Maximizing Media through Live Streaming

Maximizing Media through Live Streaming

Have you ever wished you could be at a special event, but were unable to attend? Maybe the event was too far away or perhaps you were sick. Whatever the case, you were probably sad that you were unable to attend. Thanks to technology and the internet, we now have the capability to stream services and special events around the world! In this post, we will be looking at the components necessary to stream these special events. These three components are hardware, software, and time.

Hardware

Prior to actually setting up our equipment, we need to make sure that we have the necessary hardware. I am not going to go into the greatest detail on most of these items because there are many variables that affect the choice on each item. Here is a list of the five most essential elements:

• Video camera
• Cable (tailored specifically to the camera)
• Converter
• Computer/laptop with sufficient capabilities
• Internet connection

Now that we have seen the basics, I will illustrate the process by explaining what I use to stream. First, I use a Sony DCR-SX40. Next, the cable that I use came with the camera, but it basically plugs into the camera and then provides an output via RCA cables. From here, I then use a USB converter to input this video feed directly into my laptop. There are many expensive versions available, but I purchased a device called an EasyCAP (picture on right) to process the video. One way to bypass some of these elements would be to use a USB video camera that provides an easy input directly to the computer without using the extra cable and converter. Let me pause here for a moment and say that it is essential that a relatively fast computer is necessary for doing the streaming. On my laptop, the problem that has caused me the most trouble is not the processor speed but the hard drive speed. But, to get back to the topic, we now have the video feed on the computer. Our final piece of hardware is the internet connection. This final stage is absolutely essential for streaming via the internet. And, the higher the internet speed, the better the quality of the video that we can stream. We will next look at the software available to actually do the streaming…

Software

Now that we have all of the necessary components, we now have to decide what software that we will use to do the streaming. There are many options available, so we will just look at a few. Also, it is important to note that most of the options can be rather expensive to use. But, seeing that many of them have both paid and free options, we will begin by looking at Ustream and Livestream. Both of these have paid and free options, but Ustream provides a much easier to use web-based panel for streaming the video. One major drawback that Ustream has on its free edition is that it has ads go every fifteen minutes or so. On the other hand, Livestream never uses ads. At the same time, Livestream does not allow the user to specifically choose when to begin and end recording but records the entire broadcast. In summary, both of these services are great options that should be tested when setting up to stream an event. But, you don’t have to limit your choices to just Ustream or Livestream because there are many other options from which to choose.

Experiments

The final and most important stage in preparing to stream an event is when we take the time to experiment. This stage is extremely vital in order that we can provide a quality broadcast to those watching the event. When we take the time to make sure that we have the necessary equipment and software and ensure that it all works together, we are enhancing the end-user experience. While there may still be glitches in the end product, we have to do our part by taking the necessary time to experiment. In order to experiment, we need to have all of our equipment ready and in position prior to the event. And what I mean by prior to the event is to try it out the day before the event, not an hour before! But, we not only need the equipment, but we also need to set up an account on the streaming service (i.e. Ustream, Livestream) prior to the experiment session. Once both the hardware and software are ready, we should do a test run so that we can know for sure that everything will run well. And by this, I mean having somebody watch the live stream and give feedback on the quality and ease of use.

Conclusion

Now, with the technology available to us, we have the capability to provide high definition video to those who would otherwise be unable to attend our next service or special event. We should make every effort to provide this opportunity because the need is great. I am sure that there are many who are saddened when they are unable to attend. Remember when you could not attend a special event, they have the same sad thoughts. Let’s gather our gear and start streaming!