CPU Hungry Software Switchers
 

We have been using Livestream Studio as a switcher and also to stream out to the CDN but you have to have a crazy fast machine to handle even a modest stream (LS specify a 6 core i7 as minimum!!)

I have seen a simple way to solve this by using the switcher just to do the mix and then send the output to a second HDMI "monitor" output on the computer ... the HDMI monitor is actually a hardware encoder (we use our Livestream Broadcaster Pro) but I'm sure that the Teradek encoders would work as well. This way you can use a modest laptop to bring in the video and then let the hardware encoder do the hard work. On my quad i7 there is no way I can use the switcher to stream any higher than around 2,6mbps without the CPU usage climbing to over 100% (and then the stream stops) but with the external encoder being fed from the HDMI port (as if it was an HDMI camera output) I can easily do a decent 5 mbps HD stream with no issues.

Anyone else using a software switcher and going out to an encoder ?? Seems to work pretty well without having to go out and buying a $4000 gaming laptop!!

Re: CPU Hungry Software Switchers
 

Hmm, I use Telestream Wirecast which can using Intel QuickSync and NVENC (on Windows with NVIDIA GPUs). I often stream to two destinations (Facebook, Periscope/Twitter) and do a local ProRes recording as well. CPU stays under 70%. This on a late 2013 laptop. Newer ones are even more efficient.