If AWS Elemental MediaLive reports input loss during a YouTube stream, first determine whether the channel failed its startup input probe or lost a source after it was already running. Startup probe failures require correcting the source or input configuration and restarting; a running channel may continue encoding replacement content while you trace the source, network, MediaLive, and YouTube ingest in order.
First identify when the failure began
Channel fails as it starts
MediaLive probes the first input during startup to detect the input and its sources. If detection fails, the input and channel can fail immediately; the configured input-loss slate is not a startup recovery mechanism. AWS lists possible causes including an absent input (especially with RTMP), a source outside the channel’s current specifications, or incorrect input settings. Verify that the source is publishing, confirm the input configuration and format, correct the fault, and restart the channel. AWS: Handling loss of video input.
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Channel was running, then lost video
For a source that was previously healthy, input-loss handling applies. MediaLive can encode replacement content on the output side, so the channel may continue encoding even though the source video is missing. That does not establish that YouTube is receiving the intended program: check each part of the path separately.
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- Upstream source or encoder: confirm that the encoder is still publishing and that the expected video, audio, captions, and metadata are present.
- Network path into MediaLive: check for interruptions between the source and the MediaLive input. A source that appears healthy locally can still be unreachable over the path carrying it.
- MediaLive input and channel: inspect input-health metrics and confirm which input is active if automatic input failover is configured.
- MediaLive output: determine whether the channel is delivering the intended source or replacement content, and whether the configured output group delivers or discards replacement content.
- YouTube ingest: inspect the stream’s health and timestamped errors in YouTube Live Control Room. These messages help distinguish an ingest-format or key problem from upstream input loss.
Use MediaLive metrics as a timeline
AWS describes InputVideoFrameRate as an input-health indicator. Unstable values are a reason to investigate the source or network. For supported RTP or MediaConnect inputs, InputLossSeconds measures the input-loss period: a consistent zero indicates health; repeated maximum values indicate an unhealthy input; values that rise and then return to zero indicate recovery. Review multiple time windows rather than relying on one sample. For a channel with automatic failover, use the active-input dimension to interpret which input the measurements describe. AWS: Monitoring inputs.
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Understand what MediaLive does during input loss
The documented default replacement sequence for a running channel is to repeat the last valid frame for 1,000 ms, encode black frames for 1,000 ms, and then send a black slate indefinitely. Operators can customize the repeat and black-frame intervals and select a slate image or color. Supported slate image formats are 32-bit BMP, PNG, and TGA. AWS: Handling loss of video input.
Replacement-content delivery depends on the output group. For HLS, Microsoft Smooth, RTMP, and UDP/TS output groups, operators can configure whether replacement content is delivered or discarded. MediaPackage pauses delivery; other output group types always deliver replacement content. Check the setting for the affected output group before concluding that a slate or black video should be visible downstream.
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Input-loss response and automatic input failover are different mechanisms. AWS gives an example in which a missed expected frame can trigger loss handling; at 60 frames per second, one frame is about 17 milliseconds. By contrast, 1,000 milliseconds is a typical configurable example for a failover trigger. The first figure concerns replacement-content behavior; the second concerns when a configured backup input may be selected. They are not interchangeable settings.
Configure and diagnose automatic input failover
Automatic input failover can protect an eligible input from a source or source-to-MediaLive path failure only when a valid alternate source is configured. For RTMP and RTP, AWS specifies identical content arriving over different network paths. Two feeds that share the failing encoder or network route are not independent protection. AWS: Setting up automatic input failover with RTMP and RTP inputs.
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Check the backup pair
- Confirm both inputs carry the same video, audio, captions, and metadata.
- Verify that the two feeds reach MediaLive over different network paths.
- For a single-input channel, AWS’s setup guidance calls for two sources for the pair; for a standard channel, it calls for four sources, two per input.
- Check that the intended input is active and review metrics using the active-input dimension.
Interpret switching and recovery timing
AWS’s startup guidance for the described failover configuration says the active input switches after it has been unhealthy for 3 seconds. A recovered input is marked healthy after it has remained healthy for more than 30 seconds. When the secondary is active, failback depends on input preference: equal preference can leave the channel on the secondary, while primary preference can switch it back. These are documented behaviors for the described configuration, not a guarantee for every channel setup. AWS: Automatic input failover during channel startup.
Check the MediaLive-to-YouTube leg separately
Open YouTube Live Control Room and review the health indicator and timestamped errors. YouTube marks critical errors in red and moderate errors in yellow; messages remain visible until the issue is fixed. Its error guidance covers stream format, audio and video codecs, video-stream count, interlacing, frame rate, and keyframe frequency. Use the specific message shown for the affected stream rather than changing settings speculatively. YouTube Help: Troubleshoot your live stream.
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Verify the destination and stream key
Check the YouTube stream URL and the current stream key in the MediaLive output destination. A stream key supplies encoder stream credentials and address information. If the key was reset or replaced, update the MediaLive output configuration to use the current key. YouTube Help: Create a live stream with an encoder.
Match encoder settings to YouTube’s error
YouTube’s published encoder guidance recommends RTMP or RTMPS, H.264, H.265, or AV1 video, AAC or MP3 audio, constant bitrate (CBR), and keyframes every 2 seconds, not more than 4 seconds apart. For H.264 at 1080p and 30 fps, YouTube lists 5 Mbps as the minimum and 14 Mbps as the recommended bitrate. That bitrate example applies to that specific codec, resolution, and frame rate; use guidance matching the actual stream when settings differ. Test with representative movement and audio, then monitor stream health during the event. YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
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Choose the right resilience mechanism
| Mechanism | What failure it addresses | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Input-loss handling | Missing video at a running channel’s input; controls replacement content encoded or delivered during the loss. | Repeat, black-frame, and slate settings, plus output-group delivery behavior. AWS guidance. |
| Automatic input failover | Failure of a protected input or its source-to-MediaLive path. | A valid alternate source carrying the same content over an independent path, plus the desired input preference. AWS setup guidance. |
| Pipeline redundancy | MediaLive pipeline failure, rather than loss of the source itself. | The downstream system must be able to accept and switch between two outputs. This is distinct from input failover. AWS: Pipeline redundancy. |
Pick protection based on the failure boundary and ensure the backup is genuinely independent. A second input alone does not protect against a shared source or network failure, and redundant MediaLive outputs do not help if the downstream receiver cannot switch between them.
Common symptoms and fixes
- Channel stops during startup: investigate input probing, source presence, format compatibility, and input settings; correct the cause and restart.
- Input metrics fluctuate or loss recurs: compare source health with MediaLive metrics over several windows; investigate the source encoder and path into MediaLive.
- Backup input never takes over: confirm failover is configured for the input, the alternate feed is healthy, and the two feeds use independent paths.
- Channel appears to run but viewers see black or a slate: check whether the source is still missing, review replacement-content timing and slate configuration, and verify whether the output group delivers that content.
- YouTube reports an ingest error while MediaLive input is healthy: use the timestamped YouTube message to check the output URL/key, codec, stream format, video characteristics, and keyframe interval.
- Stream key no longer works: verify the current key in YouTube and replace the key in the MediaLive destination if it was reset.
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