I often get questions about using DSLR cameras for live streaming and I always recommend against it.
Why? Because live video is very different than production video.
If you compare a football game and film set, you will notice that they use very different tools. This has to with the different work flow of each situation.
In a live environment, there are no retakes. Each service happens in a finite time slot. Having the right camera helps you get the best results in real time. Things like zoom and auto focus are important tools to help you get a fast result in live situations.
In live video, camera positions are not always ideal. In a production environment, you aren’t dealing with a congregation and so you can put cameras exactly where you want them. In a live service, you probably aren’t going to put your in the middle of the center aisle. A camera with a good optical zoom lens can help you get the shots you need.
In a live environment, lighting can be less than ideal. Unlike a production video, where you can set up three point lighting and control everything, most auditoriums are not a lit for video. Cameras that work well in low lighting will help you shoot better video. Cameras that are built for the studio need lots of light because they are designed for a well lit studio environment.
So what do I recommend?
Good quality video cameras or PTZ cameras. They have solid autofocus, smooth zoom controls, good low light performance if you pick the right ones.
But what about that one big church, whose livestream looks amazing? If you had a media budget that size and professional broadcast gear your stream might look that good. But they aren’t using DSLRs.
The FCC’s Part 15 and Drive In Church – Is it Legal?
There is a buzz going around right now about Drive-In Church and using FM transmitters to broadcast the service to all the car radios. But before you go and buy a bunch of gear, there are a couple things you should know.
It is legal to transmit in both the FM and AM band.
You may not interfere with licensed broadcast stations.
Violations by individuals or institutions can result in fines by the FCC.
So what is Part 15 and what does it say about unlicensed use of the AM/FM spectrum? Part 15 includes FCC’s regulations for unlicensed use of the AM/FM broadcast channels. According to a Public Notice released by the FCC on July 24, 1991; “There are two basic types of low power broadcast operation permitted – licensed and unlicensed. The following tables describe the basic criteria for both. It is important to note that the forms of broadcast operation listed on these tables are the only ones permitted. Operation of an AM or FM radio station at a power level greater than that permitted for unlicensed operation and less than the minimum required for licensed operation is NOT permitted.”
The FCC’s chart indicates the following:
For AM Unlicensed broadcasting the maximum power is 0.05 watts.
For FM Unlicensed broadcasting the maximum power is 0.01 microwatts.
So what does this mean?
Practically speaking, consumer level FM transmitters are available. But in many areas, the FM spectrum is packed full of stations. Even if you find an empty frequency, you’ll most likely have some sporadic signal or bleed from adjacent stations to overcome, which reduces the effectiveness of your transmitter.
Even if you live in a place where you have a nice clean, open FM channel, 0.01 microwatts doesn’t cover a large area. 200 ft is an ideal situation.
Many transmitters found on Amazon and other sites are not FCC compliant or require licensing to use legally.
FCC compliant AM transmitters are easier to find but the audio quality can be lower.
Let me suggest another idea. You could use a powerful WiFi access point and a low latency audio encoder like the Listen LW-100P-02. This can accommodate many users via a downloadable smart phone app and be rolled into your assistive hearing system when you are done with it. However, I strongly recommend a good IT and audio professional to set the system up properly.
So yes, this can be done legally. Can it be done effectively? That will depend upon the team you pick to set it up and the quality of available AM or FM channels available in your area.
P.S.
In talking to some broadcast engineers, they recommend the AM transmitter over the FM. They also mentioned that the higher frequency you pick, the better signal you will get with the limited antenna the FCC requires.
Below are links for equipment mentioned in this article as well as other resources you may find helpful.
100,000 views. Three years ago, I made a YouTube video to help Pastor Navi Bola (in Fiji) set up the PA system that we had supplied his church by faith. I didn’t think much of it, until I looked at it one day and it had 25,000 views. Then it hit me, I can help church sound techs all over the world by creating how-to videos online. Ever since, I have been trying to create helpful content for church techs who are often volunteered without any prior experience or training. I’ve come a long way since I made this video. In the meantime, it recently hit 100,000 views and with that I feel a renewed burden to keep creating new content. Thanks for listening, watching and learning. I’m humbled by you using my content to learn, grow and help others hear the message of Jesus Christ
Have you ever had one of those Sundays where a guest’s slide show or video just didn’t work right?
Let’s say you have a guest speaker who comes in ten minutes before the service starts and hands you a slide show. You take it off to the media booth for the tech team. Then, when it’s time for the presentation, everything goes wrong…
Let’s rewind and ask a couple of questions.
Do you have the necessary software to run his presentation? Can you import his presentation into your software to display it properly? If he has a video file, is it a codec (video file type) that your software can run? Does the presentation have audio? Will the speaker advance his own slides or is the presentation timed? If he uses his computer, what kind of video connections does it have? Is your system compatible with his video connections? Does he want to use his laptop on the platform? If so does his laptop need audio connected at the platform?
It often surprises me how unprepared churches are for this even though this speaker has been on the calendar for months. Instead, we give the tech team 10-15 minutes to hopefully figure out how to make it work. Worse, often they don’t have the right tools to make this work properly. We’ve set them up for failure and it’s frustrating for everyone involved.
So what can we do?
1. Communicate. Include your tech team in an email with the visiting speaker about their presentation needs. Maybe they can even make suggestions ahead of time about what can be done to make sure the presentation works. 2. Plan ahead. See if you can get a copy of the presentation ahead of time and test it to make sure everything works. That way you’re not scrambling right before the service. 3. Evaluate your video system. Maybe it’s time to invest in a better computer, updated equipment or better software to make things easy to use.
Guest presentations are not rare events, so let’s be ready. Instead of being a frustrating part of your Sunday, they won’t be a big deal at all. It just takes a little planning and the right equipment.
