If you have ever filmed a live game with BallerCam, you know the livestream is a thing of magic for viewers at home. But what's just as important is something that happens after the final whistle: HD Upload. This feature takes the high-resolution video recorded on your device and sends it to the cloud so that every viewer, from parents in the stands to coaches reviewing game film, can watch in full HD quality, among other benefits.
In this post, we will break down exactly how HD Upload works, share tips for a smooth upload experience, and preview some exciting improvements coming soon.
WHAT IS HD UPLOAD?
When you film a game with BallerCam, the app actually captures two video streams simultaneously:
- A full wide-angle (fisheye) stream recorded in 4K at 12 Mbps. This is the raw footage used to produce the final HD version.
- A cropped stream that powers instant replay and the scoreboard overlay during the live broadcast.
The livestream your viewers see is optimized for real-time delivery, which means it is lower resolution to keep things smooth over varying network conditions. HD Upload is the process that sends the full-quality fisheye recording to our servers, where it gets processed into a polished, high-definition version of the game.
Once uploaded and processed, that HD video replaces the original livestream recording, giving everyone a dramatically better viewing experience.
HOW THE UPLOAD PROCESS WORKS
After your game ends, here is what happens step by step:
- Tap Upload: On the game detail screen, you will see an option to start the HD upload. You can upload a single game or use Bulk Upload to queue up multiple games at once.
- On-device preparation: The app recorded your game in 60-second chunks to protect against data loss. Before uploading, these chunks are prepared for transfer.
- Upload to the cloud: The video is sent to our servers via a secure, chunked upload process. You will see a progress bar with an estimated time remaining so you always know where things stand.
- Server-side processing: Once the upload is complete, our servers process the raw footage into the final HD video. This step takes some time (more on that below).
- HD ready: When processing is complete, you receive a notification and the HD version is available for playback.
TIPS FOR A SMOOTH HD UPLOAD
Uploading large video files takes time and bandwidth. Here are some best practices:
- Keep the app open during the upload. While the upload continues in the background, keeping the app in the foreground ensures the most reliable transfer.
- Use Wi-Fi whenever possible. A 2-hour game can produce over 10 GB of raw video. Uploading over cellular data is possible but slow and expensive.
- Upload overnight. If you have filmed a long tournament day with multiple games, start your uploads before bed and let them run while you sleep.
- Free up device storage. The app needs available disk space to prepare files for upload. If your device is running low, you may see a storage alert. Clearing old photos, apps, or completed uploads helps.
BULK UPLOAD: MANAGING MULTIPLE GAMES
Tournament days often mean filming back-to-back games. That is where Bulk Upload comes in. From your team home screen, you will see a banner showing how many videos are ready to upload. Tap it to open the Bulk Upload screen, where you can:
- See all eligible games with their file sizes
- Select which games to add to the upload queue
- Monitor progress as each game uploads one at a time
The queue processes games sequentially so your device is not overwhelmed, and progress is saved automatically. Even if you close and reopen the app, your queue picks up right where it left off.
FASTER UPLOADS AND CLEARER TIMELINES
We have been listening to your feedback, and one of the most common requests is simple: make uploads faster. We are excited to share some improvements finally here.
STREAMLINED UPLOAD PIPELINE
Previously, the app would merge all of those 60-second video chunks (referenced earlier) so that the filming device could playback the HD cropped video immediately. As part of that process, we were also uploading a concatenated cropped file, which requires significant free disk space (6 GB or more for long games).
With this latest update, we are changing it so that it doesn't upload the concatenated cropped file, only the chunks. After the upload is complete, we delete the concatenated file. This means:
- Faster time to start uploading: No more waiting for a lengthy merge process before the upload even begins.
- Less disk space required: Without the need to create a single merged file, your device does not need as much free storage.
- More resilient uploads: If an upload is interrupted, only the remaining chunks need to be sent, not the entire file from scratch.
The trade-off is that our servers now handle the merging and processing, which takes a bit of time on the back end.
CLEARER COMMUNICATION ON HD AVAILABILITY
With the server doing more of the heavy lifting, there is a window of about 2 to 3 hours between when your upload completes and when the HD video is ready to watch. We want to make sure you always know exactly what is happening, so we are updating messaging throughout the app:
- During processing: The game detail screen will now show: "We are processing the HD version of this game. This may take up to 2-3 hours. We will notify you when it is ready."
- After upload completes: Instead of saying HD is available immediately, you will see messages like: "{Team A} vs {Team B} HD upload complete. Your HD version will be available within 2-3 hours."
- Notifications: Push notifications and texts will only be sent once the HD video is actually ready to watch, not when the upload finishes. No more clicking a notification only to find the video is still processing.
These changes are designed to eliminate confusion and set clear expectations so you are never left wondering where your HD video is.
NIGHT MODE FOR A LESS DEMANDING UPLOAD
HD Upload Night Mode is a simple, opt-in feature designed to make long uploads less taxing on your device. When enabled, the app temporarily dims your screen during HD uploads, reducing battery drain and minimizing screen wear while the app remains open in the foreground. Once the upload is complete, the screen returns to your original brightness after a short delay, so the experience feels smooth rather than abrupt.
The feature is available across both single-game and bulk upload flows, with a toggle control directly on the upload screen. While active, a subtle overlay confirms that Night Mode is on and gives you the option to exit at any time. The goal is straightforward: give users more control during longer uploads without interrupting the process.
Under the hood, Night Mode activates only when two conditions are met: the user has turned it on, and an upload is actively in progress. The app briefly captures your current brightness level, lowers it to a near-minimum setting, and then restores it after uploads finish, using a short delay to avoid flickering between consecutive uploads. Safeguards are in place to ensure brightness is always restored properly, even if the screen changes or the app state updates mid-process.
One area still in progress is analytics. Night Mode usage is not yet tied to upload performance metrics, which means there is not yet a clear view into how it impacts completion rates or failures. That instrumentation is planned as part of ongoing HD upload experience improvements.
WHY HD UPLOAD MATTERS FOR YOUR TEAM
Game film in HD is not just about a prettier picture. Coaches reviewing plays can see footwork, hand positioning, and spacing that gets lost in a lower-resolution stream. Parents sharing game links with family get a viewing experience they can be proud of. And for athletes building recruiting reels, HD footage makes a meaningful difference in how college coaches perceive their ability.
Every game you upload in HD is an investment in your team's highlight library, one that pays off season after season. Get ready for an enhanced viewing experience