Live Stream Newbie

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Live Stream Newbie

RoyLake30

Hey, I have a question that is probably very basic but needs answering. Basically, I am new to our church staff and occupational ministry, and while my technical title is Youth Pastor, I am taking on the responsibilities of our tech team too. I have little to no experience in that department.

Our church would like to move away from our live stream being through an iphone, and would like to take the jump into a good system. We have a sanctuary that is 65 feet wide by 70 feet deep. I was leaning toward getting two PTZ cameras, or one PTZ and a regular camcorder or camera. My question is, will it work with the Atem Mini Pro to have two different types of cameras? (PTZ and a Camcorder)?

My other question is that we would like to be able to record the video and audio from the sermon separately other than on our streaming service, and I really don't know how that works.

Our budget is about 5,000 - 6,000

Sorry for the vagueness of the discussion post, but I am in some un-charted waters for myself and for our church and feel like I can use any help possible. Thanks!

joelwsmith

RoyLake30

Thanks for reaching out and welcome to the community!

You're asking great questions, which means you're off to a good start. 🙂

My question is, will it work with the Atem Mini Pro to have two different types of cameras? (PTZ and a Camcorder)?

Yes, the ATEM Mini Pro will accept signals from most cameras that have proper HDMI outputs. It will even accept different formats and convert any input signals that don't match the format the ATEM is running. For example, a PTZ that outputs 1080p60 and a camcorder that outputs 1080p59.94 will both typically work going into the ATEM Mini Pro.

My other question is that we would like to be able to record the video and audio from the sermon separately other than on our streaming service, and I really don't know how that works.

If you go with the ATEM Mini Pro, that is kind of already covered. It will allow you to stream and record video (with audio) directly within the unit itself. Then you can simply transcode (convert) the recorded file into an audio-only format to get your audio file.

However, I always recommend redundancy and backups as much as possible, so it would also be wise to consider a separate way to record audio at least. Something like a Zoom H4n audio recorder usually works well for a reasonable price.

I was leaning toward getting two PTZ cameras, or one PTZ and a regular camcorder or camera.

I would definitely recommend having at least one manned camera instead of a PTZ if you expect to track and follow someone speaking on stage. If your pastor moves at all then a manned camcorder will be a lot smoother and less distracting than having someone try to follow along with a low end PTZ. Even high quality PTZs will struggle if you try to keep up with someone walking on stage from 50'+ away.

RoyLake30

That is very helpful information! I think that all makes sense. It is tricky jumping into a world where there is so much information available. Do you think that a camcorder would be better than a camera? I don't have much experience with either, but my only fear with a camera is that it wouldn't give good quality from 50+ feet away?

joelwsmith

RoyLake30

Do you think that a camcorder would be better than a camera? I don't have much experience with either, but my only fear with a camera is that it wouldn't give good quality from 50+ feet away?

A camcorder is just a camera with a built-in lens that offers servo (motorized) zoom, focus, and iris.

A camera that is not a camcorder, like a cinema camera or mirrorless camera, can actually look better than most camcorders in the right situations. This usually is because of sensor size and lens quality. But, lens selection with these types of cameras is very important and usually adds more to the overall cost to do properly. And in most cases you won't get servo zoom, only manual zoom by physically turning the zoom ring.

I go over many of these factors in the article linked below. I suggest starting there if you haven't already.

The Best Cameras for Live Streaming

RoyLake30

joelwsmith Thank you so much for the advice!