Webcast equipment

[pete.arnett]

You will have to ask your local FM group what the official guide lines are becasue our Facilities Management Group (FMG) and a neighboring group stated the same thing

[rpyne]

A notebook computer with the Meetinghouse software is sufficient. I'm going with a Windows 7 Pro notebook from Dell for around $570 that seems to have good enough specs to meet the need.

I recommend using VLC as the software for playback. It has several advantages such as the ability to play back through a second video interface such as the S-video or HDMI output found on many laptops. Another significant advantage is that VLC will let you adjust the audio/video syncronization on playback.

[StevePoulsen]

I have been reading the forums about what is working, not working, and recommended. Here is a list of equipment that I have put together to create a webcast based on input I could find on the websites and forum messages. Can anyone confirm that this is all the equipment that I need (except for misc cables) to get a good solution for SENDING a webcast? Is this the Ideal setup?

Dell Desk top PC – Windows 7 64 bit
Windows Media Encoder 64 bit version
Sony DCR HC52 camera (send to Osprey 210 card)
Osprey 210 Video Capture card
Sure PG58 microphone (send to Mixer)
Mackie 402 VLZ3 mixer (send to Osprey 210 card)
Webcast software version 2.1

I am struggling to find a good solution that will work and any help or recommendations would be appreciated. I have tried using USB devices connected to a laptop but am having a very difficult time getting this to work.

Doug, My only question about the setup is what the mic is for? Normally I would recommend you take a feed directly from the sound system (either by the pulpit, clerks desk, or satellite equipment cabinet and into the mixer (Used for gain adjustments). so unless you’re planning to add extra mics, and feed the sound system with the mixer I am not sure what you would need an additional mic for. But I may just not understand what you plan on setting up.

[jdlessley]

@ StevePoulsen,
You are asking a question of someone who has not been back to the forums since the forums converted to the LDS Account logon. I think that was back in November. At least their old forum account has not been merged with their LDS Account username. This is evidenced by the "-p40" on the end of their username. So you may not get a response from Dougvf-p40. If you do, it may be from his new LDS Account username.

[ipcodoc]

Does anyone know of an alternative solution other than a laptop to serve as a receiver since the Webcast receivers are no longer available? If not, are there any specs that are necessary for a laptop to be used as a reciever?

[Aczlan]

Does anyone know of an alternative solution other than a laptop to serve as a receiver since the Webcast receivers are no longer available? If not, are there any specs that are necessary for a laptop to be used as a reciever?

Based on the specs from the webcast receiver (https://tech.lds.org/wikildstech/images ... 302009.pdf) I would say most any computer (desktop, laptop or netbook) with 2-3GB of RAM and XP or Win 7 installed should work. We used a netbook with XP on it to watch the stream at the sending location (to verify that it was working) at our last stake conference.

Aaron Z

[harddrive]

Does anyone know of an alternative solution other than a laptop to serve as a receiver since the Webcast receivers are no longer available? If not, are there any specs that are necessary for a laptop to be used as a reciever?

One of the things that I'm planning on doing in my stake is to use the unit clerk's computer as the receiver of the broadcast. The video would be converted to RCA and along with audio sent to the closed circuit TV in the buildings.

This way any room that has a "cable" outlet can watch the broadcast and hear the speaker.

Terry

[russellhltn]

One of the things that I'm planning on doing in my stake is to use the unit clerk's computer as the receiver of the broadcast.

What steps are you planning to take to make sure the video distribution gets disconnected before someone decides to fire up MLS - perhaps immediately after a broadcast when some TV sets might still be on?

[harddrive]

What steps are you planning to take to make sure the video distribution gets disconnected before someone decides to fire up MLS - perhaps immediately after a broadcast when some TV sets might still be on?

Russ, that is a question that I haven't even thought of. I think one way of doing it would be to use a video/audio switch in the CCTV system and to have it default to "channel 1" which would be the satellite.

Otherwise, it will be a question that needs to be answer.

[russellhltn]

I think one way of doing it would be to use a video/audio switch in the CCTV system and to have it default to "channel 1" which would be the satellite.

The problem I have with that, is there's no way for the clerk to verify that the computer is "secure" before using it. Or, to prevent the computer from being used before it's rendered "secure".

The only answer I'm coming up with is to not run the cable to the clerk's office, but to force the computer to be relocated for the broadcast. Everything else I can think of depends on someone following a procedure that in time is likely to fall into disuse.

A dual-boot setup might do it - if the MLS partition can be setup so as to render the converter inoperable. Even then, you'd probably have to embed a message into it somehow to communicate to future STS why it's set up the way it is.