Things that need to be considered for broadcasting services

In recent years, thanks to the popularization of broadband Internet connection, both domestic and mobile, there has been a great boom in streaming services via streaming. But first of all, let's know what exactly a streaming is.

1. What is a streaming really?

A webinar solutions is nothing more than the transmission of audio and/or video content via the Internet so that there is an emitter (which can be a server or a single user) and a receiver (or multiple receivers at the same time). Thus, we can find situations of almost any type. A Skype call is streaming in real time and in both directions. All participants are senders and receivers. A Youtube video is a streaming, since an emission occurs, even if it is delayed, and can be received by millions of people at the same time. And, of course, a live video (whatever the platform - YouTube, Facebook Live, Periscope, etc.-) is a streaming. And this is where we are going to focus.

2. First steps to make a live stream broadcaster

In order to perform a professional streaming (and be noticed), we need to meet a series of requirements that do not always occur and are not so obvious for the world in general.

As for preproduction, we need to analyze the content that is going to be retransmitted, be it a product presentation event, a congress or conference, a concert, a press conference or even a football match. We need to know, for example:

What Internet connection exists in the place of streaming and if it has some kind of limitation or needs a special configuration.

• What kind of plans we are going to make?

• How many speakers or participants are going to intervene?

• What is the distance between the audiovisual equipment and the centre of interest?

• Are we going to insert videos or slideshows directly into the realization?

• How long will it last the issue?

• Will there be live music or just music?

• Do we need to foresee the possibility of claims of musical rights?

• Should we deliver the raw of all the generated content, just a copy of the streaming in high quality, or nothing?

3. The camera

The camera we use (or cameras, in multi-camera performances) must be professional, with a minimum resolution of Full HD 1080p , possibility of connection to the current to not depend on batteries, with professional audio connection (via XLR), with servo-assisted zoom (or variable focal length) to be able to make different plane sizes with the same device, with a diaphragm aperture and high ISO sensitivity to be able to adapt to low light situations and with the possibility of recording a backup on a memory card.

4. The video capture

There are multiple video capture devices in the market, but the key that we have to take into account is that most admit the intake of a single camera (so if there are several cameras we will need several capturers or a video mixer), and they also need high-speed connections, such as USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt . If our computer does not have any of these connections, we can forget the streaming.