Best to put 2 on the 60ghz frequency and then 1 on the 2.4/5ghz wifi bands. There’s so many 2.4/5ghz devices out there that the spectrum is saturated in most places, even in homes.
1 Like
@kdeangelo do you have a current rundown of your setup (including lighting and such) for your home streams anywhere? Curious how you get yours to look so good.
1 Like
I’d like to piggyback on this and ask for the mobile rig too. I’m working on that right now and having trouble picking out small things like the best-bang-for-buck 5G transmitter, battery packs, clamps, actual rig structure, etc.
I have some details here I this post. I can add more detail if needed: Twitch/livestream setups.
1 Like
My current home streaming equipment list:
Small Streaming Computer (Perfect size for airline carry-on)
Silverstone MicroATX Case (with handle!), Ryzen 2700x, Gigabyte B450 Aorus M, Nvidia GeForce 1080, 16GB Ram, 1TB NVMe SSD, Magewell Quad HDMI Capture Card, Avermedia Broadcaster HD (for VGA capture)
This computer is cannibalized for the capture cards during INDISC to put in my large streaming computer.
Mobile Rig
“Guillotine” from 8020 (parts list)
Clamps for cameras and wireless transmitters - I added 1/4-20 rivet nuts to my Monoprices bases so I can use these clamps on them.
Pipe Clamp to hold my phone for chat viewing. These can also hold the Monoprice Blackbirds, mostly.
Cameras
Playfield - Panasonic GX85
Player/2nd Playfield Camera - Panasonic GX85 or Sony A5100 or Canon XA11 (Depends on game location)
Display - I’m 100% direct feeds via DMD Extenders and direct HDMI connections
USB Power Couplers for the cameras, as available
Lighting
2x Neewer 660 LED Lights on lighting tripods. I’ve decided that I want booms for these to put them in places I can’t get them in right now.
Wireless Devices
2x Monoprice Blackbird Wireless Tranmitters
2x Hollyland Mars 400s
Audio (at home)
Rodecaster Pro
Microphone - Shure SLX system (Receiver, Transmitter, Microphone)
Pinnovator Subwoofer Kits for audio-out to the Rodecaster, as needed
Misc
RAVPower 26,800 Battery Pack - This is my preferred battery pack. Charges super fast with their charger.
NP-F970 Batteries (generic) for powering the Hollyland transmitters and LED lights (if mobile)
Stream Deck XL - One of my favorite devices
Pyle Heavy Duty Microphone Stand - For when I need to place a camera outside of the main rig
Stern HD Glass / Invisiglass - Helps to reduce glare SO MUCH. Stern for standards, JJP for widebody
11 Likes
the Rode Wireless Go is very good indoors, I’ve even used it as a wireless solution for game sound, but outside its not so hot with wind noise.
1 Like
Thanks. Looks like I need to up my lighting game.
If anyone wants to use a cheaper wireless mic, this one is fine for long distances. Just need line of sight.
Wireless Microphone System,… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073Z4MP9W?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I’m using it here for reference.
3 Likes
one thing I’m now looking for is a battery pack that you can leave on the rig and just plug in to the wall mains and still use the rig whilst it charges. Rather than faff about changing the battery. As my rig is mostly at home (I’d still go back to the batteries Karl recommends for on location/tourney) I have to unplug the batteries at the end of a stream when I’d just like to leave it charging. I was looking at the battery generatiors like this:
and this:
Some others have 4 USB ports and one USB-C port which when I’m using Direct feed (most of the time now) that’s plenty but not yet pulled the trigger on one and given the price its not something I want to get wrong lol.
Just trying to find out if these can be charged whilst they are being used.
Neil.
I don’t have a cheaper alternative to the wireless mic setup… but I did use my AirPods Pro as a bluetooth mic source in OBS and it seemed to work fairly well for catching player audio. Pricey, but if you have them sitting around already, might be worth a try. Also, no line of site issues with the bluetooth.
2 Likes
My monoprice arrived today. It doesn’t work exactly how I would want. I am not sure I consider it a big advantage over the Behringer, they both differently don’t behave how a want.
Maybe I am misunderstanding what is going on, but it doesn’t work as I would want for a Skype call, for example. The USB in, can take the computer audio, and it can mix it with the sound coming from the mic and output them both back to the usb out. This is fine for bringing in game audio, but it equivalent to plugging the line out from the computer into on of the mixer inputs.
What I actually want is that usb audio in, to be mixed with the main and sent to my phones, but not to the main. Neither seems to do this (again unless I am missing something).
I think you’re refering to mix minus. If your mixer has an aux that might be a possibility.
How do people run their playfield cams for 1080p broadcast. I guess there are 3 decision points.
Scale in software, or keep native resolution (cropping required)?
1080p or 720p?
Portrait or landscape?
I have traditionally done 1080p landscape, with scaling in OBS and very little cropping. Recently I changed to 720p, since I was scaling all of that resolution away anyway, it probably reduces usb bandwidth requirements, but so am still scaling in software. I guess one could run 1080p landscape at native resolution and not scale at all.
Am I over thinking this? Are there advantages to each approach in terms of video quality (low light), or computer resources (usb bandwidth, CPU utilisation).
I set all my Sony cams to 1080p 60 FPS and also output that from OBS then crop or adjust in OBS as needed. I don’t change any camera settings in OBS.
1 Like
droll that “small computer” maybe more expensive and powerful than any computer I have ever owned… no wonder you had your thin down your collection 
2 Likes
Scaling down from 1080p is going to give you a cleaner image. There’s a YouTube video that shows this at different resolutions, which if you watch in the default viewer instead of fullscreen you can see.
I typically run my Brio/Camlink at 720p60 since my system isn’t as powerful so it take a bit of the load off and reduces network bandwidth since I’m going wireless, but would also be valid for USB savings. I run my player cam and backglass at 1024x576 and scale them in OBS to fit my cutouts. I also scale the playfield to the OBS template as well.
Is streaming at 1080p on twitch allowed now for non partners?
1 Like
Yep.
Sort of. If you choose to stream at 1080p you may get a stream that is ONLY 1080p meaning people with weak internet might not be able to watch. Sometimes when twitch is not busy you will get 720 and 480 transcode options, but it’s not guaranteed unless you’re a partner.
Streaming at 720 still runs the risk of mobile phones not being able to watch it since a lot of the carriers now a days make you pay extra for HD streaming, so I’m tempted to just stream at 1080 since mobile LTE watchers are probably doomed anyway.
2 Likes
I have experienced this but not for a very very long time - If you are an affiliate I think you are ok in this now and if you get +5 viewers and you are not an affiliate you should be ok also.