Multicamera Livestreaming Setup
Below are all the items I have personally used and installed at over 250 ministries to help them have a multi-camera livestreaming and video distribution setup.
Please note, I only recommend products I have personally used. With that said, I am aware of other options that are available but again, I only recommend items I personally have used.
CAMERAS
Manually operated cameras can be used but I personally like PTZs since most media ministries have a lack of personal and for each manual camera an additional team member is needed as well as communication devices to coordinate movement with the video director.
Here are a few suggestions for PTZs that range in features and price but any of these will be a great option for your multicamera setup.
20X (No Features)
AI Tracking
NDI
4K
4K AI Tracking
Static Cameras
CAMERA JOYSTICK
A joystick or controller, is one of the best ways to centralize the control of your multicamera setup. There are multiple options to choose from but I recommend getting a joystick that can control your cameras over the network similar to multiple computers being able to see a wireless printer.
These joysticks can control up to 255 cameras and some include multiple direct access buttons, multifunction buttons or a basic simple interface without anything fancy and just function.
As long as the joystick supports the matching protocol for controlling the camera, the joystick and camera *DO NOT* need to be from the same vendor.
VIDEO SWITCHER
There are tons of options for your video switcher but I personally use and install the video switchers from BlackMagicDesign. They offer multiple inputs, features and options that not a lot of switchers do. However, I have included multiple video switcher options that I have personally used and have installed for churches wanting a multicamera setup.
POE Switch
Your POE (power over ethernet) switch will provide network access/internet access and send power to your device. Please be mindful that there are different categories of POE power.
PoE (IEEE 802.3af) supports 15.4 Watts per port
PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) supports 30 Watts per port
PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt (Type 3)) supports 60 Watts per port
PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt (Type 4)) supports 100 Watts per port
When picking your POE switch, make sure it can handle the power requirements for each device it will be powering.
Video Cables
You will need some type of cable to connect your camera’s video output to your video switcher. Each cable has strengths and weaknesses. SDI cable is a broadcast standard. It is rugged and can carry a signal for up to 300ft/91.44m before it needs a booster for the signal. The only issue with SDI cables is that traditional TVs do not have an SDI connection so each display without an SDI connector will require a converter. These converters range from $50-$395 EACH!
Traditional HDMI cables only carry a signal for 20ft/6m. There are amplified HDMI cables that can cover father distances but they are bulky and costly. However, HDMI fiber optic cables are light, thin, and can go up to 300ft/91.44m as well reliably.
There are Ethernet extenders but they typically only support up to 150ft/45m.
There is also HDBaseT which uses a different protocol for transmitting data and uses a CAT6 ethernet cable. These adapters can broadcast up to 500ft.
Last but not least, you have pure fiber optic cable. These cables can cover great distances without needing a boost of signal. Typically we are talking about 29 miles or 46 kilometers.
SSD (Solid State Drive)
A few of the recommended video switchers support direct recording onto a hard drive. Not any typical hard drive but a solid state drive or SSD. These are non-mechanical drives that provide very fast performance, which is needed when recording large data video files.
Video Distribution Splitter
Unless you are sending a video signal to only one display, you will need to add some type of video splitter. This can be HDMI or SDI. Your splitter will be labeled with a number, then an X, and then another number. So a 1X4 splitter means there is 1 input and 4 outputs. A 4X4 means that this is a matrix and supports multiple inputs and outputs.
We are not focusing on a matrix in this setup.
When selecting your splitter, go for a larger output than is currently needed. This gives you room to grow and you only need another cable and converter to send a signal to your new display.
