I am sure you must have come across an old English proverb “You’re only as good as the tools you use”. Going by this, no matter what the task is, having the proper tool/equipment is essential for finishing it. With development in science and technology, there are a lot of tools available, but not all of them are created equal. Thus, it is crucial to give your setup the proper equipment for the task, even if it means spending a bit more than you’d like to. However, even though those tools require a larger investment, having a setup with the appropriate equipment can have numerous positive effects on your business.
Such as
- Effective collaboration of work and task
- Enhances the quality of work
- Increases Time-efficiency
- Smooth and hassle free workflow
Things to consider before setting up
Before you leap onto your favorite streaming site early in the design phase, the equipment selection process is taken into account because it determines factors like quality, cost, and dependability that are crucial for customer satisfaction.
Various things that impact your selection process.
-Type of content you deliver
Number of gears and your setup budget depends on the type of content you deliver. For example, if you are a live vlogger, you will need a phone to broadcast through and a gimbal before you can go live. Whereas for gaming live streaming, you would need a powerful PC, videocam, microphone, and a final capture card at the very least.
-Budget
Your budget determines how much max you can spend on your setup. Not only that, the right allocation of your budget is very important to deliver quality content. Remember that live streaming equipment ranges from entry-level to professional-grade based on your needs.
Choosing the right gear
We’ll go over all the ideal selections for equipment and accessories that can raise your live streaming game in our guide to the ideal setup.
Video Camera
Without any additional hardware, you can broadcast gameplay and other screen-based activities to the internet, but you won’t be able to show your viewers anything else. You’ll need a camera of some sort if you want to serve as a host on camera. With a decent video camera, you can broadcast higher-quality content and draw more viewers to your streams. There are four types of video cameras for live streaming: Webcams, DSLRs, camcorders and action cams. Both require a video encoder to broadcast your live videos to streaming platforms along with the gameplay or screen capture.
Some of our recommended video camera:
- Webcam: Logitech c920 webcam
- DSLR and Mirrorless cameras: Panasonic Lumix GH5
- Camcorders: Canon VIXIA HF G21
Mixer or Switcher (Advance level Streamers)
Professional streamers use mixers or switchers, as they have a more complex A/V setup, with multiple cameras, mics, guests and screening devices running at the same time. With the aid of a video switcher, you can switch between several cameras while live broadcasting. They also let you switch between scenes, launch different types of media, and adjust audio levels. Using more than one camera for your live stream helps make it look more professional. It enhances the quality of your content.
Some of our recommended mixers are
- Elgato Stream Deck
- Roland Professional V-1HD
- Roland V-8HD
Microphones
A good microphone serves as a conduit for communication between streamer and audience, enabling viewer participation and immersion in the event. When purchasing a streaming microphone for streaming, there are a few things to take into account. Condenser or dynamic microphones, appropriate pickup patterns, and microphone connections are all included in this. A USB microphone will record audio more clearly. If you aren’t hearing your own speech through it, it might not matter to you, but your viewers will notice it right away. A poor microphone can quickly cause someone to switch to another stream.
You may also need a multi-mic setup, if you plan to invite guests for comments during your streams in your studio. Many professional streamers have this format where they focus on the gameplay and they have a guest who is watching and commenting, depending on this, you may need a multi-mic rig and setup and mics that filter out ambient noise as well.
Some of our recommended mics
- Shure MV7 Podcast Microphone
- Blue Yeti X
- HyperX SoloCast
Encoder
An encoder transforms your video into a digital format in order to make it suitable for streaming. The goal of video encoding is to help convert and combine your on-screen capture and webcam video and push it to the live streaming server. o create a digital copy of your video that can be sent over the internet. Digital video content can be embedded or live streamed on your website. You can share your screen, stream your gameplay, have webcams, use external audio and video equipment, and have a multi-device setup with your encoder. Some encoders are software applications that run on your computer, while others are standalone pieces of hardware.
-Software encoder
By far the most common type of encoder in use today is software encoders. Some of the most widely used software encoders are completely free. Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is an open-source video encoding software package. It allows you to configure multiple cameras, as well as add graphics, audio, and other features. Software encoders do not include any hardware of their own. They are entirely dependent on the host computer’s CPU for processing power.
Some of our recommended software encoders:
- OBS (Open Broadcaster Studio): Free
- VidBlasterX: starting at $9 per year
- Wirecast: starting at $245 per year
-Hardware encoder
Hardware encoders are independent machines that only encode. Along with a potent processing unit whose sole function is to run the encoding method, there will be an encoding algorithm there. They are reliable for delivering high quality streams, and can encode in low latency. But they lack functionality and flexibility and are a bit high priced.
Some of our recommended hardware encoders:
- URayCoder
- VidiU
- LiveShell X
Capture Card
Usually there is a debate of difference between the functionality of capture and encoder. Capture cards are pretty different from that of encoders, a capture card is a device that converts video signals from your camera into digital format so that your computer can easily recognize it. Its primary function is to receive video signals and convert them into a digital format for you to use on your PC or mobile phone. Because capture cards offer so many advantages, people invest in them. These include dual-streaming and high-quality game streaming. Dual streaming refers to simultaneously streaming on two or more platforms. The ability to play online is why individuals buy the capture cards, which are thought to be necessary.
The internal circuit board and external boxes are the two primary categories. The internal one uses a pci express slot to install, whereas the external one uses a usb port to connect.
Some of our recommended capture cards are:
- HD60 S+ ELGATO
- 4K60 S+ ELGATO
- XR1 Lite EVGA
System
A standalone computer is definitely the best option if you wish to stream material solely from other devices, like game consoles. However, you may set up a computer so that it can manage both your computer usage and streaming at the same time if you wish to stream content directly from it. It all depends on the type of content you deliver. For instance if you are live streaming gaming content you would need a pc with powerful cpu and gpu to run the game as well as manage both your computer usage and streaming at the same time. This would cost you a minimum of $ 1000- $1200 to build one. Not a lot of graphic processing power is required only to live stream. In fact, if you pick a CPU with an integrated graphics processor, you could get by just well without a graphics card. You only need enough graphic processing power to output to a monitor as long as you don’t intend to utilize this as a supplementary gaming setup.
Internet Bandwidth
Now that you are prepared to start streaming and producing exciting content, it is important to make sure that your live stream is steady and of good quality. The emphasis of internet service providers is upload download speed, which makes sense considering that you are going to live stream (i.e. uploading downloading data) from your computer servers to your live streaming server home network when you stream music or view videos online. But when you offer a live stream, you send video content to our servers, therefore it’s critical to have a fast upload speed (and not just download speed). Your whole setup is of no use if you fail to deliver a seamless experience to your audience.
Be prepared for significant bandwidth use when streaming live video. Of course, the amount of bandwidth required depends on a variety of factors, including the type of content, file size, video resolution and frame rate, and encoding.
The quality of the content affects the video file size for live broadcasting. The upload speed that we advise is:
- 2-3 Mbps for 480p (minimum 600Kbps).
- 5-6 Mps for 720p (minimum 1.75 Mbps)
- 10-12 Mbps for 1080p (minimum 3 Mbps)
One thing to keep in mind when live streaming is that because the rates tend to fluctuate, you will need to upload up to 3 or 6 or 12 megabits of data each second continuously. For this reason, it’s usually a good idea to maintain a 20–30% buffer. A buffer like this might not be required, though, if you are confident in the stability of your internet connection. Keep in mind that a reliable connection is just as crucial as an upload speed!
Right platform
Above all the equipment which we have discussed so far, now, you also need a software that would allow you to stream your services online and lets you reach the global audience.Overall, there are a wide variety of live streaming platforms to pick from, and each one offers a number of unique alternatives. Given that each platform has its own features and possibilities, but as you are aware, every user has a unique set of requirements. You can choose the best video platform for you by carefully examining the capabilities and prices of live streaming options. Selection of the right platform depends on your content, target audience and your budget.
If you are thinking of hosting your own video streaming platform Muvi is the best one can opt for. Equipped with 500+ features, Muvi is the world’s only over-the-top audio/video platform that offers an end-to-end live streaming platform catering to OTT requirements of various industries via On-Demand, Live Streaming and online store. Explore more about its features before integrating your setup.
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