The documented path is AWS Elemental Link → AWS Elemental MediaLive → a downstream destination. Link is documented as a source device for MediaLive, not as an encoder that connects directly to Amazon IVS. Amazon IVS accepts RTMPS, RTMP, and SRT ingest, but AWS’s reviewed documentation does not establish the exact MediaLive output configuration for a Link-fed IVS stream. Treat that handoff as something to verify and test—not as a guaranteed plug-and-play connection.
This guide explains the documented stages, the IVS settings and network checks that matter, and how to test the complete chain before an event.
Understand the Link-to-IVS workflow
A reliable setup has three distinct stages: a live source and Link device, MediaLive processing, and a downstream destination. Keeping those stages separate helps identify where a failure occurs.
- Source: A camera or other production equipment feeds an Elemental Link device. AWS describes Link as sending the source to MediaLive over an AWS-managed secure connection.
- Processing: MediaLive receives and processes the source, then sends configured output to a destination.
- Delivery: Amazon IVS receives a compatible encoder feed using one of its supported ingest protocols. AWS documents IVS ingest protocols and encoder requirements separately from the Link-to-MediaLive source workflow.
Elemental Link HD handles HD sources. Link UHD handles HD and UHD sources; AWS also documents Link UHD as a source for a MediaConnect flow. These documented roles do not establish a direct Link-to-IVS connection.
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Set up the documented Link-to-MediaLive source stage
Match the device, input, and channel region
For a MediaLive input, align the Elemental Link device, the MediaLive input, and the channel to the appropriate AWS Region. AWS’s setup guidance says operators typically power and connect the device and begin sending video before attaching the input to the channel.
- Power and connect the Link device to the live source and network.
- Confirm the device is sending video before attaching it to a MediaLive channel.
- Create an Elemental Link input in MediaLive and select the device.
- Attach that input to the MediaLive channel, checking that the device, input, and channel are in the appropriate Region.
Confirm that MediaLive is receiving the expected picture and audio before moving on. That check isolates source and Link problems from downstream output problems.
Verify the MediaLive-to-IVS handoff before relying on it
MediaLive can process the Link-fed source and send configured outputs downstream. However, the reviewed AWS documentation does not specify the exact output group, destination URL, or configuration that makes this particular Link-fed workflow publish to IVS. Do not assume that selecting Link as an input is enough to make IVS ingest work.
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- Check current AWS MediaLive output options and confirm that the intended output can reach the selected IVS channel type.
- Confirm the IVS ingest endpoint and the protocol that the output stage will use. IVS low-latency ingest documents RTMPS, RTMP, and SRT; support at the IVS end alone does not confirm that a particular MediaLive output can produce the required feed.
- Verify the destination, protocol, credentials, and any required network allowlists against the current AWS service configuration.
- Run a complete test from source through Link and MediaLive into IVS. Confirm that viewers can receive the result, then test recovery and failover behavior before a production event.
Do not treat a successful MediaLive input preview as proof that the downstream IVS output or viewer playback is working. Test each boundary in the chain.
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Choose compatible Amazon IVS ingest settings
AWS documents H.264 video and AAC-LC audio for Amazon IVS low-latency streaming. Its listed ingest choices are:
| Protocol | Transport and port noted by AWS | Practical check |
|---|---|---|
| RTMPS | TLS over TCP 443; TLS 1.2 or later is required. | Confirm that the encoder and the network path support secure RTMPS ingest. |
| RTMP | TCP 1935 | This is the insecure RTMP option. Use it only if it is supported by the specific configuration and permitted by your security policy. |
| SRT | Port 9000 | Confirm that both the sending configuration and the network path support SRT. |
Use constant bitrate and progressive video
AWS recommends constant bitrate (CBR) rather than variable bitrate (VBR). Bitrate spikes can cause dropped frames before ingest or buffering during playback. AWS also recommends progressive signals and avoiding interlaced video. Check the source and every processing or encoding stage: an incompatible or interlaced signal upstream can undermine otherwise appropriate output settings.
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Set keyframes and avoid unsupported universal targets
AWS’s getting-started material identifies a 2-second keyframe interval as a recommended setting for its OBS workflow. Treat that as guidance for the documented OBS workflow, not as a universal setting proven for every MediaLive-to-IVS configuration. Confirm the current requirements for your IVS channel type and encoder.
There is no single resolution or bitrate to prescribe here: the right values depend on the IVS channel type and its current limits, as well as what the source and processing stages can sustain. Check those limits before choosing output settings rather than copying a bitrate target from another channel or encoder.
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AWS recommends a stable connection that can sustain the stream’s upload rate, using wired networking when possible. It recommends planning for 50% more bandwidth than the minimum required as headroom for bitrate fluctuation. This is a planning recommendation, not a measured reliability guarantee. AWS also recommends a dedicated internet VLAN for encoding equipment.
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- Prefer a wired network connection for the encoder and relevant production equipment where possible.
- Reserve enough upload capacity for the stream plus AWS’s recommended 50% headroom; account for other traffic sharing the connection.
- Where network design permits, separate encoding equipment onto a dedicated internet VLAN.
- Allow the selected protocol and destination through firewalls. AWS lists low-latency RTMPS on TCP 443, RTMP on TCP 1935, and SRT on port 9000. WebRTC has separate requirements.
Firewall rules must match the actual protocol and destinations used by the workflow. Allowing a port alone may not be sufficient if destination restrictions block the service; check the current AWS allowlist requirements for the selected ingest mode.
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MediaLive can use dual independent processing pipelines to improve resilience within MediaLive. AWS notes that both pipelines need matching upstream and downstream support. This can protect against some processing-path failures, but it does not by itself provide a redundant camera, a second Link device, an independent first-mile network connection, or a verified failover route into IVS.
Plan resilience by failure domain:
- Source failure: A second MediaLive pipeline does not replace a backup camera or production source.
- Link or first-mile failure: Dual MediaLive processing does not establish an independent source device or network route.
- Processing failure: MediaLive dual pipelines address processing-path resilience when the full design supports them.
- Destination or handoff failure: The complete MediaLive-to-IVS output and recovery behavior must be verified in the actual configuration.
AWS’s reviewed material does not provide a complete dual-Link-to-IVS failover recipe. Test the failure cases that matter to your event, including source loss, network interruption, processing-path failure, and recovery at IVS, rather than assuming that redundancy in one stage covers the others.
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Monitor the stream and troubleshoot interruptions
AWS defines stream starvation as a delay or halt in delivery of content packets to IVS. If IVS receives no broadcaster data for 30 seconds, it terminates the low-latency stream session, allowing time for the broadcaster to reconnect. That timeout explains one failure behavior; it is not a promised recovery time.
| Symptom | Likely area to inspect | Checks and corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| IVS stops receiving the stream | Encoder, local network, congestion, internet loss, or an issue in transit | Check encoder logs and IVS Stream Health information. Confirm the encoder is still sending and inspect network connectivity through the path. |
| Viewers report buffering or dropped frames | Bitrate fluctuations, limited upload capacity, encoder load, or competing network traffic | Check for VBR or bitrate spikes, confirm available upload headroom, and see whether other network use is consuming capacity. Use CBR as AWS recommends. |
| Output becomes unstable under encoding load | Encoder or processing capacity | Inspect encoder load and logs. AWS notes that an overloaded machine may need a less demanding encoding preset. |
| Stream fails to connect through a firewall | Protocol, port, destination allowlist, or TLS compatibility | Confirm the selected ingest protocol, the matching port and destinations, and—in the case of RTMPS—TLS 1.2 or later. |
| MediaLive receives the source but IVS does not | Downstream output or handoff configuration | Check the current MediaLive output configuration, IVS channel type, ingest endpoint, protocol compatibility, and network rules. A working input does not validate the output stage. |
When diagnosing an event, record the time of the interruption and compare the IVS Stream Health information with encoder and network logs. This helps distinguish a source or encoding stall from a downstream connection issue.
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