I recently received this question:

My church wishes to livestream our morning worship service on our website. Our webmaster does not know how to live-stream. What hardware and software do we need to do this inexpensively but professionally and how does our webmaster need to do to our website?

VIDEO STREAMING BASICS

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 (more on this below).  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/intensity/

MORE ON CAMERA CHOICES

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.

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 using a better directional microphone.

If you can overcome both problems – a short focal length AND limited audio… AND you have good wireless internet,  a phone could work.

The easiest solution is probably a cheap camera with analog video and audio out, a tripod in the sound booth and the Elgato Video Capture (http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/Video-Capture/product1.en.html).