For many churches, live streams are a primary method of connecting with new people. Regular live streaming to social media platforms provides a pathway to help strangers become first-time guests. Given the almost limitless possibilities of this type of outreach, broadcast directors at growing churches are continually looking to maximize the effectiveness of their streaming ministries. Fortunately, manufacturers are continuing to listen to the needs of the market and responding with a wide array of powerful options to address specific use cases. Here are some of the best live streaming solutions available today.
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HELO — Streaming made simple
The AJA HELO offers H.264 streaming and recording via both SDI and HDMI inputs/outputs in a single appliance. It can simultaneously stream to your Content Delivery Network (CDN) as well as encode and record H.264 files to either SD, SDHC or SDXC cards, USB storage, NFS or CIFS mounted network based storage. $1,295 MSR
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Io 4k Plus — With the powder of Thunderbolt 3
The AJA Io 4K Plus can handle a wide range of formats from SD to HD, UltraHD and full 4K with frame rates up to 60p over both 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 with a single cable. It offers a full set of professional video and audio connectivity with support for the latest 4K/UltraHD devices, High Frame Rate (HFR), High Dynamic Range (HDR) and deep color workflows. $2,495 MSRP
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U-TAP HMDI and SDI — Easy, portable plug and play capture
Plug-and-play video capture on macOS, Windows and Linux operating systems for video conferencing, streaming and traditional postproduction, U-TAP offers powerful functionality without requiring any third-party driver software. Small and simple to use, U-TAP connects directly to your computer system via a USB 3.0 connection and requires no drivers to install. $345 MSRP
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KONA 5 — Superfast, 8-lane PCI-e 3.01/0 card for demanding video and audio workflows
Supporting 10-bit 4:2:2 and 4:4:4, or even 12-bit color spaces, the KONA 5 allows the flexibility to ingest and output with 12G/6G/3G-SDI and monitor with a full-size HDMI 2.0 port. The bidirectional 12G-SDI ports provide immense flexibility for capture and simultaneous pass through, and with the appropriate software, multi-channel capture and streaming. $2,995 MSRP
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ROI-HDMI — Portable, easy-to-use computer and video scaler
The ROI scan converters from AJA support Region of Interest extraction via 3G-SDI input to 3G-SDI and/or HDMI. They also allow DVI, Display Port and HDMI to be scaled and converted to SDI video. ROI offers high-quality image scaling, extensive aspect ratio and frame rate conversion. $995 MSRP
Top 5 Live Streaming Solutions:
1-Dedicated Encoder
These devices live stream without a computer by handling the capturing and encoding all by themselves. There area lot of advantages to this way of doing things. For example, you don’t have to worry about OS updates or church leaders using the computer for other things.
Some encoders can record as well, so you can keep a local copy for archiving, distribution to the congregation, or uploading for on-demand streaming. Others allow for encoding at different bit-rates, providing a better experience for people with different devices and internet connection speeds.
2-Thunderbolt Capture
For computers like Apple’s Macintosh line that support Thunderbolt, you can capture at up to 4K/UHD resolutions for encoding in software like OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) and others. With speeds similar to PCI-e cards, you can also use multiple SDI inputs on a single device to capture multiple cameras and switch with software, such as vMix and Telestream’s Wirecast.
3-USB 3.0 Capture
Computers with USB 3.0 support, whether Mac or PC, can use this type of capture device. As with some of the other methods of capture, you’ve got a variety of options in encoding software. Simplicity is another advantage of this type. They tend to be bus-powered, so set up is as simple as plugging in any other USB device. Just plug the camera (whether SDI or HDMI) into the other side and start live streaming.
4-PCI-e Capture
If you don’t want to be limited by the more portable computer form factors (like laptops and all-in-ones), your ministry can build the best machine for your situation and add the cards to capture directly across the PCI-e bus. Clean up the work area by having all the capture devices internal to a purpose-built tower, or use these cards in an external Thunderbolt chassis. Some models even support simultaneous capture of multiple HD video channels or even UHD capture. Like many of the other options mentioned, you’re able to encode with a variety of software to get the best live stream for your situation and online congregation.
5-ROI Scalers
Use ROI (Region of Interest) boxes in combination with either capture cards and software or dedicated encoders to capture part of an image and make one source look like two (or more). They use a computer to allow you to select the part of the image you want to capture from either SDI, HDMI, or even DVI and DisplayPort sources.
These devices aren’t limited to cameras, either. Since some models can take regular computer monitor connections, you can capture only the video from a busy web page or grab presentation screens.
Through using these different encoding, capture, and scaling technologies, you can truly expand the realm of possibilities for your church’s live streaming ministry.
Learn more at: www.aja.com.
