The Basics of streaming question / getting started

[Jeff Krepner]

Hi Gang, I didn't think the x70 Live Stream would be something that I would need but I have little side project this weekend and it might be kind of cool to try, so -- Firmware 2.0 installed today and now I'm pulling my hair out at the basics of what I need to stream.

X70 connected to network - check
Streaming, hit thumbnail to start streaming - check (not sure I have port or Destination correct)

So, um... now what? I'm not sure I have the destination IP address correct for the streaming host--I entered the Mac with U-Stream installed and it didn't error. I had some delusion that I cold just use a laptop on the same network with U-Stream to Youtube or Google OnAir thingy but nothing seems to see the X70. The router shows the X70's MAC address so it seems to be on the network.

The Sony manual and site aren't very clear, and I'm not sure what Google search terms to look for and the X70 is new so nothing clear pops up. I've tried U-Stream the Telestream... I'm kind of a noob with IP broadcasting.

This is a low priority thing, but could use some help getting started. I feel like I'm missing some "x-ing moment".

Thanks in advance,
-Jeff

[Paul Anderegg]

Took me a while to get streaming working, with a dedicated Teradek receiver with simply a URL and port number. You WILL loose ability to push any under LCD hatch buttons (not exposure control triple buttons), that was a problem for me. I also couldn't find a 60p record format that would allow anything greater than 360p streaming.

But to your specific problem, I don't have a clue as to how to stream to streaming companies. I do believe they require various other data entered, such as a password. YouTube streaming might be fun, I played with that on my cars dashcam once, about a 1-2 minute delay, but it worked.

Paul

[Jeff Krepner]

Thanks for the info Paul, perhaps I'll look into a Teradek receiver for future events (at least paid events).

-jeff

[Paul Anderegg]

The other thing that is nice about the X70 streaming, is that it DOESN'T require a WiFi with security enabled. My X180 REQUIRES you run WiFi security, it will not accept a blank security field. WiFi security can severely effect data thouroput, which it turn can screw with your stream integrity. Worth turning off if you have problems, at least to check if it helps.

Paul

[Paul Anderegg]

Thought you would like to see this Jeff. My $25,000 TVU 8200 live backpack had an SDI problem, so I had to switch to my X70's BUILT IN streaming function to get a live breaking news story on the air. Used my phone for the internet connection, and the camera was spitting out 640x360, the highest resolution the X70 will allow when shooting 1080/720p60.

Was quite refreshing to ditch the 25kg backpack and cord for direct out of camera live streaming. :-)

Car hits woman walking across busy street in Mission Bay - YouTube

Woman dies after being hit by car in Mission Bay - 10News.com KGTV ABC10 San Diego

[Peter Wright]

I've wondered if that were possible - looks pretty damn good Paul.
Was your voice live too?
What mic-ing arrangements?
Is streaming via phone complicated?

No further questions! For now.

[Paul Anderegg]

That was live voice via cell (mobile) phone. The TVU backpacks are set for a 5 second delay, so it makes tossing and Q&A impossible if not for immediate phone voice.

Streaming by phone with WiFi is the same as through a router. Just select the SSID of the HotSpot and your off. The great thing about the X70 is that it doesn't REQUIRE secure WiFi, which my X180 does. Secure WiFi can cut data rate and mess with bit latency, so it's not really something you want to send a live stream through.

I have not yet figured out how to get a 720p stream out of the camera. I shoot 720p60, so you would think 720 would allow 720 streaming, but alas, no.

Paul

[Philipp Gassmann]

I found out more about the basics of streaming. I opened a separate Thread:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-pxw...be-ffmpeg.html

[Dave Dyar]

Originally Posted by Paul Anderegg

Streaming by phone with WiFi is the same as through a router. Just select the SSID of the HotSpot and your off.
Paul

Paul,
I'm trying to set up a stream from the x70 to UStream or Youtube/live through my iPhone's cell connection. This seems similar to what you described, but when I get to the set up process that calls for Host Name and Port, I'm stumped.

UStream provides a "RTMP URL" and a "Stream Key" to send the stream to, but I'm not sure if these are the same thing, The "Host Name" box on the camera won't accept a slash so that leads me to the conclusion that it is not the same.

Can you describe what happens on your back in when you use this set up to stream to your station? Thanks for your help.

[Paul Anderegg]

For my stations Teradek receiver, I enter the blahblahblah.10news.com and a single port number. It is an MPEG-TS system, not sure if YouTube or the other "services" are compatible.

Paul

[Craig Seeman]

the X70 sends MPEG2-TS using UDP. That would need to be converted to RTMP for live streaming to most CDNs. Actually x70 encode for its streaming is the same as its proxy encoding so it's probably H.264 wrapped in an MPEG2-TS.

I've tried to get Teradek's StreamReader Plugin (in Wirecast in my case) to see it so Wirecast can transcode to x264 in RTMP but the pluginin won't see it. I believe it wants to see RTSP using UDP. A hardware Teradek receiver apparently can see it though as Paul notes.

You can stream the x70 to VLC though.

[Dave Dyar]

I stumbled across this website that has a blurb about Sony Action Cams which use an iPhone's (or any smartphone with WiFi I think) cell transmitter to broadcast to UStream. Sony apparently has teamed up with UStream to make this work on the Ustream network.

An Action Cam web site explains how it works:

Understanding Live Streaming Video Options for Action Cams: GoPro, Sony and HTC | DC Rainmaker

And here is the help page for how to configure the Action Cam settings from Sony desktop software to broadcast to UStream.

Help Guide | SONY

It doesn't say specifically that it supports the X70 but the action cam Wifi and the X70 Wifi seem very similar. I'll try to see if it I can make it work on the X70. The desktop software appears to write the UStream settings to the action cam via the USB connection to a desktop. That probably won't work on the X70. But I guess it is worth investigating. At the least, Sony should be able to configure this to work with the X70, I would think.

The article indicates they had poor quality in their test due to low cellular speeds, but I'm really encouraged by Paul's example of what is possible depending on the speed of the cellular connection.

The UStream Broadcaster app, however, does a great job sending live streams from the phone's camera for broadcast on UStream, even at low speeds. And Facetime does a good job with average celluar speeds

I've got a Teradek Cube, but it requires a laptop modem to send video over the cellular network.

Has anyone had any experience with Sony Action cams live broadcasts?

----------------
Update. I tried making a connection to the software but it did not recognize the camera. When looking at the UStream site, it seems to indicate that the action cams do a conversion of the video stream that make it compatible with UStream.

[Carl Mills]

I own 2x X70's and loved the addition of streaming, as my business offers live streaming of events.

I did find the inbuilt wifi is pretty weak, it took some wifi engineering to create a suitable network where the cameras could stream within a 200m area.

Alternatively you can use the ethernet adapter (pro tip, instead of giving Sony more of your hard earned cash, buy a Wii Ethernet Adapter from Ebay for $5-10 bucks, it's the same chipset and works fine + OTG adapter.

[Jeff Krepner]

Paul, Carl, Others -- thanks.

Lots of great info in this thread. The Wii adapter is a cool trick!

-Jeff