Owning an end zone camera system like Hi Rise Camera, Hi Pod, or Sport Scope provides you with the opportunity to record games for later analysis. It also provides the possibility of live streaming games and other events. Live streaming games is not difficult to do. You simply need a few pieces of equipment and a little know how. If you have thought about live streaming games, but you are unsure how to go about it, here’s an explanation of the items you will need to stream live footage from your video camera tower.
A Good Quality Camera
It goes without saying that will need a camera to live stream end zone video footage. And, the better the quality of the camera, the better the images you will get. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a special camera, though. An HD camera, like the Sony CX405 video camera that is supplied as standard with the Hi Rise Camera Sky 200 GC end zone camera system, is more than capable of streaming crystal-clear live images.
An External Microphone
Most modern HD cameras will have a built-in microphone. Whether you are shooting video from a video camera tower or from ground level, you will get far better audio quality with an external microphone. As with the camera itself, it’s best not to go for the cheapest external microphone that you can find. Two reasonably-priced, good-quality external microphones are the Micro Boya BY-M1 and the Micro Audio-Technica AT2020.
A Video Encoder
A video encoder merges your sound and video and then converts it into a digital format for transmission. There are two types of video encoders available, physical encoders and encoding software. A physical encoder is a box that you connect to your camera and your microphone. It converts the images and sound into a digital signal that can be live streamed. Encoding software uses a computer as the hardware to encode the images and sound for streaming. Encoding software is cheaper than physical encoders. The drawbacks of using encoding software are that you need a resilient, powerful computer. Plus, you must have that computer with you when you are videoing games.
A Reliable Internet Connection
You will need a good internet connection to live stream game footage. The connection will need to be consistent and it will need to have adequate bandwidth to support HD video. This is likely to be your weakest link when live streaming game video. Especially if you want to stream away games.
Live Streaming Software
Finally, for a professional finish, you will need some software to help you produce great looking live video. Live streaming software, such as Wirecast, VMix and UStream Producer, contain the tools to turn a PC into a live TV production studio. With live streaming software, you can switch between camera angles, add graphics and titles, run replays, and much more.
Live streaming games can be a big bonus for most levels of teams. It can engage more local support, and, in schools, it can foster team support within the school. Schools and colleges can also use the equipment needed for live streaming sports for educational purposes. Live streaming is just one more way that you can benefit from an investment in video technology like an end zone camera system. When you have a video camera tower and the live streaming items mentioned above, you can stream professional looking footage of all kinds of events directly to the internet.
