Service Update Major Video System Update and Prague is Online
Article Summary
Twitch rebuilt their entire video infrastructure while serving millions of concurrent viewers. Here's how they pulled off a zero-downtime migration.
In 2013, Twitch's video team tackled explosive growth by building a unified video system to replace their fragmented infrastructure. They rolled it out gradually across mobile, consoles, and web over seven months, culminating with DreamHack Winter 2013 as their final stress test.
Key Takeaways
- New system served 15% more traffic on same hardware with better quality
- Gradual rollout strategy: mobile first in May, then web after partner testing
- Traded latency for stability: added seconds of delay to eliminate buffering
- Non-partnered streamers now get transcodes when capacity allows
- Expanded EU infrastructure with 200% Amsterdam upgrade and new Prague POP
Critical Insight
Twitch's unified video system delivered 15% more capacity and better quality by prioritizing smooth playback over low latency during initial rollout.
