Gear for live streaming?

[Rafael Lopes]

Guys,

The company where I work has started doing a series of classes, interviews, etc via facebook live and my boss asked me to check out some gear to make them look better. Ideally we should have a portable sound mixer to feed the laptop several wireless mics and a way to use maybe use multiple cameras. If that is not possible, then we would need a camera that would allow us to pan and zoom easily (our current webcam does neither) and that can be used with facebook live (we have some canon dslrs and a sony shoulder cam, but neither have a usb output).

[Edward Carlson]

Since you already are using a laptop, I suggest using a software switcher like OBS or Wirecast. For your camera inputs, you need a capture card. My favorite is the Magewell HDMI or SDI USB3 capture cards, available on Amazon. They show up in your system as a webcam, so you don't need any drivers.

Both OBS and Wirecast can stream to Facebook Live. You can also stream directly from the Magewell capture card without OBS, but then you don't have the benefits of camera switching or graphics insertion.

For audio, you can either run the mixer into your camera, if it has XLR inputs, or use a USB audio interface or a mixer with a built-in USB interface. Sound Devices' new MixPre series has a USB interface built in. Several Behringer boards do as well. If you already have a mixer, then a USB audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett will work with any XLR signal.

[Rafael Lopes]

Loads of useful tips! Thanks!
Any advice on less expensive capture cards that allow an hdmi conection?

[Edward Carlson]

Some people like the Elgato HD60, but I've never used it.

[Donald McPherson]

I found for two camera shoot I needed two different makes Elgato and Avermedia to stop driver conflicts.

[Chris Harding]

I use Elgato on OBS and it has no issues at all. However it will simply not work on some switchers like Livestream Studio.

Do you really need a fancy camera? I have done lots of streams with a two camera setup using a Logitech Connect camera and as a cutaway a C930 conference webcam ... they even make 4K cameras ....By using these you son't need any sort of converter as they output direct to USB. That's a really low cost setup if you already have a laptop ... webcams are cheap as chips and OBS is free!! I picked up my Logitech Connect unit off eBay for under $200 and the 920 and 930 cams can be had for under $100

[Gabe Strong]

Info/review on a cheap capture card on my blog here:
Digital cinema in the last frontier: You get what you pay for.....and other cliche's....

[Craig Seeman]

I'll second (or third?) the Magewell HDMI (or SDI) to USB3 "dongle." BTW it's driverless so there'd be no conflict on that. Sometimes multiple USB ports are on the same bus so there's potential bus bandwidth issues.

My personal camera preferences of the moment is Sony PXW-x70 but there are cheaper equivalent cameras (Sony NX100, Canon XA30 for example).

I use webcams as well (Logitech C920) but unless you're directly in front of it or using it for a static wide shot it's limited.

You can add a sound mixer and if there's any sync offset between the audio and video, Wirecast allows you to delay either.

Wirecast has great Facebook integration. You can schedule streams in advance right inside Wirecast rather than using Facebook's interface. Also there's now the ability to post Facebook comments as lower thirds using the free NewBlueFX Titler Live that comes with it. I also do a local recording (MJPEG MOV on Windows or ProRes on Mac) as a "confidence" record and if I want to do post work (editing highlights for example). If you need to grab the presenter's computer screen (PowerPoint for example) you can do that with NDI to Wirecast over LAN. If you need to bring in a remote guest you can either screen grab Skype or use Wirecast's built in Rendezvous.

[Steven Digges]

As mentioned there are numerous ways of doing this. I have two ways of thinking about building a system. The easy one is building a system to meet YOUR needs. That means something that works with YOUR gear, the cameras and audio gear you own that will be used over again every time. Sometimes that works for inexpensive limited systems. Your situation falls into the OTHER category, you're the guy building a system for your employer. I can assure you that your input needs and expectations will change with time. If you make recommendations for a cheap limited system no one will remember how much it cost when your boss or a presenter wants to use an incompatible device and you tell them it can't be done. They will look at you and say "Why not? You told us what to buy, it must be your fault?" It is quite a conundrum for you.

Using a laptop full of dongles, external cards, audio feeds, and a software switcher is a very limited system. I am not saying it is a bad system if done properly but it is not versatile.

To be versatile and more compatible with different presenters needs, camera outputs, and audio mixing we use hardware switchers for the heavy lifting and use the laptop for the streaming. Fortunately hardware switchers have come down in price dramatically and are no longer limited to broadcast quality options. Take a look at the Roland line of switchers. They have an inexpensive line with USB output designed for streaming.

Hypothetically: Lets say your boss gives you a $1,000.00 budget for this. I would tell him now it won't work and not do it until he can afford to do it properly. That's better than spending his budget then telling him it won't work. Making corporate recommendations is different than cobbling together "something that works".

Kind Regards,

Steve

[Rafael Lopes]

Guys, what if I want to use like 3 cameras via HDMI (if there´s an option to use usb too it would be great)?

[David Stoneburner]

You might want to look at the Mevo systems. Without buying a PTZ camera or mount for your DSLR, the Mevo uses 4k to be able to make multiple HD windows. You might be able to mix your current camera with a Mevo camera for maximum coverage.

[Rafael Lopes]

I´ve checked some videos and it looks like a great solution. Did you ever use it, David? What scares me a little bit is the possibility of some lag from my command on the smartphone to the actual camera movements. We would be using it on live interviews where there are like 3 people and an interviewer so it´s very important that the Mevo can keep up with the shots moving from one person to another. When one person starts talking and I frame this person in the smartphone it´s crucial that the Mevo frames this person imediatly, because if there´s a lag there´s a change that when the Mevo focus on this person another person has already started talking.

[David Stoneburner]

I've never used it personally, but I did watch some live broadcasts from NAB last year that was done with mostly Mevo cameras. Of course, they had more than one and a full team of production specialists, but it was still impressive. I don't know if I would expect it to reframe very quickly, maybe. But my thought would be that if you could mix it with an existing camera, you could have most or all your shots set for the most part. I think if you stream 1080 you can have the 4k cut into 4 different shots, maybe 3. If you stream 720 then I would think that gives you more. I know that Telview or Telestream has a similar system that they are offering to mostly K-12 schools to be able to do multi-shot streaming with a single camera. One way to cut costs, not always the best solution but a solution for some.

[Rafael Lopes]

I´m going to write the guys at Mevo, but if there´s no lag it would be an amazing solution.
https://getmevo.com/tech-specs/camera

[Craig Seeman]

Originally Posted by Rafael Lopes

Guys, what if I want to use like 3 cameras via HDMI (if there´s an option to use usb too it would be great)?

Both Edward and I answered this already. OBS or Wirecast and any number of HDMI to USB3 adaptors from Magewell, Epiphan, Inogeni, AJA and many others.

MEVO is limited in that you're taking a single 4K camera and dividing it up into 1080 or 720 frames so the cameras aren't truly independent.