Tech Forum

We have tried webcasting to a remote meeting house in our stake with varying degrees of success for the past couple of years. We used an s-video signal from a Sony camera in the stake center chapel into a USB video capture card, and used PVC and/or Google Hangouts for webcasting. One way stream worked OK, and we never got 2-way broadcasting to be a total success. Our video capture card is no longer working since October, possibly due to a windows upgrade and/or support sunset for the card, and our remote laptop is getting too old to handle streaming media, so we are scrapping the whole system, and looking to start over. I have read the tech.lds.org recommendations for webcasting, but if you had a budget and a clean slate, what would you recommend?

One thing that looked clean and simple is using a plug-and-use web conference set up that plugs into a laptop by USB such as the Logitech ConferenceCam CC3000e Videoconferencing camera system. It pans and zooms with a remote control at each location, and does not require a video capture card. You could basically run a broadcast from laptops and a remote control for the camera. We are looking for something simple so several people can be trained to use it, and set up time is reduced.

Thanks in advance for your input

Are you looking to webcast (as in stake conference)? And using speakers from multiple buildings? (That makes things harder)

Or is this more like a HC meeting where it's a smaller group?

From what I understand reading there, there's something new due in the next month or two, so I'd wait.

We are looking to have a 2-way broadcast for stake conference and large meetings so that speakers can be at both locations, and share audio and video from both sites.

ksteurer:

I am an ASTS in my stake and I have to tell you, any technical challenges aside, this post has me wanting to do this (simul-cast/multiple webcast locations) at our next stake conference sooo bad now. If for no other reason than to conquer the technical challenge!

I just need to convince our STS that we need to try it.

My wheels are spinning now! If I think of some ideas on this I will surely post them. We have had many successful webcasts to date...this adds a new level of excitement and challenge.

Thanks!

Jim B.
(Jimbo3san)
Lehi, UT

So I called in the professionals, the IT staff where I work. We have 10 offices throughout the midwest with video conferencing between all locations. Our IT guys recommended a company called 323.tv to provide and support videoconferencing. It is who they use. I called them and they recommended a Polycom QDX 6000 system. It comes with a camera that will pan/zoom/tilt the broadcast, and it has auxilary inputs for a separate camera, laptop or power point presentation, microphone from the pulpit, and has outputs for feeding the chapel cable system so you can have TVs set up in the RS/primary room or a projector for the gym seating. I will keep researching this and see if I find any red flags before we move forward with it. One nice feature is that it does not use a computer. The two polycom units will connect thru the internet without needing computers to communicate. The quote for 2 refurbished units is $4000. Brand new units is double the cost.

More to come~