World Stream
World Stream, our cloud-based streaming service, makes Breakroom accessible to everyone—everywhere. Learn how to share access with your users.
Overview
World Stream is an innovative cloud-based solution for enterprise and educational users who might not have access to advanced graphics processing hardware. World Stream renders your Breakroom world in our cloud servers, and then streams a dynamic, interactive live video of that world to each user's device.
This offers many benefits, including:
Users don't need to download or install anything. No plugins, no standalone apps.
Users don't need to have the latest and greatest computer hardware. As long as they can run one of our supported internet browsers and have access to an internet connection, they are ready to stream.
World Stream is currently supported on Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. For the best possible experience, we recommend using Chrome. Please see this page for our current technical specifications.
Microsoft Edge usually comes bundled with Windows 10. In order to use World Stream, you must use the newer version of Edge which, like Google Chrome, is built on the Chromium engine. Prior to logging in to World Stream through Microsoft Edge, please make sure that Windows Update has been run recently and that you are using the most recent version of Edge.
World Stream service provider
AWS is our streaming service provider. Upon logging in, World Stream users will automatically be assigned to an available, low-latency AWS instance close to their physical location.
World Stream server types
Breakroom offers two types of server access—Ultra Servers and Lite Servers. Ultra Servers are recommended for high user concurrency cases, while Lite Servers are an economical choice for smaller events. You can find more details in our World Credits and pre-allocation campaign documentation.
World Credits
When users log in through your dedicated Breakroom desktop app, there are no additional access fees above the cost of their seat. World Stream access, on the other hand, must be purchased on a per user/per time basis using a digital currency known as World Credits.
You can purchase additional World Credits at any time. Unused World Credits never expire, even if your Breakroom subscription lapses.
Partial hours and World Credit consumption
Due to the way AWS structures its billing, World Stream usage is currently calculated in hourly increments (i.e., multiples of 60 minutes). This hourly calculation policy also extends to pre-allocation campaigns and user session time limits.
This means that users cannot consume partial hours while logged in to World Stream. For example, if a user logs in for 20 minutes, the cost of one hour of access (60 minutes) will be deducted from the World Credits available on the account.
Please visit our World Credits page to learn more about purchasing World Credits and managing user access to World Stream.
Launching World Stream
World Stream can be accessed just like any other site on the internet. When you purchase a Breakroom subscription, you will be provided with a dedicated World Stream URL. You can copy this URL in order to share it with your users.
When you log in to the Breakroom Dashboard, you will see a permanent site header (in the example image above, this header is dark purple). You will also see a secondary tab header on each Dashboard tab you visit.
Several of the buttons in these headers can be used to launch World Stream or access the World Stream URL. Here is a brief overview of their functionality.
| Header button | Function |
|---|---|
Add Credits | Allows you to purchase World Credits instantly from any page on the Dashboard. |
Enter Your World | Opens your dedicated World Stream URL in a new tab. |
Advanced | Allows world Owners, Administrators, and Developers to log in to Curator. |
Power icon | Logs your account out of Dashboard. |
Copy World URL | Copies your World Stream URL to your computer's clipboard. |
Download App | Directs you to the Your Apps tab (which also contains information about your World Stream URL). |
Your World Stream URL can be shared just like any other internet link. When you click on a World Stream URL, your browser may request permission to use your microphone or camera by presenting you with a small pop-up message. Here's an example of the type of pop-up you might see in Microsoft Edge:
If a pop-up like this appears, click Allow. If you accidentally click Block or close the pop-up without making a choice, see our troubleshooting documentation for assistance.
To free up system resources and ensure the best possible streaming experience, we recommend that World Stream users shut down any non-browser applications and VPNs prior to logging in.
Logging in to World Stream
Once you've opened the World Stream URL in your web browser, you will see an Account Login panel. Here you can either enter your credentials and click the Login button to connect to World Stream, or sign up for a new account if self-registration is enabled.
There will be a brief wait while your Breakroom application is installed on our cloud servers. During the login process, you may see a large circular "Play" button appear in the middle of the screen. You do not need to click this button to proceed.
Once you've successfully logged in, that's it! Basic information about using Breakroom can be found in our Getting Started documentation.
Switching World Stream user accounts
If you close the World Stream viewer and attempt to start it again a short time later, you will see an account confirmation dialog box appear during the login process. If you want to log in under the account you previously used, click Continue. If you want to log in with another user account, click Switch Account.
Important notes
Cross-platform voice capabilities
Voice capabilities are currently restricted by login method. This means that if one user is logged in via World Stream and another user is logged in via Breakroom's desktop app, they will not be able to hear each other over voice chat, even if they are standing in the same region.
Users who log in via the same method can communicate freely. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you take this into consideration when planning your events, and require all guests to use either World Stream or the desktop app.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope to provide a solution soon.
Browser auto-play
Some browsers come equipped with "auto-play policies" that automatically block websites from playing audio and video until you interact with the content. In addition to granting media permissions to World Stream, you may also need to click on the page or otherwise interact with the streaming content in order to enable audio. You will need to repeat this action if you refresh the page.
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