.
You can manage the streaming schedule for any tube and schedule new content using the Scheduler & Template week tool in Pangea CMS. Follow these steps:
- Go to Stream > Scheduler & Template week.
- Select the tube you want to manage under Tubes.
We suggest scheduling the stream at least 10 minutes in advance. Otherwise, the stream may not work.
NOTE: For ad hoc streaming requests that are not scheduled in advance, we suggest using the Manual stream tool instead of Scheduler & Template week. You can send the stream to the public website using the Manual stream widget.
For information about using Scheduler & Template week, see the following articles:
- Manage Video shows (video tubes)
- Manage Broadcast programs (audio tubes)
About fallback widgets
When you set up a Live stream widget, you can select a fallback widget. The fallback widget is automatically displayed in place of the Live stream widget whenever no live content is available.
Select a fallback widget via Content > Fallback widget in the widget settings.
When one of the following options is selected under Widget duration, we always suggest selecting a fallback widget:
- Display widget for live content
- Display widget for defined duration
If no fallback widget is selected, the Live stream widget is always displayed (even when no live content is available). We do not recommend this approach, as the widget occupies space on the page unnecessarily and appears broken.
IMPORTANT: If you do not select a fallback widget, the stream on the widget might start with a delay of up to 5 minutes (the start of the stream will be cut). The delay is caused by caching rules, which mean it can take up to 5 minutes for the widget content to refresh. By adding a fallback widget, you bypass caching and prevent the delay. This is because the widget content will automatically refresh as soon as the Live stream widget replaces the fallback widget.
The fallback widget must be selected from the Widget library. Before you start creating a Live stream widget, ensure your desired fallback widget is available in the Widget library. For detailed information, see the following article:
Create a new Live stream widget
The following pages and segments might include a Live stream widget:
- Section pages (including your homepage)
- Infopages
- Landings
- Regions
- You Might Also Like (YMAL)
To create a new Live stream widget:
- Go to Build in the primary navigation.
- Choose the type of page / segment where you want to display the widget.
- Select the specific page / segment where you want to display the widget.
- Ensure Editor is selected in the left panel.
- Select the empty area where you want to display the widget.
- Select New widget > Live stream to create a new Live stream widget.
The widget edit screen opens in the same tab.
NOTE: You can also create a new Live stream widget from the Widget library.
The sections below describe each stage of the creation process:
- Select the stream source
- Set the widget duration
- Select a fallback widget
- Set the streaming properties
- Configure the widget settings
- Preview the widget
- Set the status and save the widget
Select the stream source
To select the stream source:
- Go to Content > + Add tube.
- Select the name of the tube you want to use as the stream source.
The tube appears under Stream source. To select a different stream source, hover over the panel and select + Replace.
Set the widget duration
Via Content > Widget duration, specify when the Live stream widget will be displayed on the public site. The following options are available:
- Always display widget
- Display widget for live content
- Stream one Video Show / Broadcast Program
- Display widget for defined duration
Always display widget
TIP: Only select this option if the stream source is a 24/7 tube.
When Always display widget is selected, the Live stream widget is always displayed on the public site. This will apply even if no live content is available.
The player might include a message informing visitors that no live content is available.
When Always display widget is selected, you cannot select a fallback widget. This is because the Live stream widget is always displayed, so no fallback widget is needed.
Display widget for live content
When Display widget for live content is selected, the Live stream widget is displayed whenever live content is available via the stream source. At other times, the selected fallback widget is displayed.
If you select this option, it is important to also select a fallback widget. If no fallback widget is selected, the Live stream widget is always displayed (even when no live content is available). Additionally, without a fallback widget, caching rules might cause the stream to start with a 5 minute delay. To learn more about the importance of fallback widgets, go to the following section:
Stream one Video Show / Broadcast Program
The Stream one Video Show / Broadcast Program option is only available when:
- Display widget for live content is selected under Widget duration.
- The stream source is selected.
When Stream one Video Show / Broadcast Program is ticked, the Live stream widget only streams episodes from one Video show / Broadcast program. In the drop-down menu, select the Category that is connected to the relevant show / program.
Display widget for defined duration
When Display widget for defined duration is selected, the Live stream widget is displayed during the defined time period. At other times, the selected fallback widget is displayed.
If you select this option, it is important to also select a fallback widget. If no fallback widget is selected, the Live stream widget is always displayed (even when no live content is available). Additionally, without a fallback widget, caching rules might cause the stream to start with a 5 minute delay. To learn more about the importance of fallback widgets, go to the following section:
When Display widget for defined duration is selected, the following settings are required:
- From: Set the date and time when the Live stream widget will appear.
- To: Set the date and time when the Live stream widget will disappear.
Select a fallback widget
Select a fallback widget via Content > Fallback widget. You can choose from widgets that are currently saved in the Widget library.
The selected fallback widget is automatically displayed in place of the Live stream widget whenever no live content is available. This works differently, depending on the option selected under Widget duration:
- Always display widget: A fallback widget is not needed, as the widget is always displayed.
- Display widget for live content: The fallback widget is displayed whenever no live content is available via the stream source.
- Display widget for defined duration: The fallback widget is displayed outside of the defined time period.
To learn more about the importance of fallback widgets, go to the following section:
Set streaming properties
Via Content > Streaming properties, set the streaming properties for the Live stream widget.
The following options are available:
Display Player title
When Display Player title is ticked, a player title and "Live" badge are displayed below the player.
The player title is defined as follows:
- If Player title is filled, this text is always used.
- If Player title is not filled, the following text might be used:
- The name of the current Video show / Broadcast program
- The name of the connected tube (while no live content is available)
Player image
Under Player image, select Add image to add a player image. If you do not select an image, the default image for the connected tube is used.
The player image is displayed differently, depending on the type of content:
Video content
The image is displayed in the player before the video is played (if autoplay is not enabled).
Audio content
The image is displayed in the player when your site is viewed on desktop and the widget occupies more than half of the page width.
Autoplay with no sound
NOTE: This option is only relevant for video tubes.
When Autoplay with no sound is ticked, the stream will start automatically with no sound as soon as a visitor lands on the page. When this option is not ticked, visitors will need to manually hit the play button to start watching the stream.
Display sharing options
When Display sharing options is ticked, the following items might be available on the player:
- (A): Embed button: Lets visitors retrieve the embed code for the widget.
- (B): Share button: Lets visitors share a link to the live stream.
Configure the widget settings
Via Settings, the following options are available:
Add a header / footer
A Live stream widget might include one or both of the following elements:
- (A): Header: Displayed above the widget. The header might be text-only, or it might function as a link to another page. If preferred, you can use an image as the header.
- (B): Footer: Displayed below the widget. The footer always functions as a link to another page.
Via Settings, optionally add a header and / or a footer.
The steps for adding the header / footer are the same for every widget type in Pangea CMS. For detailed information, see the following article:
Add a custom widget name
Via Settings > Widget name, optionally customize the default widget name.
The Widget name is visible only in Pangea CMS (not on the public site). We suggest providing a descriptive name if your site uses the Widget list tool in CMS to manage widgets.
Preview the widget
In the Preview section, check how the Live stream widget will look when it is displayed on the public site. Select Desktop, Tablet, or Mobile to preview the widget on devices with different screen sizes.
The preview for a Live stream widget shows just the basic layout for the player with no live content available. The preview does not show what content is currently available via the connected tube.
Set the status and save the widget
Before saving the Live stream widget, select your preferred status using the drop-down menu in the top-right corner:
- Enabled: After you save the widget, it will be immediately displayed on the public site (if it is included on a published page).
- Disabled: After you save the widget, it will not be displayed on the public site. However, it will be available for further editing in CMS.
Select Save or Save & close to save the widget.
