Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

Using the Church Webcasting System, YouTube, etc. Including cameras and mixers.
chriswoodut
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#11

Post by chriswoodut »

gekelley, I'd be curious what software and hardware you are using to do this.

I researched using icecast to do an audio stream via a webserver, but we opted for the simple suggestion of using audio CDs because the bandwidth in our building is unpredictable (ok in the morning, dropped packets in the afternoon), we weren't sure of the technical abilities of the shut ins, and because we wanted something that could be transitioned to other members to support if I'm out of town.

What we did:

Based on michaelfish's suggestions, we went the audio cd route. Under the sacrament meeting table in our building are two audio jacks, one is labeled tape recorder. This is a line-out from the audio system. I picked up a cable to lower the line-in so that I could record it on a smart phone without over driving the mic on the smart phone. (Google KM-IPHONE-MIC-A22 to see the cable) This also addresses the TRRS requirement of smart phones/tablets to detect the line-in as a microphone. This, plus an extension cable (3.5mm male to 3.5mm male) let me sit my phone behind the priests so it is out of the way but reachable for me to start the recording. I use the android app Smart Voice Recorder because it shows the audio wave as it is recording so you know it has sound.

We start the recording at the beginning of the meeting. When I burn it to the CDs, if I have time, I will use audacity to chop out the sacrament meeting portion so that the shut ins don't have 10 minutes of silence in the middle of the recording. I'll also make it a stereo recording at that point too (smart phones do mono recordings).

We have also been recording relief society just because it is so little effort to do that as well. For that, we have just been setting a smart phone on the table by the teacher and it seems to pick up the room well enough (not using a sound system or any cables... just the phone itself). My wife just uses her phone when she goes to relief society.

So, we spent $30 on a cd burner, $30 on cables, and then the blank audio CDs. We only have 2 people we provide this to. I can imagine that if we had 5+ people that burning the CDs would be a bit slow.
michaelfish
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#12

Post by michaelfish »

burning the CDs would be a bit slow.
I set up in the library before Sacrament meeting (but I could do this anywhere):
5 min - Boot laptop, connect Roxio USB, Assisted Hearing receiver,
and direct box (line to mic). Start Roxio EZ Record
(the librarians put 4 copies of the program in the corner for me)

After Sacrament meeting:
5 min - Stop recording, import into Roxio editor, create tracks, delete ordinance/post audio
2-4 min (ea.) - Start Roxio CD Record, burn CD's and tape to the inside of program

chriswoodut, you also could use the assisted hearing receiver and record from anywhere...
chriswoodut
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#13

Post by chriswoodut »

michaelfish,

Our assisted hearing receivers are wireless. I haven't looked at them to see if they have a headphone out or something similar on them. I'll have to glance at them the next time I'm in the library. Are yours wireless?
michaelfish
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#14

Post by michaelfish »

Yes, our assisted hearing devices are also wireless, but the audio signal (3.5 mm mono headphone jack) is too hot to connect directly to a microphone input and the impedance isn't correct for line level. To solve this, I just attenuate the output and convert it to an unbalanced signal.
russellhltn
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#15

Post by russellhltn »

chriswoodut wrote:Our assisted hearing receivers are wireless. I haven't looked at them to see if they have a headphone out or something similar on them.
Yes, it has a very hot headphone out. I think it also serves as the power switch. I'm not sure how that works. I assume it's a switch in the jack but I wouldn't rule out something else. I believe that the transmitter has a compressor/limiter, so that's one nice thing.
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gregwanderson
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#16

Post by gregwanderson »

gekelley wrote:I setup my camera in the back and only begin the camera feed, after the passing of the Sacrament and when the conducting bishopric member excuses the priesthood to be seated with their families.
Camera, eh? I thought that, besides using cameras for a Stake Conference feed to other buildings, the use of cameras in the chapel was against church policy. Others in this discussion seem to be doing audio-only recordings or webcasts, which doesn't seem to be prohibited (unless a General Authority is speaking in your ward, I suppose) but I'm not sure cameras are okay.
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#17

Post by russellhltn »

Anyone wanting to follow gekelley's example needs to confer with thier leaders and review Handbook 2 21.2.10
21.2.10
Photographs, Video Recordings, and Broadcasts in Chapels

Taking photographs or making video recordings in chapels is not permitted. Meetings and other events that are held in the chapel may not be broadcast over the Internet or by any other means (see 18.3.1 for an exception).
18.3.1 is the section on Stake Conference.
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michaelfish
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#18

Post by michaelfish »

the use of cameras in the chapel was against church policy
Just to be clear, the "use of cameras in the chapel" isn't currently against policy (however, it used to be). A stake I know uses a camera for every sacrament meeting so those who need it can watch an ASL translator on monitors in the building.

The church policy refers to taking photographs, video recordings and broadcasting.

Not allowing a camera feed of the chapel would prohibit video distribution to overflow areas in the building.
Gary_Miller
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#19

Post by Gary_Miller »

michaelfish wrote:Not allowing a camera feed of the chapel would prohibit video distribution to overflow areas in the building.
Interesting you should state this when the handbook is pretty clear. "Meetings and other events that are held in the chapel may not be broadcast over the Internet or by any other means "
While I can see this as a good service the audio feed from the chapel usually takes care of the overflow areas, video is not necessary. As for the ASL there could be a designated area in the chapel where the translator can translate for those who need it. We do that in one of our ward for all the ward meetings and stake meetings as well. Its usually the area upfront and off to the side of the chapel, works very well.
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aebrown
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Re: Webcasting sacrament meeting to shut-ins

#20

Post by aebrown »

Gary_Miller wrote:
michaelfish wrote:Not allowing a camera feed of the chapel would prohibit video distribution to overflow areas in the building.
Interesting you should state this when the handbook is pretty clear. "Meetings and other events that are held in the chapel may not be broadcast over the Internet or by any other means "
The key word in my mind is "broadcast"; our stake has never interpreted "broadcast" to mean sending a feed within the building from a camera to an overflow area. For large gatherings, we may use a camera and project the feed to the extra screen in the cultural hall. Otherwise, for a person sitting in the back of the cultural hall, a speaker who is over 100 feet away is very small. Our stake presidency has felt that it was important to make the experience better for those in the back.
Gary_Miller wrote:While I can see this as a good service the audio feed from the chapel usually takes care of the overflow areas, video is not necessary.
Perhaps that's the decision of your local leaders, but our stake presidency has decided on multiple occasions to send video to overflow areas.
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