Here are the most common errors on Altar Live and how to fix them.
Quick Tips
Many issues can be quickly resolved by first trying the fixes below:
On a computer:
Best experience is on Chrome browsers. You can also try Firefox or Safari, but Chrome will be the least buggy.
Refresh the browser page. Refreshing your browser triggers a reconnection, which can resolve most issues.
Use an incognito window on your browser. Many issues caused by your browser can affect your experience on Altar Live, such as plug-ins, extensions, an outdated version of the browser, other accounts you might be logged in to, cache and cookies, etc. Opening an incognito or private window of your browser can give you a clean slate and can help resolve browser-based issues.
Close the browser completely and restart it. Again, giving yourself a blank slate can fix a lot of issues.
Try a different device or browser. If you are experiencing issues on one browser, it might be resolved by switching to another browser.
Reboot your computer. If all else fails, sometimes you just need to restart your computer.
On a mobile device:
Please note that we recommend hosts and greeters use a computer with a Chrome-based browser to access all features.
Close the app completely and restart it. Please be sure you fully close the app and that it isn't running in the background.
Uninstall and Re-Install the App. Sometimes, the cache or version of the app may be the issue. Uninstalling and Re-installing the app gives it a clean slate with the latest version.
Restart your Phone. If you're experiencing an overall lag, sometimes you just need to restart your device and give it a clean start.
Technology Requirements
An good internet connection – broadband wired or wireless - at least 8.0 Mbps outbound (upload) and 8.5 Mbps inbound (download) are required
Speakers and a microphone – built-in or USB plug-in or wireless Bluetooth
A webcam or HD webcam - built-in or USB plug-in
How can I tell if the Wifi connection is the issue?
Poor WiFi connections are the biggest cause of poor quality and connectivity problems with Altar Live. Having good Wifi is very important to be able to participate fully in live streaming and video conferencing. Here are a few ways to detect whether wifi is the cause of the issue (and how to fix it):
Test Your Wifi Speed. Run a speed test by simply googling “internet speed test” in your search engine (for more information, click here). Click "Run Speed Test" to see the strength of your wifi connection. Anything below 8-10 Mbps is a very slow connection speed and is likely causing the issue.
Try switching to another wifi connection. If there is another wifi connection available for you to join, try switching to fix the issue.
(Temporarily) You may need to refresh your browser every time it gets stuck. Refreshing your browser is not a good long-term solution, but can offer attendees a short-term solution to allow them to still participate in the event.
What if I’m having camera or audio problems?
If you can't be seen and/or heard:
Make sure your browser is allowed to use your microphone and camera. In Chrome, click the lock icon next to the URL to check your permissions.
If you hear yourself echoing:
You most likely have multiple Altar Live windows open. If this is the case, close all of the windows except one, and make sure you only have one device logged into the event on your account. Sound is controlled by the user account, not by the device.
If you hear someone else echoing:
Give them the above tip!
What if the live stream isn't playing?
Ifthe live stream is not playing only for you:
Be sure to press the watch now button.
Try refreshing your browser.
Try switching to an Incognito or Private window.
If the video has a spinning wheel or is buffering continually, try switching Wifi connections.
If the event is streaming a video from YouTube, try logging out of your YouTube account on the same browser that you joined to Altar Live. Sometimes restrictions on your account can prevent you from viewing a video.
Try waiting for it to fix itself. Sometimes an individual’s Wifi takes a little longer to buffer the video. Sometimes it can take a few minutes and then the issue will fix itself.
If the video continues to buffer after switching Wifi connections, the issue might be with Altar’s server. Please contact us at contact@altarlive.com.
Ifthe live stream is not playing for everyone:
Note: This section is intended for hosts and admins.
Direct RTMP:
Check your live stream source and make sure that your video feed is Live and sending to Altar Live.
It can take up to 2 minutes from the time your feed goes live from your live stream source to connect to Altar Live.
Check your Altar RTMP stream limit on your account. If you have exceeded your limit, the video won’t play.We can always add more hours to your account as needed.
YouTube:
Make sure that you have enabled “Allow embedding” on your YouTube video settings.
Make sure to use the full link when embedding. If you insert your link without the "https://" part, you may receive the error message, "The file or directory could not be found.”
Uploaded File:
Make sure your video file is actually uploaded to your Altar event. Depending on the size of the file, it can take a few minutes to optimize and finalize the video upload.
Resi:
Check the encoder time.
Check to make sure the Resi link was copied into Altar Live correctly.
Other Streaming Providers:
Make sure that you copied and pasted the correct link into your Altar Event. If the link was copied correctly, you should see the link in the Preview on the Altar Stream step.
Make sure your live stream provider is live. It might not be sending to Altar Live yet.
Make sure the URL and Stream Key don't have any extra characters. Sometimes a streaming provider will automatically add extra characters to the URL or Stream Key that accidentally prevent it from connecting to Altar Live.
Other Common Issues (and Fixes)
If you can’t see the event:
Make sure have joined the correct event or meeting link.
If you can’t see the event chat:
Make sure you have clicked on the Chat icon on the right-hand side and are on the General Chat tab.
If you still can’t see the chat, try refreshing your page.
If you can’t unmute:
Laptop & tablets: Make sure your browser has allowed Altar permissions to access your camera and microphone.
iPhones: Unfortunately iPhones do not allow us to play two sources of audio (both the live stream and video conference) at the same time, so we have to mute participants who are seated so they can still hear the live stream audio. If a user on iPhone tries to unmute, they may see a dialog box that says the following:
If you can't scroll your screen, it is most likely a browser issue.
If your screen resolution is higher than 100%, try zooming out to bring your screen resolution down.
If you still can’t scroll, try closing and re-opening your browser.
If audience members are getting "left behind" it may be a WebSocket connection issue.
A simple refresh of the "lost" audience member's browser, or closing and re-opening the app should fix this issue.
Remember, only users who are signed in can join a room, row, or table.
If something else stopped working (or never worked):
First, try refreshing the page. Most browser refresh buttons are a circular arrow in the top left or right, next to the URL.
Make sure you are using Chrome. You can also try Firefox or Safari browsers, however, Altar Live is the least buggy on Chrome.
If none of the above fixes worked, or you still need help, don't worry! You can contact us at contact@altarlive.com, or check out our help center.
