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General discussion

Advice for setting up live video feed

Dec 10, 2010 10:36AM PST

I work for a non profit and have been assigned the job of putting together a system to live feed our conferences and meetings to our website for viewing by the public.

I need advice from start to finish, what type camera, how to set up the feed, how to put it onto our website.

Willing to read up and learn, or grateful for any first hand advice as well.
Thanks a bunch
Benny

Discussion is locked

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(NT) Did you look at ustream?
Dec 10, 2010 10:48AM PST
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camera types?
Dec 11, 2010 5:32AM PST

I would like information on this too. Ustream usually assumes you'll be using a webcam, but for more professional setups, there's precious little information out there on how to shop for a camera that does this.

Do all camcorders with usb/firewire connectors allow you to stream? Is it just a matter of connecting your camera to your computer with a firewire/usb cable, and it will work as a video feed? Ideally, you can also record to the camera's internal storage for a higher quality archive.

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I'll start with...
Dec 11, 2010 8:38AM PST

I have not used ustream... but I do know that camcorders using firewire can stream rather easily - assuming the camcorder's DV port (not USB) is connected to the computer's firewire port (not USB) with a firewire cable (not USB). Firewire, DV, i.LINK and IEEE1394 are all the same thing - and it is not USB and not interchangeable with USB. And USB-to-firewire cable/connector/adapter things won't work.

That said, USB streaming (connecting the camcorder's USB port to the computer's USB port) is occasionally possible - assuming the USB driver and the camcorder are used with the specific computer operating system for which they were designed or the camcorder manufacturer maintains a current USB driver for the camcorder. Most people have upgraded their operating system to a newer version and the manufacturers have not continued supporting the driver that allows USB streaming (with either new or older camcorders).

Based of your use of "usb/firewire connectors" I just want to be sure it is understood that they are different communications protocols that are not plug and play compatible.

Most commonly, miniDV tape camcorders use firewire. USB is used only for transferring still images off a memory card.

Flash memory and hard disc drive based camcorders use USB...

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usb not firewire
Dec 11, 2010 9:30AM PST

Thanks - I just got back from two video stores, and they all have hdmi and usb, and none of them had firewire. Is it really impossible to stream with modern-day camcorders that use usb? I'm guessing it is usb 2.0 - these were hd camcorders.

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Flash memory and hard disc drive consumer cams
Dec 11, 2010 1:33PM PST

have USB and HDMI.

MiniDV tape camcorders (whether consumer, prosumer or professional) has DV/IEEE1394/i.LINK/firewire. Examples start with the Sony HDR-HC9 and Canon HV40... there are lots more - but they are all more expensive. If high definition is not needed, the Canon ZR960 is out there.

ALL camcorders have analog AV output.

From your description, you want a "portable television studio". Those studio cameras do not record locally. The cameras are connected to a video switcher, the video switcher connects to the "network broadcast"... Audio is handled separately. Sometimes with mics mounted to the camera - more commonly the audio source has its own audio connection (mic'd or otherwise).

At the low end, analog video surveillance cameras feeding the video switch;
At the medium area, IP addressable video surveillance cameras into a web server (like the ActiveWebCam application);
At the high end, there are various studio cameras (either staffed with a camera person or remote controlled) that feed a video switch.

The problem I have seen with camcorders put into this studio camera role is they have a tendency to go to sleep after a while.

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The information out there is "too much"
Dec 11, 2010 8:46AM PST
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Interesting reading - though slightly confusing.
Dec 11, 2010 1:15PM PST
http://www.pysoft.com/ActiveWebCamMainpage.htm
"Works with all USB and Parallel Port cameras, Windows compatible Capture Devices and Framegrabbers, TV-boards, and with Network IP Cameras." Is it just me or does it assume the USB streaming on the camcorder is already working? If the assumption is the USB streaming driver already working is the case, then this won't help much with most camcorders since the USB drivers are not being maintained and the functionality is not available. A properly functioning web cam would work.

http://www.orangeware.com/endusers/webcamdv.html
"Pass both audio and video thru the FireWire cable to your favorite webcam application."
No mention of USB streaming.

http://www.trackercam.com/TCamWeb/dvdriver.htm
"Interface: available "FireWire" port on computer and on camcorder."
No mention of USB streaming.

Did I misinterpret something?

Another possibility is to use a capture card or "analog/digital converter". Roxio, Hauppauge, Pinnacle (Dazzle) and the like. Plug the camcorder's AV cable into the camcorder and the A/D converter (or capture card), then plug the A/D converter into the computer's USB port (the capture card would be installed, so no USB connection required). This will only be standard definition video.

I guess a video card from Black Magic using a HDMI connection would do high definition video - then the homework will revolve around whether the LAN and WAN have the throughput to support the high definition video (and audio) bandwidth requirements.
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I missed the big thing.
Dec 11, 2010 1:27PM PST

I didn't know you were going HiDef. That moves us out of the normal SD solutions.

And the prices I've seen often has folk abandon the project.
Bob