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CS2: CSTV

This guide was created with the following products:

(Details may vary with products from different providers but the main concepts remain the same)

Introduction

CSTV offers the possibility to broadcast games live with a little delay. This means that outsiders who are not involved in the game can also follow what is happening on the server. This technology is also used in the well-known counter-strike tournaments so that the spectators can watch the spectacle. Furthermore, the transmissions can also be saved automatically, so that you can watch them again afterwards.

Activation

The activation of the CSTV service is done via the server.cfg configuration file. The necessary commands have to be added there:

tv_enable 1
tv_delay 90
tv_advertise_watchable 1

Configuration

The above commands are mandatory so that the CSTV master server is activated and accessible. However, there are other commands for advanced configuration below:

CommandDescription
tv_allow_camera_man "0|1"Spectators can take over as a cameraman
tv_allow_static_shots "0|1"Uses fixed-orientation cameras for shooting
tv_autorecord "0|1"Automatically records all games as CSTV demos. All games are recorded automatically, the format of the demo file is auto-YYYYYMMDD-hhmm-map.dem
tv_autoretry "0|1"Tries to connect again after a network timeout
tv_chattimelimit "seconds"Restricts viewers to write only every x seconds
tv_debug "0|1"Display of CSTV debug information
tv_delaymapchange "0|1"Delays the card change until the transfer is complete
tv_maxclients "n"Maximum number of clients on the CSTV server
tv_maxrate "n"Max. Allowed CSTV viewer bandwidth rate, 0 == unlimited
tv_msg "text"Sends a message to all viewers
tv_name "name"CSTV hostname. Defines the CSTV name as it appears in the server browser and in the status bar
tv_nochat "0|1"Activate/Deactivate the CSTV chat
tv_password "password"Protects the CSTV transmission with a password
tv_record "filename"Starts recording a CSTV demo
tv_stopStops the CSTV transmission
tv_stoprecordStops recording a CSTV demo
tv_titleDefines the name of the CSTV transmission

Establishing the connection

If the function is activated on the server, access is possible via the IP address and the CSTV port assigned to it on the server. To connect, you need the console in the game. There you can then connect with the following command:

connect SERVERIP:27020

Manual and automatic recorded demos are stored in the main directory /gxxxxx/cs2/game/csgo) of the CS: GO server. These can be downloaded via the FTP access provided. If you do not yet know how to access via FTP, you will find instructions on how to do this: Access via FTP.

With the demo playback from the game, the downloaded demo can be selected via Load and started via the Play button.