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Vlady Gerasimov · February 13th, 2011, 11:33 AM

I'm sorry if this question has already been discussed somewhere in this forum, but I spent two days trying to find some directions and I can't find anything. So, this is my question:

I need to connect two or three cameras (video only, no audio) to something (computer or video mixer?), live edit and project real time what they are recording on a huge screen in front of an audience. How do I do that? What kind of equipment do I need and is it doable by non-professionalists?

Thank you very much in advance!

Don Bloom · February 13th, 2011, 11:41 AM

you need some sort of video switcher/mixer, monitors to see what the cameras see and cabling to go from the camers to the switcher. Depending on the distance of the cameras to the switcher you might be able to use composite, firewire, HDMI or component depending of course what type of output connections the cameras have.
Generally for multicam shoots I've used cameras that have triax capability but it can be done with other connections.

Is it something non professionals can do? Yeah it can be but it can be tricky in the sense that you need to have the right gear available. IE the right cables for the camera to the switcher/cameras for the distance the cable will be laid out.

Vlady Gerasimov · February 13th, 2011, 11:48 AM

What kind of mixer do I need? I think we can figure out the cabling, but what do I connect the cameras to?

Paul R Johnson · February 13th, 2011, 12:23 PM

For lower end work, then a Panasonic MX-50 has always been popular, as are the ones in the Edirol range. I myself use a For-a.

The thing when looking for them, especially if you use ebay is that the ones above have frame stores, so cameras do not have to be synced together. Beware the Excellent grass valleys and SOny and JVCs which often appear on ebay - they're great products, even if a little old - BUT they require all your camera sources to be time together - and most common consumer based ones cannot.

If you have a mixer/switcher with frame stores, then it really is as simple as a single cable from each camera! Fiddle with it in the mixer and hang your monitors and projectors from the outputs.

Don Bloom · February 13th, 2011, 02:50 PM

Vlady, Paul brought up some great points.

As for hooking the cameras up, say the cameras have a composite (RCA) out which most every camera has. Simply run the RCA cable from the RCA out of the camera to the RCA IN on the mixer. So if you're running 3 cameras you'll have 3 RCA cables running into the mixer. One from each camera. Remember you'll need to hook up some sort of monitor to the mixer for each camera so you can see what the cameras are seeing, they're called preview monitors and can also be had from EBay. Sometimes you'll find a bank of 3 5inch BW monitors (BW is fine for preview) hook one monitor to the out for each camera so you can preview and then you'll need a monitor for live view or On-Line view so you can see what's on the screen but right in front of you. So the mixer, 4 monitors, some cables a bit of common sense when hooking it up and practice practice practice with it before the actual job. I've done a lot of IMAG at seminars over the years and there is nothing worse than waiting while the "director" calls the shot, hit's the button on the switcher and hit's the wrong one. OOOPPS! Actually there is one thing worse. Having a black screen when it's supposed to be on camera #XXXXXX.

Look at Ebay and search video switchers and see what you come up with. I think you'll find everything you need right there.

February 13th, 2011, 11:33 AM	#1
Vlady Gerasimov New Boot Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria Posts: 20	Live Feed - How Do I Do It?! I'm sorry if this question has already been discussed somewhere in this forum, but I spent two days trying to find some directions and I can't find anything. So, this is my question: I need to connect two or three cameras (video only, no audio) to something (computer or video mixer?), live edit and project real time what they are recording on a huge screen in front of an audience. How do I do that? What kind of equipment do I need and is it doable by non-professionalists? Thank you very much in advance!

February 13th, 2011, 11:41 AM	#2
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	you need some sort of video switcher/mixer, monitors to see what the cameras see and cabling to go from the camers to the switcher. Depending on the distance of the cameras to the switcher you might be able to use composite, firewire, HDMI or component depending of course what type of output connections the cameras have. Generally for multicam shoots I've used cameras that have triax capability but it can be done with other connections. Is it something non professionals can do? Yeah it can be but it can be tricky in the sense that you need to have the right gear available. IE the right cables for the camera to the switcher/cameras for the distance the cable will be laid out. __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

February 13th, 2011, 02:50 PM	#5
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Vlady, Paul brought up some great points. As for hooking the cameras up, say the cameras have a composite (RCA) out which most every camera has. Simply run the RCA cable from the RCA out of the camera to the RCA IN on the mixer. So if you're running 3 cameras you'll have 3 RCA cables running into the mixer. One from each camera. Remember you'll need to hook up some sort of monitor to the mixer for each camera so you can see what the cameras are seeing, they're called preview monitors and can also be had from EBay. Sometimes you'll find a bank of 3 5inch BW monitors (BW is fine for preview) hook one monitor to the out for each camera so you can preview and then you'll need a monitor for live view or On-Line view so you can see what's on the screen but right in front of you. So the mixer, 4 monitors, some cables a bit of common sense when hooking it up and practice practice practice with it before the actual job. I've done a lot of IMAG at seminars over the years and there is nothing worse than waiting while the "director" calls the shot, hit's the button on the switcher and hit's the wrong one. OOOPPS! Actually there is one thing worse. Having a black screen when it's supposed to be on camera #XXXXXX. Look at Ebay and search video switchers and see what you come up with. I think you'll find everything you need right there. __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

February 13th, 2011, 11:48 AM	#3
Vlady Gerasimov New Boot Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria Posts: 20	What kind of mixer do I need? I think we can figure out the cabling, but what do I connect the cameras to?

February 13th, 2011, 12:23 PM	#4
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,045	For lower end work, then a Panasonic MX-50 has always been popular, as are the ones in the Edirol range. I myself use a For-a. The thing when looking for them, especially if you use ebay is that the ones above have frame stores, so cameras do not have to be synced together. Beware the Excellent grass valleys and SOny and JVCs which often appear on ebay - they're great products, even if a little old - BUT they require all your camera sources to be time together - and most common consumer based ones cannot. If you have a mixer/switcher with frame stores, then it really is as simple as a single cable from each camera! Fiddle with it in the mixer and hang your monitors and projectors from the outputs.