Handle stream disconnects

Live streaming interruptions can occur due to network issues or errors in streaming software, causing streams to disconnect unexpectedly. FastPix provides built-in mechanisms to handle these disconnects, ensuring a seamless experience for both broadcasters and viewers.

This guide covers:

• Reconnect Window: How FastPix manages temporary network disruptions.
• Webhook Events: How to track stream status and automate responses.

Reconnect window

The Reconnect Window determines how long FastPix waits before considering a disconnected live stream as ended. If the network connection is restored within this time frame, the stream resumes seamlessly. Otherwise, it transitions to an idle state, and a media asset is created for the concluded stream.

How it works

1. Live stream starts: When you start a live stream and connect it to an encoder like OBS, FastPix sends the video.live_stream.connected event.

2. Media transmission begins: After the encoder starts sending media to FastPix’s ingest server, the following webhook events are triggered:
   • video.live_stream.active - indicating the stream is now live.
   • video.live_stream.recording - Recording begins if enabled.

3. Network disruption: If the connection drops, FastPix detects the issue and sends the video.live_stream.disconnected event.

4. Reconnect window initiates:
   • By default, FastPix waits 60 seconds before declaring the stream as over.
   • If the connection is restored within this period, the stream resumes normally.
   • If the connection is not restored within this period, the stream transitions to an idle state, and FastPix sends the following events:
     • video.live_stream.idle - The stream is no longer active.
     • video.media.created – An on-demand media asset is created for the concluded stream.

Here is a webhook event example when network disruption happens:

1
{
2
  "type": "video.live_stream.created",
3
  "object": {
4
    "type": "live",
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    "id": "84132a34dfa677eea4b658e09fa07ce2"
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  },
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  "id": "d6bb41d5-7e51-4bfa-840d-4e343c062109",
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  "workspace": {
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    "name": "Demo",
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    "id": "7f3d4994-ccab-4c83-90af-3e009b4d1541"
11
  },
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  "data": {
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    "streamId": "84132a34dfa677eea4b658e09fa07ce2",
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    "streamKey": "bf8f433b25d8b6c2da6db70a069ab5cbk84132a34dfa677eea4b658e09fa07ce2",
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    "srtSecret": "6a6ef7b539a4a2ace01a7fb81c377beak84132a34dfa677eea4b658e09fa07ce2",
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    "trial": false,
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    "status": "idle",
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    "maxResolution": "1080p",
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    "maxDuration": 28800,
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    "createdAt": "2025-11-21T09:06:42.496286Z",
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    "reconnectWindow": 60,
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    "enableRecording": true,
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    "enableDvrMode": false,
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    "mediaPolicy": "public",
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    "metadata": {
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      "livestream_name": "fastpix_livestream"
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    },
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    "lowLatency": false,
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    "closedCaptions": false,
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    "playbackIds": [
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      {
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        "id": "cc209362-2d2d-4ffa-85a0-6b83b205ce3b",
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        "accessPolicy": "public"
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      }
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    ],
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    "srtPlaybackResponse": {
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      "srtPlaybackStreamId": "play84132a34dfa677eea4b658e09fa07ce2",
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      "srtPlaybackSecret": "e57b18e7c799e2ab0b3fff1650573777k84132a34dfa677eea4b658e09fa07ce2"
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    }
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  },
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  "createdAt": "2025-11-21T09:06:45.698708245Z",
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  "attempts": []
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}

Customizing the reconnect window

You can modify the reconnectWindow duration to adjust how long FastPix must wait before marking a stream as ended. Setting a higher value allows more time for recovery from temporary network fluctuations, while a lower value ensures quicker termination if the connection is unlikely to be restored.

$
curl -X POST https://api.fastpix.com/v1/live/streams \
>
  --user "ACCESS_TOKEN_ID:SECRET_KEY" \
>
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
>
  -d '{
>
    "playbackSettings": {
>
      "accessPolicy": "public"
>
    },
>
    "inputMediaSettings": {
>
      "maxResolution": "1080p",
>
      "reconnectWindow": 60,
>
      "mediaPolicy": "public",
>
      "metadata": {
>
        "livestream_name": "fastpix_livestream"
>
      }
>
    }
>
  }' 

NOTE

If reconnectWindow is not specified during the API request, it defaults to 60 seconds.

The maximum allowed time for reconnectWindow is 1,800 seconds (30 minutes).