First determine whether MediaLive failed to acquire an input when the channel started or lost video after it was already running. Startup probe failure can stop the input and channel; later input loss invokes replacement-content handling. Then trace the signal from the source through MediaLive to YouTube, using MediaLive metrics and YouTube Live Control Room’s timestamped errors together. The exact cause depends on your input type, channel configuration, output group, and error details.
1. Identify when the input loss began
If the channel fails at startup
Investigate input probing first. MediaLive probes the first input at startup to detect the input and its sources. If detection fails, the input and channel can fail immediately; the running-channel replacement slate is not a startup recovery mechanism. AWS lists possible causes including an absent input (especially with RTMP), a source that exceeds the channel’s specifications, or incorrect input settings. Correct the source or settings, then restart the channel. See AWS’s Handling loss of video input.
If the channel loses video after running normally
MediaLive’s input-loss handling applies when an established source stops providing video. It can encode replacement content on the output side while the channel continues encoding. That preserves output activity, but it does not restore the missing source video.
2. Trace the signal from source to YouTube
Work outward from the earliest point where the signal is unhealthy. A YouTube ingest error and a MediaLive input-loss event can occur at different boundaries, so do not assume one explains the other.
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- Upstream source or encoder: Confirm that the encoder is publishing, the expected video and audio are present, and the source format fits the channel’s specifications.
- Network path into MediaLive: Check for interruption or instability between the source and the MediaLive input. If the source is reachable only over one route, a failure on that route can remove the feed.
- MediaLive input and channel: Review input health and channel state around the event time. For a channel with automatic input failover, inspect the active input as well as the channel-level view.
- MediaLive output: Confirm the output is being produced and inspect its configured destination, stream URL, and key.
- YouTube ingest: Open Live Control Room and match its timestamped errors to the MediaLive event. YouTube marks critical errors red and moderate errors yellow; messages remain visible until the problem is fixed. See YouTube’s live encoder troubleshooting guidance.
3. Use MediaLive metrics to narrow the fault
AWS describes InputVideoFrameRate as an input-health indicator. Unstable values point toward investigation of the source and/or network. For supported RTP or MediaConnect inputs, InputLossSeconds measures the input-loss period: consistently zero indicates health, repeated maximum values indicate an unhealthy input, and a value that rises and returns to zero indicates recovery. Read these metrics across multiple time windows rather than drawing a conclusion from a single point. Metric availability and interpretation depend on the input type. See AWS’s input-loss monitoring documentation.
With automatic input failover, use the active-input dimension where applicable so you can tell whether the primary or secondary input is supplying the channel. Compare the metric timeline with the source encoder’s logs and YouTube’s error timestamps; the sequence helps identify whether the fault begins before MediaLive, inside the channel, or at YouTube ingest.
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4. Understand what MediaLive does during input loss
AWS’s documented default sequence for a running channel is to repeat the last valid frame for 1,000 milliseconds, encode black frames for 1,000 milliseconds, then send a black slate indefinitely. Operators can change the repeat and black-frame intervals, and choose a slate image or color. Supported slate image formats are 32-bit BMP, PNG, and TGA. These are configuration defaults, not a diagnosis of why the input disappeared.
For HLS, Microsoft Smooth, RTMP, and UDP/TS output groups, operators can configure whether replacement content is delivered or discarded. MediaPackage pauses delivery, while other output group types always deliver replacement content. Check the behavior for your specific output group before changing it; an output policy affects what downstream viewers receive, not whether the upstream source has recovered.
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Input-loss replacement and automatic failover serve different purposes and can have different timings. AWS notes that a missed expected frame can trigger input-loss handling; at 60 fps, one frame is about 17 milliseconds. Its failover guidance gives 1,000 milliseconds as a typical configurable failover trigger. These figures describe different mechanisms, not conflicting thresholds.
5. Configure automatic input failover when the source path needs protection
Automatic input failover can protect an eligible input from an upstream source or source-to-MediaLive path failure, but only if the alternate source is valid and independent. For RTMP and RTP, AWS specifies that both inputs carry identical content over different network paths. A second feed that shares the encoder or network route that fails is not independent protection. AWS’s setup guidance says a single-input channel needs two sources for the pair; a standard channel needs four sources, two per input. See Setting up automatic input failover with RTMP and RTP inputs.
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AWS documents that, in the described startup/failover configuration, the active input switches after being unhealthy for 3 seconds, and 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. Treat these as documented behavior for that configuration, not a guarantee for every channel setup. Review AWS’s failover startup guidance and your channel’s actual settings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. Diagnose MediaLive-to-YouTube output errors separately
If MediaLive input metrics show a healthy source but YouTube reports a stream problem, use the exact Live Control Room message to focus the investigation. YouTube’s error guidance covers stream format, audio and video codecs, video-stream count, interlacing, frame rate, and keyframe frequency. Confirm that the MediaLive output destination contains the intended YouTube stream URL and current stream key. If the key was reset or replaced, update the output configuration accordingly. YouTube explains stream-key management at Create and manage your YouTube live stream.
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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 1080p30, it lists 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended. Those bitrate figures apply to that stated codec and format; use YouTube’s guidance for the actual resolution, frame rate, and codec rather than applying them to every stream. Test with representative movement and audio and monitor stream health during the event. See Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
7. Choose resilience for the failure boundary you need to cover
| Mechanism | What it protects or changes | What it requires or does not cover |
|---|---|---|
| Input-loss handling | Controls the content MediaLive encodes or delivers when video input disappears, such as a repeated frame, black frames, or a slate. | It does not restore the source. Replacement-content delivery behavior varies by output group. |
| Automatic input failover | Switches an eligible input to a configured alternate when the active input becomes unhealthy. | Requires a valid backup and, for RTMP/RTP, a different network path. It does not protect against a shared failure affecting both sources. |
| Pipeline redundancy | Addresses MediaLive pipeline failure rather than source-input failure. | The downstream system must be able to accept and switch between two outputs. It is distinct from input failover. See AWS pipeline redundancy guidance. |
Choose based on the component that must survive: missing source video, a broken source path, or a MediaLive pipeline failure. For each design, verify that the backup is independent, that downstream systems can handle the resulting outputs, and that the configured input preference matches how you want recovery and failback to work.
8. Common symptoms and fixes
- Channel stops immediately on startup: Treat this as a probe or input-configuration issue first. Confirm the input is present, the source fits channel specifications, and settings are correct; then restart after correction.
- Channel runs but shows repeated or black video: The source may be missing while MediaLive continues encoding configured replacement content. Check the source, input metrics, and input-loss settings; do not mistake a slate for restored input.
- Input loss returns despite automatic failover: Verify that the alternate input is healthy, carries the same content, and uses a genuinely different network path. A common encoder or route can defeat the redundancy.
- MediaLive input looks healthy but YouTube shows an error: Check the timestamped YouTube message, output destination and key, codec, bitrate, frame rate, interlacing, video-stream count, and keyframe interval.
- Metrics appear contradictory or inconclusive: Check the correct input and active-input dimension, widen the time window, and compare the source and YouTube timelines. Some metrics apply only to supported input types.
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