How To Start Streaming?

So, you’ve decided to start live video streaming, or you at least started to do your research? As you’ve probably already discovered, choosing equipment can be challenging and time consuming. The Streaming Store can help you review products you are interested in, or compare recommended solutions other customers selected. We make is simple to browse, compare, select and purchase equipment. Products are grouped by categories, or manufacture name. On the product page find short and long description, list of features, brochures, manuals, and detail specification list. In addition, we post 3rd party video review that show the Pro’s and Con’s of the product. The Streaming Store ships merchandise to over 180 countries. But before you go any further, let’s first talk about education. An educated customer makes the right decisions, doesn't return items they bought because they don’t fit their needs, and keep coming back as a loyal customer. Therefore, we love educated customers!

There are 3 levels of streaming customers: novice, intermediate, and advance. At the Streaming Store we cater to them all. Here are few tips that will help the novice/intermediate customer select the right gear for their next project:

1. Draw a Workflow: before you buy new gear, put on paper your objectives. We always recommend beginners to use the step by step approach. No need to go spend LOT of money if you don’t need that much equipment. You may have already cameras, but don’t have a mixer, and an encoder. Make a list of what you are trying to achieve, what equipment you have, and what is your budget.

2. Decide if you want to use an “internal”, “external”, or “turnkey” capture/mix/stream gear. Internal gear tends to be cheaper and it includes capture cards and mixing/streaming software. This requires a good and powerful Windows/Mac computer, and knowledge of assembling and operating this kind of solution. An external solution is less committed, and will include standalone components that can normally be operated by pushing few buttons. This is a recommended solution for government or educational institutions, or house of worship that rely on multi-tasked employees or random volunteers to produce content and transmit their streams. Turnkey streaming solutions are more expensive but offer headache free portable style suitcase or rack-mounted solution that includes all the necessary capture/mix/record/stream options in 1 box. Turnkey solutions such as ACME GO, Switchblade, or Wirecast Gear are recommended if you have the budget, and are looking for a fast and efficient deployment.

3. Match your workflow with the suitable number of cameras. 2 or more Blackmagic cameras will give you few points of view. For simple “Presenter + Power Point” style presentation you will only need 1 camera. If you have dedicated camera operators get a camera with tripod. If you plan to have a “one man show”, you will need PTZ Optics cameras remotely controlled by the same operator that will be mixing the signal and monitor the streaming/recording process. Important note: estimate the distance of the camera(s) from the mixer or capture device. HDMI cables are limited to 24 feet. SDI cables can run few hundred feet without signal booster. The type of cable (HDMI/SDI) will also determine the type of camera you will choose.

4. Select a mixer depends on the number of sources your workflow requires. Software mixing such as Telestream Wirecast (Windows/mac) or vMix (Windows only) offer a desktop solution to capture and mix multiple sources. Roland and Blackmagic have excellent external A/V mixers.

5. Select a monitor to see incoming signals, and final program output. Use an in-house LCD with HDMI input, or buy iKan, or Blackmagic SmartView rack mounted monitors.

6. Select a streaming encoder. Internal computer based solutions include free software tools from Livestream, Ustream, YouTube and others. These software encoders install on a computer and if they can see your input signal, they will send out to a streaming provider one single program feed. If you are looking to mix before you stream pick vMix or Wirecast (paid software). Among the most popular external encoders we recommend are the Teradek Vidiu or Cube, Matrox Monarch, Osprey Talon, and Aja’s Helo. These palm size portable encoders provide up to 1080p H.264 output at a reasonable price. Some support proxy recording to a local SD card, or to a connected LAN.

7. Select a high-end recording drive: if you are looking to record high quality video (MOV or MP4, or ProRes quality) the Blackmagic Video Assist or HyperDeck.

What about accessories? As you grow your production base and add more video outputs and staff that participates in your project, you may want to look at video routers from Roland and Blackmagic, at point to point wireless video from Teradek, Hollyland, and Paralinx, and at wired or wireless comm systems from Eartec. The sky is the limit, but that is a topic for another blog post.

Complicated you say? Now that you’ve seen what it will take to put all this together, do you feel lost and need help? Take advantage of our free consultation by contacting a Streaming Store Sales Representative for assistance or call Monday-Friday 9 - 5 PM ET +1 (416) 761-8130 ext. 1.