Archiving to Become an Opt-in Feature
tldr; Archiving changing to opt-in feature (opted out by default) for new broadcasters; all older broadcasters who have created highlights since 2012 are automatically opted in.
As we continue to grow, we face a variety of challenges in terms of cost and scale. As we are first and foremost a live video service, we’ve regularly deleted past broadcasts that are not “saved forever” or highlighted to control storage resources and costs. As the number of broadcasters has grown, so has the space and costs of archiving VODs. You may not know this but Twitch and Justin.tv combine to ingest and save as much as or more video each day than any other video site. At the current rate at which we are storing broadcasts, we can’t even order storage fast enough to keep up with demand.
Starting Wednesday, September 18, recording of broadcasts will be an opt-in feature with a default state of “Do not record my broadcasts.”
We think the best way to allay your concerns is to approach this from a user’s point of view, so here’s an FAQ:
Who is NOT affected?
Partners and any non-Partner broadcasters who have made a highlight since January 1, 2012, will be opted-in by default. Thus, your broadcasts will continue to be recorded and saved for approximately 4–7 days (if not saved forever or highlighted). You can disable the recording option at any time.
For all non-Partner broadcasters who have not made a highlight since January 1, 2012, this feature will be disabled by default, meaning your broadcasts will NOT be recorded.
What about Past Broadcasts that I have Saved Forever?
We’re not deleting any previously saved Past Broadcasts or Highlights.
I’m not a partner, and I’ve never made a highlight. How do I continue to save my archives? (Where does this feature live?)
Go to http://www.twitch.tv/settings/videos and check the Automatically archive my broadcasts checkbox under Archive Broadcasts.
What does “VOD” mean?
VOD = video on demand. This term refers to both past broadcasts and highlights, thus any video that can be played and paused at your convenience.
What best practices does Twitch recommend?
Make highlights. The best content is content you or your editors curate.
If you don’t make highlights,
Leave this option disabled.
Be thoughtful with what videos you save forever.
What if all I can watch are VODs because I’m not able to watch my favorite broadcasters when they are live?
We suggest reaching out to your favorite broadcasters and asking them to opt-in to archiving and to make highlights!
How much storage do VODs currently use?
3.3 Petabytes = 3,300 Terabytes = 3,000,000 Gigabytes