Livestream testing: Exact Process And Plan With Example

The popularity of livestreaming apps continues to grow, while the fields of streaming significantly vary. Thousands of streamers share videos about gaming and social life, sports events, concerts, and other areas. According to the recent data, the lifestreaming industry faced an increase of 300% in 2020, and it still attracts more and more new supporters.

This tendency caused a huge growth of apps that offer streaming solutions. Moreover, the demands of the users of these applications are becoming more and more diverse. First, it is vital to offer a high-quality experience for end-users. Second, the live streams should run smoothly and without any bugs or imperfections. But how to perform video streaming testing in the most effective way? What video streaming testing tools should you use to make sure your application works flawlessly? How to do a test stream? Find out the answers to all these questions right here in this post. Our experts are ready to share the latest information about stream testing with you.

Livestream Solutions: Discover the Basics 

What is the main function of live-streaming apps? These applications offer users an opportunity to benefit from using hosting platforms, where they can effortlessly broadcast different types of videos to viewers all over the world in real-time. The functionality of these apps might vary. Some apps allow catching up video content by creating Videos on Demand (also called VOD), while the others offer clipped content (clips). Regardless of the solution you choose for your application, it is vital to perform an advanced streaming test to make sure your digital product has a brilliant performance.

How to Arrange a Live Stream Test?

When it comes to preparing for testing your app, it is necessary to keep in mind plenty of issues and parameters. Here is a list of things an expert streaming tester should pay extra attention to.

• plan the entire process of testing from the beginning to the end;
• prioritize the issues and testing features;
• choose the most effective QA tools;
• apply top-notch test execution templates;
• follow the industry standards;
• fill in bug reports during testing;
• simulate real-life scenarios;
• test an application under stress;
• perform tests on multiple devices, locations, and carriers.

Key Features of Live Streaming Apps You Need to Test 

This is a list of metrics a QA expert usually needs to check for functional testing of any live streaming application.

Video Quality

There is nothing new that the quality of video on the live streams might vary. The better the quality of the video is, the higher the image sharpness will be. Most viewers prefer watching high-quality videos, so it is necessary to pay extra attention to testing them. However, there are still many users who usually watch middle-quality videos since they are using mobile Internet traffic.

Bitrate

What is video bitrate? It represents the quality and the size of the video. Moreover, this feature is also tightly connected with the video quality. So, the higher the bitrate is, there is higher quality.

Resolution

The lower the quality, the smaller the video resolution and image sharpness will appear to be. This feature is also one of the most essential any expert should check.

Latency

Latency represents the time interval between the video sent and the video shown to the ultimate users. The live-streaming apps should minimize the latency to avoid any delays in watching videos.

Buffering

Buffering usually takes place in case the network speed appears to be too slow. The viewer has no opportunity to watch live streams because the app can’t download the required amount of data. Among the most common issues might be freezes and stalls.

Network Bandwidth

It is worth mentioning that video quality, resolution, and bitrate are all correlated with the network bandwidth, the capacity with which data is being transferred. However, it is important not to confuse this feature with the network speed.

The Platform Itself

Not only the video quality issues should be tested in detail, but also the platform itself. It is important to make sure it has a flawless and user-friendly interface, as well as that all the functions and options are comprehensive and convenient. For example, the platform might contain search and “add to favorites” features that require advanced testing. Authentication and authorization are the other vital functions that have a significant impact on the platform’s performance.

Types of Livestream Tests You Need to Perform

Functionality testing is not the only type of testing you need to perform to double-check the performance of your application. Here is a list of testing types a QA expert needs to pay attention to:

• Usability testing. Does your app meet the expectations of users? Is it understandable? Are there any serious issues a common user might face when using your application? Get all the answers before your product goes live.
• Localization testing. If your app is designed for users with various cultural differences, it is essential to check the language correctness and the app’s exterior features beforehand.
• Cross browsers testing. Any app is used on various devices. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure the solution works well on different browsers, as well as operating systems, and on different types of hardware such as desktop, and mobile devices.
• Payment testing. If your application contains any paid features, make sure the process of payment works in an easy and reliable way. Double-check this feature in case the application handles payments with different currencies or payment methods.
• Interrupt testing. What if your app suddenly has an unexpected interruption? For example, a user might have an incoming call when watching streams via your app. This is another must-have feature you should always check.
• Negative testing. Sometimes users might demonstrate an uncommon behavior, enter invalid data, or use the app in a non-standard way. Negative testing is also a must for any live streaming solution.

Why Crowdsourced Testing is the Best Solution for Testing Livestream Products

First of all, crowdsourced testing offers a customizable multi-device coverage. This allows you to determine and pick up the operating systems, devices, geos, carriers, as well as other specific features and environments for testing your solution. If you are looking for an advanced and fully scalable service, crowdtesting will perfectly suit your needs.

Crowdsourced testing is also about emulating a real end-user. In other words, your product will be tested by a professional engineer in the only real environment. The fact is that human QA professionals will provide you with better results than any automated software.

Furthermore, using crowdtesting allows you to test your product under load and make sure it works excellently in extreme conditions.

Why Ubertesters Is the Best Solution for Livestream Testing

• Brilliant experience in testing Livestream applications and skilled QA professionals;
• An impressive number of testing experts located in more than 120 countries;
• Focus on device compatibility, device responsiveness on different screen sizes, and cross-browser compatibility issues.
• An opportunity to test your application in real-life environments on various gadgets and carriers;
• Detailed feedback from multiple testing professionals;
• All test cases are recorded to allow your in-house developers to fix any issues in a fast and easy way;
• Assigned project manager to make your testing process smooth and reliable.

We have many other advantages you might need to know. Contact us at sales@ubertesters.com for more details.