Since Elvis Presley’s Aloha from Hawaii in 1973, the first music concert broadcast globally via satellite, and The Gulf War, the first truly “live” war, live broadcast has been the Holy Grail of immediate and direct contact with audiences. Modern web technology has made streaming live video easier than ever. On Monday 17 October 2011, as an intrepid first for Flow Communications, we embarked on a campaign to broadcast the Cape Town Tourism AGM 2011 event live to the world. Here’s how:
The video camera
For the best video and audio quality you will need more than just an average consumer webcam. The key here is to find a video camera with a FireWire port (also called IEEE 1394 or i.Link). Sounds easy, right? Well, ironically, the newest consumer-grade digital video cameras no longer have a FireWire port and your best bet, without serious capital outlay, is to find a DV camera from the age of digital video tape. These are no longer in production but searching the classifieds and asking around eventually led us to our state-of-the-art-in-2003 JVC GR-D50.
The FireWire cables
Not all FireWire cables are the same. The latest model MacBook Pro has a FireWire 800 9-pin port. Many older iMacs and PC cards have the older FireWire 400 6-pin port. Now you will likely need a cable that goes from the camera (likely a FireWire 400 4-pin port to your corresponding 6/9-pin computer port). Also sound easy? Well, none of our local consumer electronics stores stocked them. HDCabling will deliver you one and Apple iStores have been known to stock them.
The tripod
With tripods, like most things, you get what you pay for. A cheap R250 ($30) tripod will work for a stationary camera but panning or reframing shots will be shaky. The heavier the better. What you choose is up to your needs and discretion.
The broadband
“All you need is upstream,” is what John Lennon would have said if he were live streaming. Do a speed test to find out if you need to start thinking of upgrading your internet. Any connection with an upstream of more than 500kb should be good enough for a modest quality feed. Find out ahead of time what internet connection you can rustle together at your venue and, with HSDPA and 4G speeds often exceeding 1mb, there are even some mobile-broadband options.
The software
You only need to search to find there are many options to choose from.
- Livestream (our chosen service) provides a robust offering. The downloadable desktop software can be a bit flaky but offers more features than your average Flash app such as screen-sharing and sound channel-mixing.
- Ustream is another strong contender that we very nearly used.
And that’s it! It seems simple but all the pieces don’t come together easily. If all this seems too much, well, you can always hire us. Happy streaming.