I would like to watch Squadcast, but Twitch is intolerable

[Wanderfound]

I've been unsuccessfully trying to watch Squadcast for over a month now.

As well as the recently frequent last minute cancellations and reschedules, there's also the bigger problem: Twitch is awful in every detail.

Past broadcasts are totally inaccessible via iOS, and unwatchably laggy even if I fire up the laptop; I get five seconds of video followed by two minutes of buffering, rinse and repeat. The help forums on the Twitch site are covered in years of identical complaints, all unaddressed.

Is there any sensible reason why Squadcast isn't mirrored to Youtube (or some other video site that isn't as unbelievably awful as Twitch)?

[Superfluous J]

90% of what you could get from watching Squadcast, you can get from the wonderful summaries posted right on this forum by ObsessedWithKSP.

The other 10% you can get by downloading the video via https://twitchtools.com/video-download or something similar, and then watching it with a civilized video program like VLC or Mplayer.

[Wanderfound]

90% of what you could get from watching Squadcast, you can get from the wonderful summaries posted right on this forum by ObsessedWithKSP.

The other 10% you can get by downloading the video via https://twitchtools.com/video-download or something similar, and then watching it with a civilized video program like VLC or Mplayer.

Unfortunately, Twitchtools demands a premium subscription to download anything over an hour (ie: Squadcast).

[Superfluous J]

I just linked the first one on Google. Try the other 500,000 downloaders. I know I got one working a while ago though I don't know which one. It was before the summaries were a thing. If I want something not in the summary, I just suck it up and watch it on Twitch. That pretty rarely happens though.

[regex]

90% of what you could get from watching Squadcast, you can get from the wonderful summaries posted right on this forum by ObsessedWithKSP.

The other 10% is Maxmaps "playing" the game and not worth your time. Seriously, there's a reason OWK has so much rep over the summaries. S/he suffers so you don't have to.

[EtherDragon]

The other 10% is Maxmaps "playing" the game and not worth your time. Seriously, there's a reason OWK has so much rep over the summaries. S/he suffers so you don't have to.

Watching MaxMaps play KSP (terribly) isn't bad, it's cringe-worthy entertainment!

[michaelsteele3]

Step One: Stop using that McDoanld's Free WiFi from across the street.

Step Two: Profit???

But seriously now, try rebooting your wifi, or try using a friend's computer/PC on your wifi to see if it's your router that's the problem, or if it's your PC.

[TimePeriod]

Step One: Stop using that McDoanld's Free WiFi from across the street.

Step Two: Profit???

But seriously now, try rebooting your wifi, or try using a friend's computer/PC on your wifi to see if it's your router that's the problem, or if it's your PC.

I'm running 40/8 fiber and I get a stupendous amount of lag. Twitch is useless.

[michaelsteele3]

I'm running 40/8 fiber and I get a stupendous amount of lag. Twitch is useless.

Fiber? Please explain, I'm confused

[TimePeriod]

Fiber? Please explain, I'm confused

copper wire vs fiber optic cable.

[michaelsteele3]

copper wire vs fiber optic cable.

I'm.... Assuming that's good.

I think my router was pretty expensive, perhaps in the hundreds? Twitch runs like a charm.

And if OP's phone runs well but can't view past broadcasts, would it be his computer that's the issue or nah?

[Wanderfound]

Step One: Stop using that McDoanld's Free WiFi from across the street.

Step Two: Profit???

But seriously now, try rebooting your wifi, or try using a friend's computer/PC on your wifi to see if it's your router that's the problem, or if it's your PC.

The network here could be faster, but it's plenty quick enough for hi-res Youtube or streaming television. And this isn't the only network I've had Twitch trouble on.

Twitch is horrendously bad in many, many ways.

[michaelsteele3]

The network here could be faster, but it's plenty quick enough for hi-res Youtube or streaming television. And this isn't the only network I've had Twitch trouble on.

Twitch is horrendously bad in many, many ways.

Works fine for me. Even with my previous, decade old router with dust all over it. Strange.

[TimePeriod]

I'm.... Assuming that's good.

I think my router was pretty expensive, perhaps in the hundreds? Twitch runs like a charm.

And if OP's phone runs well but can't view past broadcasts, would it be his computer that's the issue or nah?

In general, fiber optics is light speed while copper wires is slower.

Your router is not that important, its the last mile infrastructure up to his laptop or what kind of connection his phone has to the nearest tower/mast.

Too many variables for me to tell right now.

[Wanderfound]

And if OP's phone runs well but can't view past broadcasts, would it be his computer that's the issue or nah?

That isn't related to just my phone and tablet; Twitch past broadcasts aren't available to any iOS device without third-party hackery. Twitch has been promising to fix this "real soon" for over a year now.

[michaelsteele3]

In general, fiber optics is light speed while copper wires is slower.

Your router is not that important, its the last mile infrastructure up to his laptop or what kind of connection his phone has to the nearest tower/mast.

Too many variables for me to tell right now.

I live in a rural town, but there are towers that I can see from my house. Two, in fact. But I'm not quite sure what they are exactly used for. Probably cellular service, as 4G/LTE works great there. But still, everything works fine.

[TimePeriod]

I live in a rural town, but there are towers that I can see from my house. Two, in fact. But I'm not quite sure what they are exactly used for. Probably cellular service, as 4G/LTE works great there. But still, everything works fine.

Phone - > Tower/mast - > Phone company server - > Twitch Servers - > Return.

With every variable along with it.

We just don't know enough, even the location of OP.

[regex]

Watching MaxMaps play KSP (terribly) isn't bad, it's cringe-worthy entertainment!

I don't know about you, but I can't get more than about two minutes into the stream before I have to shut it off. Every time, without fail. OWK is a saint for suffering through that trainwreck.

[SpenSpaceCorp]

I live out in the country, and to provide a relative idea of how slow the internet is, it can take a youtube ad (one of those "5 second click to skip" buttons) almost half a minute to a minute to load. That is just one example I can think of. Anyhow, we have tried many different solutions (routers, boosters, etc) and nothing has worked; some people just have slow internet haha!

[wolfedg]

I will add that you are not alone on Twitch troubles. When I was still at college I had great internet, but twitch wouldn't livestream at all, though it would play prerecorded stuff assuming the streamer was nice enough to leave it archived. Now I'm at home and it works fine. One thing I think may cause issues (especially in my case under a college network) is blocked ports and firewalls, twitch just doesn't seem to handle these well whereas youtube was fine.

[Red Iron Crown]

I don't know about you, but I can't get more than about two minutes into the stream before I have to shut it off. Every time, without fail. OWK is a saint for suffering through that trainwreck.

In fairness, I don't think the demographic there is the Serious Business rocketry crowd. From what I've seen in the chat during a Squadcast it's more of the Explosions and Improbable Spacecraft crowd, who would likely enjoy watching Max's play more. If you are looking for the info that's almost all delivered in the last few minutes anyway, so you can skip the earlier parts if you don't like them (or just read OWK's summary).

[LethalDose]

The other 10% is Maxmaps "playing" the game and not worth your time. Seriously, there's a reason OWK has so much rep over the summaries. S/he suffers so you don't have to.

THHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSS!!!!

I HAD to stop watching Squadcast because it was such a waste of time. Max's play isn't entertaining or enjoyable in any way, it's just intolerable. I felt like I was being punished for being interested in his announcements because he would usually, but not always, subject the viewers to 45 mins or more of his incompetence before saying anything useful.

In fairness, I don't think the demographic there is the Serious Business rocketry crowd. From what I've seen in the chat during a Squadcast it's more of the Explosions and Improbable Spacecraft crowd, who would likely enjoy watching Max's play more. If you are looking for the info that's almost all delivered in the last few minutes anyway, so you can skip the earlier parts if you don't like them (or just read OWK's summary).

Yes, but "Serious Business crowd" are equally worthy of hearing the SquadCast announcements. And seriously, who are your long term players that have worked to help push the game forward?

Here's a hint: It's ain't the ones that giggle and clap their hands everytime anything explodes on-screen.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know about you, but I can't get more than about two minutes into the stream before I have to shut it off. Every time, without fail. OWK is a saint for suffering through that trainwreck.

Amen, brother.

[-RanZ-]

twitch is horrible, no doubt about that

[regex]

In fairness, I don't think the demographic there is the Serious Business rocketry crowd. From what I've seen in the chat during a Squadcast it's more of the Explosions and Improbable Spacecraft crowd, who would likely enjoy watching Max's play more. If you are looking for the info that's almost all delivered in the last few minutes anyway, so you can skip the earlier parts if you don't like them (or just read OWK's summary).

Really has nothing to do with me being part of the "Serious Business" crowd, Max just isn't entertaining. It's a shame that so many great nuggets of KSP development are hidden in that stream; if Max could cut out all the play and focus entirely on KSP I'd watch it straight through.

Yes, but "Serious Business crowd" are equally worthy of hearing the SquadCast announcements. And seriously, who are your long term players that have worked to help push the game forward?

ehehehehe, long-term players don't matter, it's the kids buying all the extra merch who do.

[Renegrade]

In fairness, I don't think the demographic there is the Serious Business rocketry crowd. From what I've seen in the chat during a Squadcast it's more of the Explosions and Improbable Spacecraft crowd, who would likely enjoy watching Max's play more. If you are looking for the info that's almost all delivered in the last few minutes anyway, so you can skip the earlier parts if you don't like them (or just read OWK's summary).

Hey, I'm not "serious business" crowd, but Maxmaps' uh.. "skill", still makes me cringe.

In general, fiber optics is light speed while copper wires is slower.

Your router is not that important, its the last mile infrastructure up to his laptop or what kind of connection his phone has to the nearest tower/mast.

Too many variables for me to tell right now.

A) copper speeds are generally comparable to lightspeed in fiber. Keep in mind that the 2.9979x10^8 m/s thing only applies to light in a vacuum. It's slower by a factor of the index of refraction in a medium. Typical fiber is around 1.44-1.45 index of refaction, giving you 70% of c. That's comparable to the signal propagation in a good copper wire (hundred-billion year old thicknet coax ethernet is also 70%, as a comparison).

I've never heard of any fiber layer-1 designs that operate at 40/8. You probably have a DSL or cable solution, with fiber to the neighborhood or curb.

Fiber is generally only used in networking because it requires fewer repeaters (and it's easier to stuff multiple signals down the same wire). It's otherwise extremely delicate, bulky, dangerous and costly, and not used in other areas. That's why even actual fiber-to-the-premises end with a media converter that goes to E100/E1000. Nobody in their right mind would want a fiber-ethernet network unless their prem is HUGE or they like laser blindness. And even then, the fiber would be converted to electrical ethernet before it went into workstations/servers.

There's more to an internet connection than your last mile.

1. Are you using wifi in the house? Wifi is absolute garage. The old 10-megabit ethernet standards (invented before time even existed) are competitive with the most MIMOest, modern wifi garbage (invented ten years from now). Heck, you could probably spank some wifi with half-megabit tokenring in certain limited applications.

2. How well-provisioned is your neighborhood? Are they serving ten thousand customers off of a Cisco 1604/1605 with a T1 for a backhaul? Is the QoS gear (if any) capable of keeping up with demand?

3. How's the infrastructure inside your ISP? Fully mesh network? Any packetloss on the transit routers?

4. How's the secondary infrastructure at your ISP? DNS etc (I actually run my own full DNS server as my ISP, which is otherwise scoring fairly well in the technical areas, absolutely fails at DNS and billing)?

5. How's the connectivity to other ISPs? Are the border gateways decent, or are they 1604s with T1s again? Are they peering with other providers that have your destination in them, or are very close to the destination?

A lot of these questions are hard to answer, or are very conditional. Problems in the 3-5 range can cause services A and B to work fine but C to mysteriously fail. (problems 1 and 2 tend to result in everything blowing up, or at least anything that needs any significant traffic)

As an example, I generally don't have any problems with twitch or youtube (well since google overhauled it), even with my 'rusty old' 15/10 copper connection.

Did I mention wifi is trash garbage, and that furthermore it's utterly worthless and stupid, and also garbage and designed by idiots (do I have to mention WEP?)? Also that it's garbage. And trash. And rather rude words that would probably get filtered. Also trash.

Wifi is trash is what I'm saying.

I'm not just a programmer, I'm also a CCNA. Who hates wifi. Even if wifi is traveling at 99% of the speed of light, it still adds a minimum of 3ms to every hop (air is a lot clearer than glass).

TL;DR: last mile bandwidth is about 5% of the equation. Fiber isn't faster, it's just longer (which is good for long range communication for obvious reasons). Wifi sucks.