My First Webcast
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:47 pm
Got to do my first webcast this past weekend. Here's a synopsis:
I placed the camera (Sony EVI-D70) on a tripod at the front of the overflow and connected the composite output to a camera jack in the overflow. I wanted to put it on the last row of the chapel but wanted to avoid running cables through traffic areas.
Took the video feed from a composite jack near the pulpit. Each video cable consisted of two 15 ft cables joined. I had to dig these up from my basement; the stake didn't have anything long enough. I took the audio from the output at the sacrament table; I intended to hook up a choir microphone but that would have created additional logistical complications.
I put the Webcast Communicator just outside the chapel near the sacrament table in the stake offices foyer, as far as the video cable would reach.
I had to sit in the cultural hall next to the projector so I could show the words to the songs at the appropriate time. We don't have a video mixer, and there wasn't enough cable to put the camera back there. The front half of the cultural hall only has RF jacks, not composite, so I had to bring a VCR to demodulate the signal. Is there a little gadget available to do that, with just a channel 3-4 switch for example?
Very disappointed in the camera; for $1000 the movements ought to be more precision, and it ought to have a slow motion option like with the zoom. Also, 3 times during testing the camera had to be rebooted as it stopped responding to the remote. The lack of controls on it concerns me. The lack of a monitor is also a problem -- what does everyone use?
I tested everything out ahead of time and it was fine. But when I started the Saturday evening session there was no picture. I unplugged the video from the communicator and plugged it in to a TV and sure enough, no picture. Luckily we were only sending it to a couple individuals, and the audio was fine. Afterwards I traced it back to the jack, and found that the coax inside the wall wasn't actually screwed onto the jack. A miracle the satellite broadcasts worked. I was wondering how they sent a composite signal so far. I'm thinking it might be better to keep it coax until just before the communicator? But the jack would confuse people.
Sunday morning everything was set up and tested an hour early. Then about 15 minutes before the start of the session the other buildings called and complained that it was black and white. The only thing I could think of was to restart the webcast. Well, right when the meeting was starting they called me again and said they weren't getting anything at all; it had never started back up. I had no idea what to do, but luckily one of the guys suggested using a different event ID. I immediately did that and realized I could monitor it on my phone, and it worked fine, but it took a few minutes to get the URL to everyone and get them going again. Apparently they don't let you re-use the same ID within a certain time period? Or at all? I thought I had used the same one a couple times while testing Saturday but don't remember. This would have been really nice to know.
The broadcast was still black and white, however. So I then called the GSC, and while I was on hold, one of the buildings called and said someone had moved the camera. Turns out a family with small children had sat next to the camera and was letting their kids play on the floor right next to it. I had spent a long time getting the camera lined up properly before so it was never quite the same afterwards. Without a viewfinder/monitor a quick manual adjustment and then future adjustments with the remote had to suffice. They kept bumping the camera though and I finally had to go up there and ask them to be more careful. Luckily the remote worked the entire time.
I see that others have experienced the lack of color. I connected a monitor right at the input to the communicator and it was in color, and so was the broadcast on my phone, although not highly saturated. I never actually saw it at the other buildings. Perhaps an RF feed to a VCR and then into the communicator would be better? I almost tried that. The other option is to run audio and network cable all the way back to the camera, and have the communicator and mixer (for the choir mic) there.
So it wasn't exactly a fun experience, plus walking in and out a lot; I like to remain in the background. Until we get a better setup, I think someone needs to be at the camera, someone at the projector, and someone at the communicator/mixer. I think there were other issues but that's all I can remember now, thank goodness.
I placed the camera (Sony EVI-D70) on a tripod at the front of the overflow and connected the composite output to a camera jack in the overflow. I wanted to put it on the last row of the chapel but wanted to avoid running cables through traffic areas.
Took the video feed from a composite jack near the pulpit. Each video cable consisted of two 15 ft cables joined. I had to dig these up from my basement; the stake didn't have anything long enough. I took the audio from the output at the sacrament table; I intended to hook up a choir microphone but that would have created additional logistical complications.
I put the Webcast Communicator just outside the chapel near the sacrament table in the stake offices foyer, as far as the video cable would reach.
I had to sit in the cultural hall next to the projector so I could show the words to the songs at the appropriate time. We don't have a video mixer, and there wasn't enough cable to put the camera back there. The front half of the cultural hall only has RF jacks, not composite, so I had to bring a VCR to demodulate the signal. Is there a little gadget available to do that, with just a channel 3-4 switch for example?
Very disappointed in the camera; for $1000 the movements ought to be more precision, and it ought to have a slow motion option like with the zoom. Also, 3 times during testing the camera had to be rebooted as it stopped responding to the remote. The lack of controls on it concerns me. The lack of a monitor is also a problem -- what does everyone use?
I tested everything out ahead of time and it was fine. But when I started the Saturday evening session there was no picture. I unplugged the video from the communicator and plugged it in to a TV and sure enough, no picture. Luckily we were only sending it to a couple individuals, and the audio was fine. Afterwards I traced it back to the jack, and found that the coax inside the wall wasn't actually screwed onto the jack. A miracle the satellite broadcasts worked. I was wondering how they sent a composite signal so far. I'm thinking it might be better to keep it coax until just before the communicator? But the jack would confuse people.
Sunday morning everything was set up and tested an hour early. Then about 15 minutes before the start of the session the other buildings called and complained that it was black and white. The only thing I could think of was to restart the webcast. Well, right when the meeting was starting they called me again and said they weren't getting anything at all; it had never started back up. I had no idea what to do, but luckily one of the guys suggested using a different event ID. I immediately did that and realized I could monitor it on my phone, and it worked fine, but it took a few minutes to get the URL to everyone and get them going again. Apparently they don't let you re-use the same ID within a certain time period? Or at all? I thought I had used the same one a couple times while testing Saturday but don't remember. This would have been really nice to know.
The broadcast was still black and white, however. So I then called the GSC, and while I was on hold, one of the buildings called and said someone had moved the camera. Turns out a family with small children had sat next to the camera and was letting their kids play on the floor right next to it. I had spent a long time getting the camera lined up properly before so it was never quite the same afterwards. Without a viewfinder/monitor a quick manual adjustment and then future adjustments with the remote had to suffice. They kept bumping the camera though and I finally had to go up there and ask them to be more careful. Luckily the remote worked the entire time.
I see that others have experienced the lack of color. I connected a monitor right at the input to the communicator and it was in color, and so was the broadcast on my phone, although not highly saturated. I never actually saw it at the other buildings. Perhaps an RF feed to a VCR and then into the communicator would be better? I almost tried that. The other option is to run audio and network cable all the way back to the camera, and have the communicator and mixer (for the choir mic) there.
So it wasn't exactly a fun experience, plus walking in and out a lot; I like to remain in the background. Until we get a better setup, I think someone needs to be at the camera, someone at the projector, and someone at the communicator/mixer. I think there were other issues but that's all I can remember now, thank goodness.