Tech for the Local Church
How to Stream Your Church Service: Lights, Camera, Live Action!
You might be tempted to think that offering video of your church service “LIVE as it happens” is way beyond your technical ability … but, if you thought that, you’d be wrong! You can do this. Since there are so many ways to do this and some people really get bogged down with all the choices, I am gonna lay down some ground rules:
- BE OS-NEUTRAL. Are you a Mac or PC? The people watching the video don’t care!
- SIMPLICITY IS KEY. No unnecessary complexity allowed.
- NO HD FOR YOU! Streaming true “HD” is not realistic. SD video will still look good and reach your audience.
- PHONES MATTER. iPhones and iPads matter now. Live with it. Choose wisely now and avoid headache later.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- A video camera which connects reliably to your computer via FireWire or even analog (with this)
- A nice tripod
- An audio feed from from your soundboard
- A decent computer with an internet connection
- Software that allows you to broadcast your video
VIDEO CAMERA
While almost any video camera will work, it is appropriate in a church setting to keep your video camera at the back of the room near the soundboard. This will keep the techies together, distractions to a minimum and provide easy access to the audio you will need from the soundboard. Since you will be a good distance from the stage, you will need to consider the focal length of the camera and the amount of zoom available. Disregard any reference to digital zoom. Optical zoom is the only relevant data. 10x to 12x zoom should do nicely in most situations. The best value video camera is a moving target, but prices are falling and any Wal*mart, Target, or Best Buy will have plenty from which to choose.
TRIPOD
Since you will be zoomed in at near maximum zoom, you will be at a maximum shaky-cam factor, too. USE A TRIPOD. Here is a great tripod with one of the best fluid heads out there for $260.
AUDIO
Bad audio will render an otherwise perfect video useless. If you use the on-camera mic, the quality will suffer dramatically. Talk to your “sound guy” and ask him to help you send an audio feed from the sound board to the mic input on the video camera. You will also need to use the headphone OUT plug to send audio to the computer to accompany your stream. TEST, TEST, TEST! The audio is passing through several electronic “hands” here, so test and monitor the audio of your streaming video. Again, bad audio will ruin all of your work and cause people to tune out and turn off.
TO HD OR NOT TO HD
True HD, or High Definition, video cameras capture video at a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. This is the gold standard of resolution now, so you might as well buy a camera that has this resolution if possible. Video at that size is really too large to stream. It would take a very fast internet connection and require everyone watching it to have a fast connection as well. All HD cameras pushing 1080i require an HDMI cable to move the massive amount of data, but your average computer won’t have an HMDI plug to receive that 1080i signal. Yes, there are ways of doing it, but they require big iron. File sizes will be LARGE, too. 40GB files are not unusual, so storage will immediately be an issue. If you want to record the service, edit it, and post the video on vimeo.com or youtube.com, then you may want to go with HD at a lower resolution of 1280×720 for file size alone. 720p video requires a slightly smaller pipe for the data and can use component video cables, which some capture cards do support. But if you are looking for the path of least resistance, keep reading.SD (Standard Definition) lowers the technical bar on all fronts. SD is video captured at a much more reasonable 640×480. If you still want an “HD Look”, many cameras allow you to record in 640×360, which is a 16:9 aspect ration to mimic the shape of a theater screen. Other resolutions you might see are 360×270 and 320×180. Interestingly, these lower resolutions can really look pretty good in a streaming setting and are nicely suited for watching on a smaller screen like an iPhone.
CAPTURING YOUR VIDEO TO YOUR COMPUTER
For the sake of SIMPLICITY (remember our goals from the beginning), I am going to drive you down the SD road and recommend one tremendous piece of hardware to get your video into your computer. Let me pause for a moment and remember the work of those faithful techies that went before us: sacrificing time, upgrades, trip to Radio Shack and technical support calls — all to shoe-horn their WMV, MOV or AVI video into their ministry workstation. What I am saying here, people, is this USED TO BE HARD. And it still might be, if you don’t take my advice here: USE A CAMERA WITH FIREWIRE. Cameras that support Firewire are a dying breed, and it will mean you are locked into SD video, but trust me, your life will be easier. You will also be positioned nicely to take advantage of some very nice (free) software. If you don’t have firewire on your computer, you can try one of the capture devices like the Elgato Video Capture — great for capturing any analog video, but some have issues with video through USB for live streaming.
STREAMING SOFTWARE
The LIVE STREAMING SPACE is becoming more and more crowded these days. Many use a browser plugin, like FLash, to shuttle video to their web server and broadcast it from there. There are even apps for your phone that do the same thing, but these solutions are VERY limited. The FLASH plug-ins for your browser work most of the time, but can be buggy and result in poor picture quality.
USTREAM and LIVESTREAM now offer offer INSTALLED SOFTWARE: Ustream Producer and LiveStream ProCaster. These solutions offer stability, better picture quality and even support video streaming for the iPhone and iPad. Both suport MAC or PC. You can sign up for a free account THAT WILL SHOW AUTOMATIC ADVERTISEMENTS (be alert — relevance can vary) in your stream, or you can pay to have those removed. You can point your viewers to a personalized page on the provider’s website or embed video on your webpage.
IT’S A WRAP
Yes, you can turn on your cell phone or laptop, download Qik or USTREAM and be streaming video in minutes with no investment at all. And yes, you might have the the equipment laying around to just plug in and make this work tomorrow. But these are volunteers, and time is precious. A simplified workflow is important. This is the Gospel Message, and you want to think it through and do the best job possible to deliver a consistent, quality signal to your audience. And … CUT! That’s a wrap.
Please use the comment section to ask questions, share insight, and solve the problems involved in getting your video stream live.
Brook Drumm
vaultmultimedia.com
portablesermons.com
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How to Encode Video for Mobile Phones
about 1 year ago - Comments Off
If you are a video geek and need a little push in the right direction to make your video as compatible as possible for mobile devices, try the settings below. To simplify: this means a file that ends with .MP4 OR .M4V. Both files are H.264 files with slightly different wrappers. MOST COMPATIBLE VIDEO FORMAT FOR…
Comments are closed.
about 1 year ago
I want to broadcast our school's high school football games live stream over the internet. Since we travel to small school stadiums I have been using a 3g card but sometime get dropped during the broadcast.
My cell phone however gets good state wide reception and I want to broadcast using a cell phone.
I researched and found a Conex F-J Four Channel Cell Phone Mixer that will let me out put to a cell phone. My question is what equipment do I need to get that cell phone call and encode it if necessary and live stream it to the internet. I realize that I will need some one to "man" the call and up load the stream to the internet.
Al
about 1 year ago
Al, thanks so much for the reply! Here are a few ideas… of course, the simplest way would be to stand on the sidelines with your iPhone (or Android) and run a streaming app like Qik, Justin.tv, or Ustream Broadcast… it would be a self-contained TV studio. But you would have to ask the teams to stand very still, and keep close, and speak into the mic. Realistically, the frame rate is so bad on phones due to lack of processor speed, that it would be a waste of time. Having no REAL zoom lens would be rough too.
PLAN B
Get a tripod, a firewire camera, a shotgun mic (very focused audio from long distances), a laptop and a cellphone or wireless hotspot device to connect to the internet. Run it all as if you were sitting at home, but send it up to the web via cell phone. Don't forget the extension cord! Also, consider recording the event on your camera so when — that's right, WHEN you drop a signal, you will still have a copy you could post later for anyone who misses any action.
We would love to post your results, so come back and let us know what you ended up using! We would love to post a link or highlight a video clip of REAL-WORLD results! Good Luck and God Bless!
about 1 year ago
Al– Great idea and great question. Thanks for sharing your efforts with us. We'll be back soon with some specific ideas. Meanwhile, the House o'Vault says, "Go Team!" –Tim "Eddie" Stark, Ministry Vault Managing Editor
about 1 year ago
You can also have a managed IP HD video service do the live streaming for you. A really good one we've used is http://www.HDRelay.com The image is really clear: http://www.hdrelay.com/for-business/getting-start…
They offer audio support as well.
about 1 year ago
We are using a handicam but I think a more professional camera from e bay would be more appropriate in quality when mounted on a stationary tripod..
about 1 year ago
This may be a little off topic… I don't think an expensive camera is necessary for streaming because the size and quality of the video is so low on a stream.
There are 2 issues with the cheaper cameras – and even phones, or flip cams…. 1) the focal length tends to be quite low and 2) the audio input. Let me explain.
A short focal length means you can't zoom in from waaaay back in the auditorium to a point that the pastor is sufficiently close up in the shot. In a shallow auditorium, its no problem, but if the tripod is set up too far away, you won't be able to zoom in enough to allow people to see the preacher up close. You could move the tripod up closer to the subject, but that gets into the second issue.
Sound input is a problem, because you need to run an audio cable from the sound board to the camera if you want to capture video and AUDIO. For cheaper cameras, you may need to move the camera closer and then have to run a long audio cable. We like to record the video (and audio) on the camera as a back up AS WE STREAM to the computer / ustream. If you don't stream, you won't need to run the cables back to the computer to feed to ustream – this may simplify your option to move the camera closer.
One final note on phones. I have yet to hear of a church either recording or streaming their service from a phone. That said, it could work. They are small enough to put very close to the pulpit and (perhaps) not be a distraction. iPhones and Android phone could theoretically stream right from the phone, but the audio quality is the issue. I haven't tested using the mic input to take advantage of a mix from the sound board, or a better directional microphone. If you can overcome both problems – a short focal length AND limited audio, this could work. You would also need WiFi, of course.
-bd
about 1 year ago
Question…are the inexpensive cameras like the Flip or Sony Bloggie able to handle this type of job?
about 1 year ago
flips and most of those style like the kodak zi8 will not stream live, they record and then you have to connect USB to computer to get the file off and then transfer to wherever. I have been having to use my iPhone4 to stream to Ustream but am trying to find a higher quality option. I use iRig for the sound input to my phone so the sound is not bad…
about 1 year ago
Cool- I would love to see the quality. Do you have a link?- bd
about 1 year ago
We are are attempting to broad cast to to ustream from our church at http://flagspringschurch.org. However the vocal single sounds are sounding OK but the music is fluctuating up and down. We have not been able to figure that out yet. Sound going to our 10 year old console to a new lap top and to the camera. On ustream and at our web site the music is annoying.
about 1 year ago
The signal from the worship service is so much stronger than the signal coming from a person talking that you will have to periodically adjust the volume going to the computer / out to ustream. We use a direct box between the sound board and the video camera's mic input to drop the signal 20db. That took care of the problem we had with a signal that was too hot, or over-driving. Then we learned to simply adjust the volume to accommodate the different signal strengths (spoken word vs. worship band). This fixed it for us. Your milage may vary.
about 1 year ago
My church wishes to livestream our morning worship service on our website. Our webmaster does not know how to livestream. What hardware and software do we need to do this inexpensively but professionally and how does our webmaster need to do to our website?
about 1 year ago
ustream.tv is FREE, but will display ads.
watershed.ustream.tv is the PAID version w/o ads.
Watershed gives you a BROADCAST embed code (a copy/paste affair) that you can put on a protected page on your website that handles routing the video from an attached camera to the streaming service. They also provide a VIEWER embed code that you put on a public facing page on your website. When you broadcast a video, the public can view the video from your website.
The USTREAM service has more options – a web interface, mobile phone apps, and a downloadable app for your computer. These handle moving the video from a camera to Ustream. The video is broadcast on a page that they create for you, or you can embed some code on a page on your website.
http://www.ustream.tv/get-started http://www.ustream.tv/producer http://www.ustream.tv/everywhere#all
The choice of an external camera is complicated. Many video cameras used to have firewire, some have USB 2.0, and now HDMI is most common. The obvious point here is that you need to be able to connect your camera to your computer and see the live video. IF you can do this, the USTREAM software should be able to capture the stream with the FLASH video tools it uses to send the video up to their servers. My best advice is to first try what you have. If you want to buy, research before you buy!!
I have used a variety of types of cameras and connections. I'm a MAC, so we decided on a Mac Pro and the Blackmagic Intensity Pro to capture HDMI and stream it via Watershed. They do have USB 3.0 solutions for the PC too. http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensi…
about 1 year ago
Wow…..awesome article and helpful comments !! I'm doing alot of research tonight on this subject…..truly awesome post ! I have also run across another streaming service dedicated to Churches which is http://www.mychurchlive.tv They offer a custom live webcasting site and unlimited use with no limits on number of viewers, quality, no ads, and unlimited archive storage for $99/mth just in case any of your readers are looking for options. Thanks again for so much technical knowledge….I am dizzy trying to absorb it all….keep up the good work !
about 12 months ago
Thanks a lot for reading! Let us know if there are questions I could answer to help the community crack this nut.
-Brook
about 10 months ago
We ran into the same problem at a local church and solved it by running the pan and tilt on an old PC with Windows. The issue was the software used to control the pan and tilt. We verified that you can use Windows in an emulator (Sun has a free one called VirtualBox, but you still need a copy of Windows), but a better solution might be to keep it simple. Our camera was quite expensive, so we had reason to make it work. If you have very little invested, return it or sell it and get another camera. If the camera does export video through an analog cable, you could get a eyeTV usb stick that allows you to accept video coming into the mac. Again, there are work-arounds, but I advise keeping it as simple as possible – a camera that works natively with mac and a guy behind a tripod.
regards,
Brook
about 10 months ago
Hi guys,
What camara would work for a PC that has zoom, pan, and tilt? I haven't found one that isn't an ip camara. I've tested with the internal webcam and it works, although grainy. Jan, what camara did you use? Thanks for this article Brook! To God be the Glory!
about 3 months ago
Hello,
I am currently trying to get information on streaming live video for our church services. We have everything except for the software that allows us to stream the video, however, we were recently on Streamingfaith.com. What do we need to stream effectively and without error from our facility? We have two cameras that are equipped to broadcast on television, but do we need a server if so what kind? Do we need high speed internet connection? Where can we find the most cost effective software and what is the best software to buy? Is it necessary to do analog conection with Windows software and do we need any specific adapters etc…? Thank you
about 2 months ago
Our church is wanting to stream live video, from what I have read it takes 40-50 mbp to stream. Our local servers only offer up to 24mbp. What can we do?