TRANSMISSION

Streaming Latency Calculator

Calculate total glass-to-glass latency for live streaming workflows, from SRT contribution to HLS delivery across Wide Area Networks.

Essential for planning interactive talk-back or real-time remote production. For high-precision audio work, check your audio buffer latency. Explore more broadcast engineering tools for IP video and media networking.

Load Workflow Preset
1. Camera & Local Processing
Sensor readout, frame syncs, vision mixer delay. (Typically 2-4 frames).
ms
2. Hardware / Software Encoder
H.264/HEVC encoding time. (Hardware: ~50ms, OBS/vMix x264: ~150-300ms depending on preset and b-frames).
ms
3. First Mile Network (Ingest)
RTMP TCP buffering or SRT RTT latency + buffer to reach the ingest server.
ms
4. Cloud Transcode & CDN Propagation
ABR generation and CDN edge caching. (Segment size drastically affects HLS delays).
ms
5. Client Player Buffer
Web player holding chunks to prevent buffering. (Standard HLS usually holds 3 chunks of 2-6 sec each).
ms
Total Glass-to-Glass Latency
12.336 s
This is consistent with standard RTMP to YouTube Live or Twitch standard latency.
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What is the Streaming Latency Calculator?

Calculates total 'glass-to-glass' cumulative latency across a capture-encode-transmit-decode chain for live broadcast and interactive streaming protocols like RTMP, SRT, and WebRTC.

This utility was engineered to eliminate the guesswork from high-pressure broadcast environments. Whether you are managing multi-camera sync or complex IP networking, precision measurements ensure that the technical infrastructure stays stable throughout the duration of the event.

Real-World Use Cases

Used to explain the delay differences between sub-second SRT links and high-latency HLS public distributions. Critical for planning interactive talk-back or real-time remote production.

Understanding these variables is critical for minimizing system-wide latency and avoiding technical debt in live productions. This tool provides instant validation of your technical specifications before you even power on a single piece of hardware.

Technical Methodology

Aggregates fixed processing delays (encoder GOP, network buffer, decoder buffer) into a single millisecond timeline, providing a realistic estimate of total viewer lag. For high-precision audio work, this should be combined with an audio buffer latency calculation to ensure perfect A/V alignment.

Our formulas are based on established SMPTE and EBU standards. By calculating these values theoretically, engineering teams can design predictable workflows and set clear expectations for clients regarding production quality and protocol limitations.