Stream Setup from Basic to Pro
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Getting Started
It is difficult to get a “one size fits all” streaming package for everyone so I would like to breakdown the setup and help you to improve each part that contributes to having a live stream. If you would like a personalised recommendation you are welcome to contact Aron at ITsupport@shofaronline.org
To get started with streaming or recording your sermons you will need either
- a phone or a laptop and
- a stable internet connection.
Most cellphones and laptops have the hardware and software needed to start a stream or record video. From there you work towards improving the quality of your audio and video.
I would recommend spending time in training or educating yourself or someone on your media team about streaming and basic video setup as that will help you and your team improve the video quality of your sermons.
Level 1 – Audio
Sound is the most important. Bad image with clear sound is always better than a clear image with bad sound. I would recommend the Trust GXT 232 Mantis Streaming Microphone for your laptop to improve audio quality.
You can also use your churches sound or PA setup to your advantage. Using your sound desk/mixer to manage the audio processing will help you improve the sound without extra help from your laptop or streaming device. You are able to connect mixers that have a USB connection to your laptop and get the audio source from your desk to your stream.
Another way of getting external audio to your laptop or computer is via an audio interface. Audio interfaces serve the vital function of passing audio from the outside world into your computer and back again. This is only necessary if you don’t have the means to connect an external microphone/audio to your laptop.
Level 2 – Camera/Video setup
You can start your streaming career with nothing more than a basic webcam. It is important to note that great lighting = better image quality. Make sure that you have enough light on you and less to no light shining in the background. If you don’t have any lighting equipment, you can make use of natural light.
If you would like to improve your video quality you can make use of an external camera i.e Camcorder, DSLR, Mirrorless or Broadcast camera. Please note that you will need a video capture card like the Corsair Elgato Cam Link 4K or Blackmagic Design DeckLink Mini Recorder (for PC only) to pick up an external video source.
Level 3 – Multicamera setup
If you want to start adding additional camera/video sources to show a view of the crowd/audience or a different angle of the speaker then multicamera is the next step for you. There are many features that come with a vision mixer that gives your stream a production level advantage.
There are 2 ways in which you can add an additional camera.
- Using a video capture card that has more than one input like the Blackmagic Design DeckLink Quad HDMI Recorder Capture Card
- Or a video switcher or vision mixer
The first option you will need the processing power of your PC or Laptop in order to control and encode the camera inputs using software like OBS: Open Broadcaster Software®️ or vMix: Live Video Streaming Software. It is important to note that your encoding quality will depend on the power of your PC/Laptop. This is essential since your PC/Laptop will need all the processing power it can get to process the video coming in as well as going out to your stream. So a minimum requirement for running a smooth stream to Youtube, Facebook, etc. through your PC will need to be the following:
4GB External Graphics Card or higher
4-core CPU or higher
8GB DDR4-2400 RAM or higher
512TB SSD storage or higher
If you already have a PC/Laptop that has these specifications but is being used for Easy Worship or other software I would suggest building another PC that would be used separately or get yourself a vision mixer.
A video switcher or vision mixer with a built-in encoder is hardware that controls and encodes the same way the software does except it does not need a PC or Laptop for processing power. You can think of it as a PC or Laptop made only for streaming or recording videos. The vision mixer will help you switch between multiple-camera feeds as well as generate special effects or multi-layered on-screen video presentations.
As for churches starting out with streaming I highly recommend the ATEM mini or ATEM mini Pro. Both devices are capable of handling 4 HDMI (video) input sources, 2 AUX (audio) inputs as well as an HDMI output source for Monitoring your live feed(s). The difference between these 2 devices is that the ATEM mini Pro has a built-in encoder which converts your video source to a streamable and recordable feed. This means you can stream directly to the internet without needing any processing power from your laptop or PC as well as Record the feed via the USB-C connection directly to a Hard Drive.
Conclusion
As you begin your journey of live video production you will find that less is more. You don’t have to buy the most expensive gear in order to get the most out of the quality you are aiming for. On the one hand, it does help if you have good gear but if you don’t know how to maintain a small apartment how do you expect to maintain a 5 bedroom house?
So just get started and work your way up from there with whatever you already have and can afford to buy. As long as you have good quality sound and people can see you. The rest will fall in place.
You are welcome to contact Aron at ITsupport@shofaronline.org for personal recommendations or advice for your set. Hope this encourages you to develop your live production skills!
Resource:
Youtube – Video Chatting With a $100,000 Streaming Setup!
Orms – Orms Direct
OBS – OBS: Open Broadcaster Software®️
vMix – vMix: Live Video Streaming Software
