Once your match is live and streaming, the Streaming Overlay Control panel becomes essential for managing on-screen graphics, overlays, adverts, and replays throughout the match. This guide explains the main functions available in the panel and how to use them effectively.
The actions needed to enable the Streaming Overlay Control panel are described in the previous step in this guide: Live Streaming: Step 3 Features and Controls.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to view a video summary of the functions described in this guide.
Pre-Game Card Overlay
At the start of the stream, we recommend that you activate the Match Title overlay from the Streaming Overlay Control panel.
This provides a clean and professional introduction to the broadcast, while also covering activities such as warm-ups, umpires setting up, or grounds staff preparing the pitch. It's ideal for maintaining a tidy visual presentation before play begins.
When the Match Begins
Once the match has started, we recommend that you use Auto early in the match and then switch to Auto with Cards after a few overs or when significant events (e.g. wickets, milestones) occur.
The Auto and Auto with Cards options add the following overlay and card information to the live stream:
- Auto mode automatically updates overlay graphics as the match is scored, including:
- Ball-by-ball updates
- Bowler statistics
- Milestones (e.g. 50s, 100s)
- Match breaks (e.g. drinks, innings)
- Auto with Cards includes all Auto mode updates plus full-screen graphics at the end of overs when appropriate, including:
- Batting and bowling partnership cards
- Manhattan and worm graphs
- Run rate summaries
Any overlays available (that is, overlays that aren't greyed out) such as milestones, graphs, videos or images can be triggered manually at any time if Auto or Auto with Cards is not appropriate.
Manual Controls and Automatic Graphics
When in Auto mode, manual event buttons (for example, maiden overs, dismissals, boundaries) activate on the Streaming Overlay Control panel if these events occur. Use these buttons to manually trigger graphics or replays manually if needed.
For example, when a maiden over is recorded, the Maiden button activates and can be clicked manually to show a replay. A boundary (e.g. four or six) triggers an instant replay automatically.
You can interrupt a replay at any time and return to live video (e.g. if a bowler begins their run-up) by clicking the STOP button on the Video Display panel control bar.
Monitoring the Stream Output
During the match you can monitor the outgoing video feed showing replays, video and image activations or advertisements, and cards and messages from either of two locations:
- The live stream preview window in the bottom-right corner of the Video Display panel (with a red outline), or;
- By going to View > Video > Live Streaming Output. This opens the stream preview in a separate panel and is useful for displaying the stream on a second monitor.
Displaying Ads and Sponsored Content
To show a sponsor or club image or video clip (MP4 format):
- Open the Image or Video dropdown menus.
- Select a file from the dropdown list (these are preloaded from the _media folder).
- Click Show to display the file in the stream. Image ads appear silently. Video ads play with sound if this is included in the file.
- If you are playing a video file, click the Stop link under the stream preview to immediately return to live video (especially if a delivery is imminent). Once the video file finishes, if not stopped beforehand, the stream returns to the previous card setting (for example, Auto with Cards). If you are showing an image, click any other card to hide the image. We recommend Auto or Auto with Cards to return to the live video.
Displaying Text Messages
Use the Custom Messages section at the bottom of the Streaming Overlay Control panel to show messages on screen:
- Single: shows a single-line message over the bottom overlay banner (positioned centrally and taking the place of score and match information).
- Double: shows a two-line message using the scorecard format with the first line used as the card title and the second text field's content shown in the body of the graphic.
- Video Baseline: shows a single-line message at the bottom of the overlay banner. Typically used for live video as much less intrusive and not hiding the score.
To add a text message to the stream:
- Click a tab under the Custom Messages section (Single, Full Screen or Baseline).
- Type your message into the text fields.
- Click the Show Message button. The message is shown on the stream.
- Click another card option (such as Auto or Auto with Cards) to hide the text message.
Instant Replays
Use the Instant Replay and Slow-mo Replay buttons to show the most recent delivery. Once the replay has started you can either let the clip finish or interrupt it by clicking the STOP link.
Hiding Overlays
If you need to make a correction to the score, or for any other reason, you can turn off all or some overlays (or change to a black screen) by selecting an option beside Holding. These options are:
- Black Screen: shows a black screen.
- No Overlay: removes the bottom overlay but continues to show watermark images at the top of the video stream.
- Clean: removes all overlay graphics from the stream, showing only raw video.
Next, learn how to automatically show still images or pre-roll video clips in your stream when a four, six or wicket is scored. And how to enable and configure automatic replays of these match events. See Live Streaming: Step 5 Activations and Auto Replays.