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View Full Version : Looking to Enhance My Live Stream



NickSPNT
06-05-2012, 08:26 PM
Right now during my broadcasts, I am the only person on camera despite having two co-hosts in two different cities. I'd like to use Google+ Hangouts on Air to allow them a chance for some camera time and I also think it will help to enhance the video broadcast.

We currently just use Skype for audio purposes which works flawlessly. Is there a CHEAP way to bring in video from Skype to stream live? I do not have the budget for something like Vidblaster or Wirecast.

I was understanding that with Google+ Hangouts, whoever talks the camera automatically switches to that person. In doing some testing with my co-hosts, its not switching at all in fact the camera shot stays right on me.

Anyway, now that I've rambled on - what are some cost effective ways to incorporate video from users who are not in the studio with you.

Any help/feedback is appreciated.

Thanks all, happy broadcasting!

Amnon
06-06-2012, 04:46 AM
You can give xSplit a try (xsplit.com). "Google+ OnAir" could be another cheap way to do it.

Donovan
06-06-2012, 05:11 AM
When I first started out, I purchased the ability to have video conferencing for Skype. I used Camtwist and Adobe Live Encoder on a Mac. I eventually switched over to a PC using XSplit and screen cap to capture the entire Skype Window. Since Skype focuses on the person speaking, it worked pretty well when my multiple co-hosts would speak (at some point I had 4 co-hosts). Plus with XSplit, I could switch between my camera feed and the Skype screen cap.

Eventually I switched everything over to Wirecast and I use Desktop Presenter to bring in the Skype calls from another computer. However, we have found that Skype's audio can get really crappy and we all use a Mumble server, having foregone the video side of it for a while. I do, however, plan to get back to bringing in their video (for those co-hosts that want to).

Once my account is enabled for Google+ OnAir, that's something I plan to try as well.

NickSPNT
06-06-2012, 05:53 AM
I was testing out google + hangouts on air and couldnt figure out how to get my cohost on the screen. Tbe shot would just stay on me.

cseeman
06-06-2012, 02:50 PM
Donovan, my setup isn't too much different than yours with Wirecast, Desktop Presenter and Skype although have it all setup on one computer with a couple of monitors.

I recently tried using Google Hangouts OnAir and grabbing that with Desktop Presenter. There were a few odd bumps here and there. One is that some guests were reluctant to use it as they were more familiar with Skype. I had a weird occurrence where the browser would refresh when someone was invited to the Hangout. Once the kinks are worked out, it should be a reasonable alternative given you can have up to 10 people at no cost.

NickSPNT, just click on the box with your cohost and it switches.
One of the bugs I've noted is that the switch may happen in the Hangout but not in the YouTube live stream. Of course I'm using Wirecast to grab the Hangout itself and stream elsewhere though.

BTW the reason I like Wirecast with this is that I can grab everyone on the call with DTP (Skype or Hangout) and crop them into solo shots with their own titles and create two shots or multi PIP shots as needed.

NickSPNT
06-06-2012, 07:39 PM
I actually purchased xsplit tonight (price was reasonable) and used it on our show. It was VERY VERY easy to use. The only downside was that once the show was over, the recorded show is NOT saved on Ustreams servers. I guess next week I'll have to use Ustream producer and use xsplit to control the show.

Donovan
06-07-2012, 05:53 AM
I actually purchased xsplit tonight (price was reasonable) and used it on our show. It was VERY VERY easy to use. The only downside was that once the show was over, the recorded show is NOT saved on Ustreams servers. I guess next week I'll have to use Ustream producer and use xsplit to control the show.

You can use XSplit to record the show locally if you like while you stream to UStream. That way you can edit it and upload it to YouTube if that's your choice.

Also, at some point in the past, there was a special link for UStream that you could visit and enable recording for your show without havnig to use their producer product (though I can't remember what the link is now, but a quick search should reveal it if it's still available).

TomSinclair
06-07-2012, 06:53 AM
To record in Ustream when streaming from any third party s/w like XSplit, go to Ustream.tv, select your channel, click the "remote" tab in the left column, select "launch remote console," and click "start record."

Ustream also has a new metrics tool, Live Analyitcs Console. Looks very cool.

Donovan
06-07-2012, 06:57 AM
To record in Ustream when streaming from any third party s/w like XSplit, go to Ustream.tv, select your channel, click the "remote" tab in the left column, select "launch remote console," and click "start record."

Ustream also has a new metrics tool, Live Analyitcs Console. Looks very cool.

Yeah, what he said. :)

NickSPNT
06-07-2012, 11:26 AM
I was able to record last night's show and have the .flv file, now I just need to edit it and Adobe Premiere Elements 9 isn't cooperating. I'll update my Ustream settings too. Thanks everyone!

cseeman
06-07-2012, 11:38 AM
Find a way to edit FLV is a problem for many.
Recording .mp4 is much easier to deal with since you can edit with FCPX on Mac or Adobe Premiere Pro on Windows or Mac and probably several other modern NLEs as well.
Ustream records to FLV? Yuck if that's the case.
When I stream to Livestream with H.264 and do a server record, it's mp4.
No one should be recording FLV with H.264 source (as per Adobe's own recommendations). VP6 is FLV (or very old Sorenson).

You could re-encode the FLV but that would generally be some quality loss. You might want to double check to see if it's really H.264 in FLV wrapper (you can use the free MediaInfo to check). If that turns out to be the case you can experiment with changing the extension to .mp4 (which may or may not work).

NickSPNT
06-07-2012, 11:42 AM
No Ustream didn't, Xsplit recorded to FLV. That is the only format their software records to right now. I only want to lop off the first 30 minutes of my file too since it was just me sitting there in front of the camera waiting for my show to go live. Next time I'll just the remote settings on Ustream.

cseeman
06-07-2012, 11:46 AM
I haven't played with Xsplit in a while (I had used their beta a few times), what codec is in that FLV, VP6 or H.264?
I can't believe they'd be streaming VP6 these days. Not that one shouldn't be able to chose that but the default should be H.264.

Please check with MediaInfo.
http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en

Donovan
06-07-2012, 12:19 PM
No Ustream didn't, Xsplit recorded to FLV. That is the only format their software records to right now. I only want to lop off the first 30 minutes of my file too since it was just me sitting there in front of the camera waiting for my show to go live. Next time I'll just the remote settings on Ustream.

Xsplit will record locally in MP4 format. See my setup below:

http://files.anairo.com/misc/XSPlitLocalRecording.jpg

cseeman
06-07-2012, 12:49 PM
Thanks for that.
I'd strongly recommend using .mp4 for recording and never using .flv. It would save a lot of grief. I can't see any reason to record flv anymore especially since various Adobe techs say they're moving away from it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash
Adobe also announced that it will be gradually moving away from the FLV format to the standard ISO base media file format (MPEG-4 Part 12) owing to functional limits with the FLV structure when streaming H.264.

Basically the only time I can see using VP6 FLV is on systems too underpowered to encode H.264. For graphics VP6 FLV does have the option of using alpha channels not possible with H.264 but that would be for a graphic overlay rather than live streaming.

NickSPNT
06-07-2012, 03:32 PM
That still doesn't solve my issue though. I was able to encode my flv file into an mp4 but when I tried to import the mp4 file into Adobe Premiere Elements 9 to edit, it would crash.

It was my first time using xsplit (literally bought the software 13 minutes before air time) so I'm still learning it.

Thanks for all the helpful tips!

cseeman
06-07-2012, 03:45 PM
Elements may not be able to handle .mp4 that well.

See if you can download the 30 day trial for Premiere Pro.
BTW the new Adobe suite CS6 has implemented a "rental" method of use. You can pay monthly or for an annual amount up front. Both are, in the short term, a lot less expensive than buying it.

So if budgets an issues (isn't it always) try the Premiere Pro CS6 trial and maybe you can rent on a month by month basis.

Maybe there's another lower budget solution as well. Sony Vegas?

GoPro has this free software CineForm Studio which might work since the GoPro shoots H.264 .mp4
http://gopro.com/software-app/cineform-studio/