Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community
Old 09-07-2020, 02:36 PM   #1
GoinAllTheWay
Franchise Player
 
GoinAllTheWay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Not sure
Exp:
Default Need some help re streaming a wedding

Hello CP!

I need to lean on the CP collective regarding my upcoming wedding!

We, like many others, have changed our wedding plans. Significantly reduced the number of guests and have moved the whole thing outdoors.

Naturally we opted to stream to those who cant be there and this has become a bit more difficult than I thought.

We have good WiFi everywhere except where we will be having the ceremony. Signal takes a nose dive as soon as we leave the back deck.

Plan is to have the laptop in the good wifi area and hopefully run a USB cable to a good webcam with some good mics. I have neither of these things.

I'm pretty sure I have the software side of things sorted out, just lacking a decent camera/mic. We will stream to youtube live as that seems simple and includes a way to broadcast to a private link.

Anyone have any equipment like this I could borrow for a weekend? I realize it may be a bit of a big ask loaning something like this to a guy you don't know from a hole in the wall but figured I'd try.

Failing that, any opinions on webcams that won't break the bank?

Anyone been through this before with some advice to simplify things?
GoinAllTheWay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2020, 02:42 PM   #2
Fuzz
Franchise Player
 
Fuzz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Exp:
Default

Just a warning, you don't want the laptop in a good wifi place, then long usb cables. USB won't work over long distances. Run a long network cable to where you want the cameras and mics, and put the laptop there.

Relying on wifi, particularity when you have lots of devices around chatting to it is a recipe for disaster. In fact, you may be better to disable wifi if you can live without it and just run the network cable to the laptop.

Also, test, test, and test again. Then have someone else who knows how to computer running the thing. The last thing you want, on your wedding day, is to deal with flaky tech.
Fuzz is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Fuzz For This Useful Post:
Old 09-07-2020, 02:46 PM   #3
GoinAllTheWay
Franchise Player
 
GoinAllTheWay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Not sure
Exp:
Default

That's one of the many challenges. My parents just moved to Telus and they buried the modem/AP into the basement. Now I think I can run a cable from the modem up to a router/ap in the office above it but it's on the opposite side of the yard from where we want to do the ceremony.

I guess what I could do is then run a really long Cat6 out the window and across the backyard?

Even with the original plan, the distance from the "good wifi spot" and where the camera would be is maybe 15ish feet?

**edit**

Actually, I can run a Cat6 up to a switch in the office, then out the window and across the yard. That may be a good 100', is that too long?

Last edited by GoinAllTheWay; 09-07-2020 at 02:49 PM.
GoinAllTheWay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2020, 03:42 PM   #4
Fuzz
Franchise Player
 
Fuzz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Exp:
Default

100' is fine for CAT6. 15ish feet can be borderline for USB.
Fuzz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2020, 04:19 PM   #5
topfiverecords
Franchise Player
 
topfiverecords's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hyperbole Chamber
Exp:
Default

Do YouTube streams auto record or do they stream only? Can you download it off YouTube to save to a hard drive for your own backup?

You could always hire the crew that streams the Flames preseason games. They always do a bang up job and oddly they just happen to be free on your fall wedding day.
topfiverecords is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2020, 04:43 PM   #6
photon
The new goggles also do nothing.
 
photon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
Exp:
Default

My dad just picked up this webcam for doing some video conferences from his living room for a group both in his house and remote, he seemed happy with it. It's a wider angle camera with 120 degrees field of view which might work better for your use if you want to stream a view of everything.

Not sure how well the mic on it would work outside though.

https://www.staples.ca/products/2442...ra-wide-webcam
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
photon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2020, 10:42 PM   #7
You Need a Thneed
Voted for Kodos
 
You Need a Thneed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Exp:
Default

Reading this got me putting all my old video gear together that’s been in its case far too long.

My camera was pretty good at the time, but unless you want only 480p output on Composite video or SVideo, the camera probably won’t help.

I do have a box that connects to the camera screw that takes XLR inputs (pro mics), and outputs into 1/8” stereo mini. This would let you setup a better microphone wherever you want and get the sound into a microphone in on another camera. Or if you have a sound board from your ceremony that can output XLR, you could take that sound into your camera.

I also have a shotgun microphone that’s pretty good at picking up at a bit of a distance. And a good video tripod.

The camera doesn’t meet the needs for the resolution and output Format that people are looking for anymore.

If you want to borrow anything, or have any questions, PM me.
__________________
My LinkedIn Profile.

Last edited by You Need a Thneed; 09-10-2020 at 11:08 PM.
You Need a Thneed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-16-2020, 10:00 AM   #8
GoinAllTheWay
Franchise Player
 
GoinAllTheWay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Not sure
Exp:
Default

Thanks for the input guys and Fuzz especially.

Not sure why I tunnel visioned with WiFi but I picked up 100ft of Cat6 and had no problem running it across the length of the yard. One end will be where the ceremony will take place, the other runs across the yard, under a deck, through bushes and behind a tree and through a window into an office where I have a switch connected to a line coming from the modem in the basement.

Tested out YouTube live last night and finally figured out how to generate a stream and generate a link we can email to everyone.

Audio wasn't fantastic at first but a friend loaned me a pretty decent standalone mic that captures far more sound than the cameras built in mic.

Just needed some basic software to combine the incoming audo/video streams and send to youtube live.

But more testing coming up. Sure hope it works well enough.

Last edited by GoinAllTheWay; 09-16-2020 at 10:02 AM.
GoinAllTheWay is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to GoinAllTheWay For This Useful Post:
Old 09-18-2020, 05:45 PM   #9
topfiverecords
Franchise Player
 
topfiverecords's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hyperbole Chamber
Exp:
Default

Hopefully your feed is fuzz free.
topfiverecords is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to topfiverecords For This Useful Post:
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:55 AM.

Calgary Flames
2023-24




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright Calgarypuck 2021