Can I Conne T An External Camera To My Laptop For Facebook Live

How to alive stream with a digital photographic camera using Facebook alive

Screenshot credit: me; Video credit: Darren

The Mayor'due south/Governor's Part just told your boss you need to alive stream the launch of a major initiative. Your boss asks, "We can do that and put it on Facebook, right?"

Since you're a helpful and prepared type of person, and you know about this weblog post of class, you say, "You bet! Merely tell me when and where." To set expectations, this post is meant for most regime speaking-at-a-podium stationary alive streams. If y'all need to be walking effectually alive streaming an important march or something, you might need to become a lilliputian more than mobile with your setup.

Simply in example you didn't gear up in accelerate, a basic setup volition cost about $175 and take 20 minutes to figure out, not including the digital camera, mic, lighting, tripod, or laptop and bold yous use the open source software.

Without farther ado…

The concept:

You're going to use a signal converter box to create a bridge between your camera and your computer. Then you lot'll use the live streaming software to ship the video indicate to the web-host of your choice (Facebook in this case). Yay! People will meet the stream and hear the important things said past your government's leadership. Your boss'south boss will desire to live stream everything from now on (blessing and a expletive).

Credit: the virtually-splendid Dennis Tsai

The tools:

Required

Photographic camera that has an HDMI or SDI out port
HDMI or SDI cable (depends on your camera port of choice — $25 to $30 for a 50' string)
NB: Don't use a USB cablevision between the camera and signal converter box because the video signal won't exist as consistent.
Bespeak converter box ($145)
Laptop calculator
Live streaming software on your laptop. Both options are skillful.
Mac/PC paid software
Open up source software
Strong cyberspace connection for your laptop (WiFi, hotspot, or otherwise)
Facebook account, assuming you lot're streaming to Facebook Live

Optional

Tripod to stabilize your photographic camera
Lighting to make your subject more viewable,
Microphone (not the mic on your photographic camera) to help your stream exist more audible

The steps:

Connect your digital camera to your point converter box with an HDMI or SDI cord.
Confirm you're able to send a signal from your camera to the laptop.
Open up your live streaming software. (Paid product aid center / open up source help eye)
Open up Facebook and detect the Server URL and Stream Primal [instructions] to add together to the live streaming software.
Confirm y'all're sending a betoken to Facebook.

That'south it!

Once y'all get the equipment, start to experiment asap then you lot can work out any kinks or issues before the big day.

Hopefully helpful tips:

Employ a wired internet connection if it's available. It should be more reliable than WiFi.
Test your setup nether the same atmospheric condition as your alive stream.
Same room, length of fourth dimension, lighting, audio, number of speakers and their locations, groundwork noise (bring a boombox or bluetooth speakers or all your friends.)
Make sure your live stream displays properly on desktop and mobile phones. Seems like a no-brainer, but… y'all never know.
If you're lucky enough to have backup equipment, make sure it'due south charged and close past. Your cellphone makes a cracking backup for the whole organization, so bring a battery for that, too.
Have someone monitor Facebook during the live stream to sentinel for comments like, "The audio is cut out!" or "Why doesn't this work on my phone?!?" or the dreaded "You're accidentally posting a new livestream link every 2 minutes!" so you can quickly put out tech fires without much feed disruption.
Most chiefly, don't sweat the small stuff. Live streaming has come a long way but audiences understand it'due south not perfect and tech glitches happen. Requite yourself a pat on the back for being awesome!

Gratitude and govvie-to-govvie sharing:

This post wouldn't accept been possible without Darren Cole's generosity of knowledge sharing coupled with Collin Gately and his experimentation while nosotros all worked on the City of Boston'south Digital Team. Further props to the Mass Digital Services Video Squad All-Stars for their comments and edits to make this post useful for other video teams.

If you know a authorities video team, send this post their way so we tin can all be prepared for the inevitable last minute, "Can y'all live stream this on Facebook?" request.

Source: https://medium.com/@jbiroscak/how-to-live-stream-with-a-digital-camera-using-facebook-live-a8e9b49f9c10#:~:text=The%20steps%3A,center%20%2F%20open%20source%20help%20center)

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