Requirements
Video broadcasting requires the following:
1) A computer with a video capture card compatible with windows
media or QuickTime servers.
2) A streaming encoder, either windows media encoder, of QuickTime
broadcaster. Both are Free.
3) A broadband connection that will reliably support 300kbps
upload
4) A video production team.
In terms of a computer with a video capture card. We can support
both PC and Apple computers. Video encoding is an
intensive task, and you will want to use a good desktop or rack
mount computer. Any G5 or P4 PC or better should
be ok for the stream.
If you think you already have the computer ready, send us an
email (earthdance@streamguys.com)
with its specifications and we can verify it should be ok to use.
The capture cards we like to use are Osprey. Though if you have
another model card that has been used in the past for windows
media or QuickTime encoding, that should work.
Basically, you want to use the cheapest one that supports the
video and audio connections your video equipment will output.
Here's a link to Osprey models:
http://www.viewcast.com/pages.asp?page=osprey
At the main event site we will be using an osprey 230 http://www.viewcast.com/pages.asp?page=osprey-230
Not ALL cards will work, and if you already have
a capture card, you’re going to need to test it to see if
it’s compatible with the streaming encoder.
The video production team will actually be producing the video
for streaming. In Laytonville there is a professional video team
hired to capture the entire event for DVD production. We piggyback
this signal from the production trailer and stream the main signal
onto the internet.
It would be great if your site also has a team producing
the video. It’s best to contact this team early to coordinate
a signal from them. If you will be producing the video, then make
sure to output the video somehow into the capture card.
Usually you would use the video cameras > into a video mixer
> output to the video capture card.
StreamGuys will help verify your requirements are met before
beginning testing.
Testing
As early as possible before the event testing should be done
to verify you’re ready
Equipment. Take any source feed and run it into your
encoder. Contact StreamGuys with your platform, PC or Mac, and
if your doing Audio or Video broadcasting.
They will provide a test channel to stream to, as well as provide
a link for installing the encoder.
Before you start the test broadcast, collect some information
about your internet connection.
Verify the Speed, by going to http://myspeed.streamguys.com/myspeed/
(make sure the trailing / is on the url!)
Record the upload and download speed of your connection. You
will be limited to broadcasting below the full speed of your upload.
It’s important you know your upload speed before
you start the broadcast.
A Few Days before the Event
What you should ask for from the event site:
Preferably you need a dedicated internet connection on site that
will ONLY be used for the broadcast. This ideally should not be
shared with ANY other computer.
If you can’t get a dedicated line, pray that other users
on the shared network won’t be surfing the web and hogging
resources during the broadcast. Ask that everyone be offline during
the broadcasting.
You also need cooperation from the production team
on site. For video get you’ll need to work with the local
production company to get the audio feeds and video situation
with the production.
We encourage you to contact the production company far in advance
of the event, to arrange for cooperation in broadcasting the event.
Testing will need to be done on site a few days before the event.
The quality of your broadcast is totally dependant on the quality
of your internet connection.
As early as possible, get access to the internet connection on
site. Run the speed test from any computer connected to the internet
connection.
http://myspeed.streamguys.com/myspeed/
(make sure the trailing / is on the url!)
You should already have configured your encoder to
stream to the streaming servers from off site. Establish a connection
and send a test feed for a long period of time.
Tune in off site, and have people check the quality of the signal.
On The Day of the Event
With adequate testing, and preproduction you should be ready
to flip the switch. Hopefully, by this time you’re quite
comfortable with your equipment, and you have a nice clean signal
going into your encoder.
Earthdance will coordinate the links and web page for the streams
on site. By this time you will have already confirmed the broadcast
and your stream will go live on the site as soon as the event
starts.
Please send an email to the event coordinators, letting them
know your up and running, and leave a point of contact to be reached
at in case of an emergency.
Contacts
Kiriki (StreamGuys) will be coordinating all broadcasters for the
event, please contact him to set up as a broadcaster after speaking
with Abigail Lewis at Earthdance and being approved as a broadcaster.
Earthdance
Abigail Lewis
al@earthdance.org
1-541-488-5473
StreamGuys
Tech Support 707 667 9479 x3 option 1
Email: earthdance@streamguys.com
General Inquiries (Non Technical)
Jonathan Speaker
Email: jspeaker@streamguys.com
Kiriki Delany
President/CTO
kiriki@streamguys.com
1.707.667.9479 x251
1.707.633.1714 fax
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