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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>Streaming at EFO2020</title>
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<h1>
<img src="ef92.png" alt="" />
How to Stream at EFO 2020
</h1>
</header>
<main>
<p>
Wanting to dabble into streaming and live broadcasting? Podcast, V-Log or video essay? Or just want to have that extra punch in the company’s Zoom call or when participating in an online conversation… let’s say something like a virtual Eurofurence? Then here is a quick setup overview of the necessary or not so necessary essentials. And if you are TL:DR, we have added some video links too for your binging pleasure.
</p>
<p>
The main communication platform for Eurofurence Online will be Discord. You will be able to open individual rooms and even stream audio and video to friends. We hope this guide provides some help with a streaming setup.
</p>
<h2>Streaming setup</h2>
<p>
Basically all you need for streaming is audio, video and a stream. Easy, no? Depending on how far down the sunken cost fallacy rabbit hole you want to dive, things quickly become fairly preppy and even costly.
</p>
<p>
Whilst everyone will point out audio and video rigs (we will expand on that later) some fundamentals are often overlooked:
</p>
<ol>
<li>Recording environment. Recording from your balcony will not be the same as recording from your computer work place. Your kitchen will not sound the same as your broom closet and the light in your living room will not be the same as in your bedroom. If you want a clean broadcast, you need to minimize interference. You can even go as far as build a small controlled studio environment.</li>
<li>Stable internet. If you are prerecording, you can skip here - but most of you guys want to participate or even actively engage in a live streaming situation. Be aware you will need the necessary speed and stability on your internet to do so.</li>
</ol>
<p>
Most of our recommendations are based on existing streaming tutorials like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6ZJaKqALgM" target="_blank">‘Streaming setup on the cheap’ from LTT</a> or from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEC8q9i2fOw" target="_blank">Matt Parker</a>, if you prefer watching these as a video.
</p>
<h2>VIDEO</h2>
<p>
So, let’s get started!
</p>
<p>
If you ask around, what most viewers and casters focus on for their setup, you will get a slight bias towards camera and video. The higher the resolution and the less the compression in stream the better. If you are doing direct to camera narration (let’s say for a V-Log or an essay) the better your camera setup is, the more you will be able to do with it in stream or in post. The entry point to a semi professional setup here however is rather costly. We are talking about up setups up to and beyond 1000.– here! That doesn’t make any sense if you are just wanting to share some fun during Eurofurence Online or dash into a conference call or have a camera capture your face whilst drawing, gaming or sewing!
</p>
<h2>A good webcam for streaming</h2>
<p>
If you want to use a webcam for streaming, there are quite a substantial range of products and manufacturers. Sadly, due to the recent pandemic events, the prices for such webcams have risen considerably and the delivery times have become very long, depending on regional or international stock. We advise that you look for products which can natively output HD 1080p or 720p at either 25 or 30 frames per second or better.
</p>
<ul>
<li>one often recommended webcam for good streaming video quality is the Logitech C920S HD USB webcam or its game streaming counterpart, the Logitech C922 HD. It offers acceptable video and audio. It has become the recommended gold standard for a lot of streamers and live vloggers.</li>
<li>Unless you get a cheap deal, you can go with other brands or scaled down solutions. If you are looking for a face cam for instance, even 720p capable conferencing devices might just work fine.</li>
</ul>
<p>
The breeze here is that webcams are in most cases driverless plug and play! Most PC will natively recognize an attached camera and feed that video to your running application where you can choose it as an input device. Divers for enhanced functionality and software to extend the appearance of the feed are usually a few clicks away at the manufacturers download page. No matter if you are on a Windows, MacOS or Linux PC or Laptop, Webcams will be supported in some form!
</p>
<h2>Alternative: Using your smartphone</h2>
<p>
Most modern smartphones have a higher quality camera built in than most webcams available. Searching for ‘phone tripod’ or similar terms, you can very cheap clamps that can be mounted onto a regular tripod. There are also desk-arms but even a cheap selfmade bent metal rod can do the trick.
</p>
<ul>
<li>To stream the video to your PC, you can use an app like <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pas.webcam" target="_blank">‘IP Webcam’ for Android</a> or ‘DroidCam’ on iOS. Once started, you will have an URL where you can add /video and paste that into OBS Studio as a browser source. Screen sharing options are also widely available for most phone manufacturers.</li>
<li>Further solutions often mentioned are a native OBS Plug In or the NDI Conferencing solutions.<br />
<a href="https://obs.camera/" target="_blank">https://obs.camera/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.newtek.com/ndi/applications/" target="_blank">https://www.newtek.com/ndi/applications/</a>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
For further viewing:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72q3iX3JWhE" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72q3iX3JWhE</a>
</p>
<h2>High quality video with an existing DSLR camera or other HDMI Output Camera</h2>
<p>
If you have a passing interest in photography, you might have your solution already at hand: Many modern DSLR cameras, action-cams and video-cams have an HDMI output (sometimes mini-HDMI plug needed) and allow disabling the menus or only outputting the video stream. Due to the large sensors and different lenses, a very good picture quality can be archived, especially with a DSLR and it’s native swappable lenses.
</p>
<ul>
<li>A good HDMI to USB video capture device can cost around 100€, but there are cheaper no-name devices for as little as 20€ available. Those suffer a little bit in video quality and latency but might be sufficient for just V-Log style of content. Here again, with the pandemic outburst the usually recommended Elgato 4K USB Capture is difficult to come by.</li>
<li>Game peripheral manufacturers such as Razer and ASUS have designated capture cards for streamers, which can be tweaked to capture camera HDMI too. The nifty thing here is, that usually both video and audio are captured and individually toggled.</li>
<li>Some DSLRs offer video output via USB or even WIFI with the manufactures software (Sony compact cameras or GoPro action cameras come to mind), please consider the individual manual. In either cases, newer cameras can also have direct HDMI out which you would run into your capture device.</li>
<li>Notably, at beginning of the pandemic, Canon opened up their firmware on EOS Cameras, so they can be used as traditional webcams. The link to the firmware utility can be found here: <a href="https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/self-help-center/eos-webcam-utility/" target="_blank">https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/self-help-center/eos-webcam-utility/</a></li>
<li>Nikon also provides a similiar utility for Windows that allows you to use some Nikon cameras as webcams: <a href="https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/live-streaming-with-nikon-cameras.page</a></li>
</ul>
<p>
You also need to remember to plug your camera into power (or buy a battery-to-cable adapter) since they cannot work very long in this mode on battery. Also, bare in mind that some cameras have a heat cut-off after about half an hour. Again, this can be deactivated in the camera’s settings - refer to the manual. Others have temperature gages: GoPro’s for instance if fed an external power supply and used with an open case can easily last for hours without overheating.
</p>
<p>
For further viewing:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebptyVvDtE8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebptyVvDtE8</a>
</p>
<h2>Lighting</h2>
<p>
Lets loose a word on lighting: Even the lowest feed Webcam will produce nice results if you simpy up you lighting game: The blue talking face, lit by the monitor of your PC or Laptop usually yields in dubious results. Having a simple desk lamp indirectly lighting the wall above the monitor already adds some nice ambient light to enhance your experience. If you dabble in photography, you might already have some light box solution. Just try around and look what sticks…
</p>
<h2>Audio</h2>
<p>
One of the main concerns when streaming is good, comprehensive audio. Though it might seem marginal - most people think the video part to be the most important - Audio is the deal breaker. Especially if you are in dialog or conversation, viewers will rather turn away from your stream if the audio is bad than if the video is bad. Try to think of it as a conference call: In the conference, you will struggle with participants with sketchy sound more than the picture dropping out.
</p>
<p>
Whilst all of the video solutions usually come with inbuilt audio, audio feed can be vastly improved by designated input. The microphone of your webcam or the phone recording the room will of course pick up a lot of peripheral sounds. The closer you can physically bring the microphone to your mouth, the better and clearer the input will be. This is the reason you will see streamers and influencers sporting a huge microphone, covering their face.
</p>
<h2>Headset</h2>
<p>
A huge leap up from the webcam or phone microphone is usually a simple headset. If you are recording on a phone, the phone’s handsfree solution is the native choice. Some cable bound handsfree systems will also work natively with your tablet, laptop or even PC.
</p>
<ul>
<li>If you already have a full headset for gaming or listening to music, then that headset no matter if USB or Audio Jack will also be your introduction to crisp streaming audio.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Entry Level Microphones</h2>
<p>
If you want to give streaming a bit of a whizz, then investing in a fixed broadcaster microphone might be a solution for you. There are quite a few “starter kits” for the budding streamer and influencer around. Usually USB broadcasting microphones come with a bit of software, drivers and will be recognized by most computer or tablets.
</p>
<ul>
<li>Cheap USB microphones like the Fifine K669B, entry level mics from Samson and others are available for less than 30€ on amazon. If you are looking for a “plug and play” solution, this might be your first port of call.</li>
<li>Clip-on microphones, very useful for personal interviews, are called ‘Lavalier’. There are some cheap ones around with decent quality, they would plug in directly into your audio input on your streaming device. Giant Squid is priced at around 50$ and considered to be a good entry level microphone. Here again, Corona seems to hav dried up demand.</li>
<li>Some high-end gaming headsets also have high quality components built in. Professional eSport / Gaming Hardware will approximate a broadcasting solution, but it is not cheap! If gaming is not your focus point such an investment might not meet your future needs. Chances are, you already have such a rig, if you are into more serious aspects of gaming anyway!</li>
</ul>
<h2>Semi Pro Microphones</h2>
<p>
Higher End semi-pro USB microphones or even complete non-USB solutions are quite an investment into the tripple digits - here we meet industry brands such as RODE and Shure. If not USB based with own software, you will rely on either some kind of mixing and tweaking on board of your computer’s sound-card or even have to rely on an external sound capture device like a Scarlet audio capture. Perhaps you or a friend have access to such a rig, then of course audio wise that would be the very best solution.
</p>
<ul>
<li>Broadcaster Microphones: Depending on your sound capture solution, you can stick with high end USB broadcasting microphones or even go into the “Gold Standard” of Youtube Broadcasting with a Broadcaster, Small mixer / capture device - If you google around, you will find closed system suggestions (for instance from RODE) or even complete kits with microphone, capture device and mixing software.</li>
<li>Broadcaster Clip-on: Here again, if you want to invest in a semi-pro solution, you will find kits for direct attachment, wireless solutions or even multi microphone kits. Whilst some renown brands come with additional software, you usually will need a small mixer / capture device akin to the broadcaster Microphone solution. To date, we haven’t found a Plug and Play USB solution for lavalier mics in the higher price range.</li>
</ul>
<p>
For further viewing:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97aH5D29KbU" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97aH5D29KbU</a>
</p>
<h2>Combination Solutions</h2>
<p>
Let’s lose a word on compact combination solutions:
</p>
<p>
Here again, we can point to your smartphone as an entry level solution. With direct integration of your phone’s camera and sound to a streaming app or a recording solution, you are allready set.
</p>
<ul>
<li>Most streaming apps on phones and tablets will natively integrate camera and microphone out of the box.</li>
</ul>
<p>
A word of warning though: If you do want to capture decent quality audio and video, a fixed tripod setup is a minimum and the use of a microphone is encouraged. That is why you see so many people with handsfree phone solutions in conference calls.
</p>
<p>
For further viewing:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNEYrWH3sME" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNEYrWH3sME</a>
</p>
<p>
If you have a DSLR camera and want to use that for your video feed, then you might also want to use that audio feed. Though the inbuilt microphones are usually fairly gnarly, you can get entry level microphones which can be attached to your camera (usually via a Jack input). There are even higher priced wireless clip on solutions available.
</p>
<Ul>
<li>If you are intending to do a vloggy, essay-style stream or recording with a lot of varying shots, then you will usually end up with a DSLR with attached directional microphone and a light source attached.</li>
</ul>
<p>
This does however require your camera to be able to capture and export external audio. Usually, this solution is for essay vloggers who work with prerecorded footage. Recording would then happen on the SD card of the camera or a separate hard dive. You would need to invest in capture devices, if you want to use your V-Log DSLR for live streaming situations too.
</p>
<ul>
<li>A few compact influencer solutions are also available and come with audio, video and streaming capabilities. The most mentioned manufacturer here are the MEVO series <a href="https://mevo.com/mevo-plus/" target="_blank">https://mevo.com/mevo-plus/</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Addendum</h2>
<p>
We compiled a few more YouTube tutorials and guides that go through many of the mentioned topics which you might be interested in:
</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khcXMrBb1a0" target="_blank">50 STREAM TIPS</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WVHQwqxn7Q" target="_blank">General tips and OB Setup</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgwX7tkW_2M" target="_blank">Tips from an artist streaming on YT</a></li>
</ul>
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