How Can I Connect My Video Camera To My Computer For Streaming

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So you've decided you want to get-go live streaming to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, or any of the other platforms out in that location. Yous have your laptop, yous've got your video camera. Merely what adjacent? How do yous get the photographic camera betoken to the computer and out to the net? Well, you're in luck because we're going to walk you through exactly what equipment you need to live stream to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and more than with your video camera.

One quick note earlier we go forward, however. This guide is specifically for the required equipment or hardware you'll need, non necessarily how to become alive on your platform of option. Usually, these options are pretty like shooting fish in a barrel to find in the interfaces, and they do have extensive documentation on how to exercise this.

Also, there are specific apps for streaming, such every bit OBS, SLOBS, Xsplit, and more than. Those are all-encompassing topics on their own, and we won't be covering that hither. Anyway, on with the bear witness!

How to alive stream to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and more with a video camera Click to Tweet

Contents

• 1 What exercise you need to live stream video with a photographic camera to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and more than?
• 2 Using your video photographic camera for video conferencing with Zoom, Skype, and other teleconferencing apps
• iii Cameras for live streaming video
• 4 Estimator or laptop for streaming live video
  • 4.1 Exercise you demand a laptop or computer to alive stream video?
• v Video capture bill of fare/device for live streaming video
  • 5.one Elgato Cam Link 4K – The all-time video capture device for live streaming video
  • 5.ii Epiphan AV.io HD and 4K – Rock solid reliability for mission-critical video capture
  • 5.iii Elgato Game Capture Menu HD60 South – Game console capture for streaming
• half-dozen Live streaming video without a computer or laptop
  • 6.1 What exercise you need to stream without a desktop or laptop computer?
  • 6.ii Teradek Bail 659 backpack
  • 6.three LiveU Solo Wireless Live Video Streaming Encoder
  • 6.4 SlingStudio Hub and SlingStudio CameraLink
• 7 Final thoughts

What practice you lot need to alive stream video with a camera to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and more?

You don't need much to get your photographic camera'south image onto a alive stream, most of which yous probably already have:

• Camera with a make clean HDMI output (here are some of our favorite live streaming cameras!)
• Laptop or figurer to circulate your video online
• Video capture menu or capture device to get the camera video into the calculator
• Lite!
• Microphone suitable for adept clean vocalism recording (optional just highly recommended) – Meet our guide to microphones for live streaming
• Audio interface to capture the microphone's indicate (necessary depending on the type of microphone) – See our guide to audio interfaces for alive streaming
• Headphones for monitoring sound (optional, recommended for game streamers)

Using your video camera for video conferencing with Zoom, Skype, and other teleconferencing apps

Believe it or non, yous're not actually just limited to streaming to Facebook, YouTube, or Twitch with your video photographic camera.  Yes, while you may exist using platform-specific tools or software like OBS, SLOBS, Xsplit or other streaming software for your typical alive streaming, y'all can actually use your same setup for video conferencing.

The bulk of the hardware video capture devices we suggest here really make employ of the UVC protocol, or USB Video Device Form.  What this means is that capture devices like the Elgato Cam Link 4K really is recognized as a webcam.

Functionally, this means that whatever application that can recognize the webcam on your laptop (or a C920, for example) can see whatever is connected via the Cam Link 4K.  This includes Skype, Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, or anything else that lets yous choose your webcam.

The benefit is that if you have a killer live streaming setup with a great streaming camera and excellent lighting for your live stream you can brand use of this and flex on the rest of your coworkers in mode.

While many of our favorite video capture devices are recognized by OBS, SLOBS, Xsplit, and the like, they may not support UVC protocol.  If you plan on using your camera in Skype, Zoom, Hangouts, and other video calling apps, yous'll want to ensure that the capture device you cull volition support this UVC protocol.

Update: We have put together equally comprehensive of a list as possible of all the major brands' video capture devices that are current and support the UVC protocol, allowing you to use your mirrorless or DSLR as a webcam for applications like Skype, Zoom, Hangouts, and more.

Cameras for live streaming video

Since live streaming video is already pretty compressed, cameras are almost a diminishing return sort of thing. You lot do want something relatively good (peculiarly if yous plan on using it for non-streaming uses), but you don't need to break the bank.  It doesn't matter whether it'southward a DSLR, mirrorless, point and shoot, or camcorder, anything will work.

Yous will, withal, want a photographic camera with clean HDMI out (no menus on the output), something with an external power adapter, the advisable lens for your setup, and possibly good autofocus if y'all desire it to track your face. We've written up a huge guide on our picks of the best cameras for live streaming to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and more than so definitely become check that out.

Computer or laptop for streaming live video

You will need a computer with enough horsepower to encode video and upload it without dropping frames and breaking upwards the stream. Higher cadre count processors are benign here, with Ryzen being a new contender to Intel CPUs thank you to its high core count and low price. But that's amend addressed elsewhere.  ()We plan on updating our Ryzen for content creators post now that Ryzen 3 is released, so keep an eye on that one!).

Really, if you're only streaming video then it's a good chance that your existing computer (given that it's somewhat contempo-ish) will do quite nicely. If you're streaming games to Twitch, however, you may demand some extra horsepower to be able to handle both the game and the video broadcasting.

Practise you need a laptop or computer to live stream video?

The brusk answer is technically no, but it'due south definitely the easiest manner. The calculator is basically your video ingest device (along with the video capture card), your video control, and your broadcast device all in 1. While there are dedicated video circulate equipment for both studio (home/indoors) and out in the field (away from the studio/abode/laptop/wifi), they're infinitely more expensive and unnecessary for 99% of live streaming video applications at which this post is aimed.

Video capture card/device for live streaming video

Yep, your laptop most probable has an HDMI port on information technology already (or mini-HDMI, DisplayPort, or mini-DisplayPort), simply unfortunately, that's nigh always an output to connect to an external monitor. Almost all laptops do not have a video input, making a video capture card (or device) a necessity.  So how do you get your camera output into your laptop or desktop?

Commonly referred to as a video capture card cheers to traditionally beingness a PCI expansion card that goes inside your desktop calculator, a video capture device simply does what its name implies: it captures the video bespeak of whatever is plugged into its input and makes information technology available for the computer software to see and dispense.

These have at present commonly become external boxes connected mostly via USB, and tin be used without tearing open your computer to install them. While there are a ton of these on the market place at present with varying degrees of quality and features, nosotros are at present nigh always recommending 1 single device.

Elgato Cam Link 4K – The best video capture device for live streaming video

Update, 3/26/20: Due to the increased need for alive streaming devices, the Cam Link 4K is pretty much sold out well-nigh places.  We've started a guide to some of the best alternating alive streaming devices to this and other equipment that alive streamers may need during this crisis and will be attempting to update it as often equally possible.  These alternatives will be ones that (at the time of updating the guide) will be shipping faster than the normal Amazon delayed notice for about items.  If you can't find this device, delight see our list of alternatives.

Initially covered in our same streaming cameras guide, the Elgato Cam Link 4K is fairly new, and an update of their existing Cam Link. This device is seriously impressive every bit it tin accept HDMI inputs upwards to 4K 30fps, and will do 1080p at 60fps. And it's non a box–information technology'due south a USB dongle , making it perfect for streaming video from a laptop.

Insane, right? Well, this has quickly become the get-to for streamers and full general video capture. Information technology even works with Skype, OBS/SLOBS, and whatever other awarding that tin can recognize webcams because it really registers its signal as a webcam.

All these features (and the many more we're non covering here) along with a very affordable price make this our number one pick for video capture devices for both desktop and laptop computers. Unless you need specialized features we don't see a amend choice out there.

Buy Elgato Cam Link 4K here

Epiphan AV.io Hard disk and 4K – Rock solid reliability for mission-critical video capture

We've recently espoused the reliability of the Epiphan AV.io capture devices in our guide to cameras for live streaming and live video broadcasting, and they warrant some other mention here. They're considerably more expensive than other options on this list, but if you need insanely reliable can't-break-it devices, these are your ticket to success.

In that location is a 1080p version and a 4K version available for those with massive bandwidth available. They interpret your incoming camera betoken into a webcam photographic camera that Windows can natively apply in nearly whatever video application, and are fully capable of hot-swapping the inputs in case anything comes unplugged while streaming.

Definitely a pricey option, but if you're doing mission-disquisitional streaming you tin't get wrong here with the Epiphan AV.io family unit.

Purchase Epiphan AV.io Hd here

Buy Epiphan AV.io 4K here

Elgato Game Capture Card HD60 S – Game panel capture for streaming

Everything in this article has been geared toward users who want to capture a camera input device. Only what about those streamers who are playing panel games? How would yous capture and stream your Xbox One or Playstation 4?

Enter the Elgato HD60 Southward. This is a USB type-C device that allows you to connect your game console's output and then send that out from the device to your TV while likewise piping the signal to your computer to include in your stream.

The usual issue with these pass-through capture devices is the latency, only that's non really an issue with the HD60 S. Elgato calls it Instant Gameview, and promises ultra-low latency so your gaming session isn't impacted past the capture device.

This particular device doesn't practise the h.264 video encoding for you, and then your calculator's CPU will be treatment that load, and then keep that in mind. It will, all the same, support up to 1080p60 capture, and then your games will look silky smooth.

There are other devices in the game capture line with more features, higher resolution, and other nice-to-haves, but equally far as a dead simple affordable game capture device, this is the perfect starting point.

Buy Elgato Game Capture Card HD60 S hither

Alive streaming video without a estimator or laptop

Live streaming with a desktop or laptop computer is pretty straightforward, as nosotros've shown. You most likely have near everything you need. But what if you demand to live video broadcasting out in the field, away from your home or office/studio? That'southward where information technology gets a bit more complex, and a lot more expensive.

With a estimator-based setup, your calculator (and the capture device) handles the signal ingest, video encoding, video circulate prep (titles, camera/game layouts, etc), and the bodily circulate to the streaming platform over the network. It's a handy self-independent system.

When you're away from the desk-bound, on the motion without power, network/wifi, and, well, a desk, you demand all of those components with you. You can't be messing around with a laptop, and so you'll be looking at dedicated setups that consist of these functions in divide devices.

What do you need to stream without a desktop or laptop computer?

• Starting time you'll need a video capture device that does encoding. Well-nigh will encode to h.264, however there are h.265/HEVC encoders available.
• You'll need a network device, such as a portable LTE modem. LTE modems are often not quite enough bandwidth past themselves, and so you'll demand multiple modems to piece of work together, which means…
• Network bonding. Bonding is the act of taking multiple network connections and bridging them together to act equally one network connectedness. This ensures more network bandwidth and redundancy incase ane modem loses signal.
• High-proceeds antennas to become those modem signals the best tower connection possible.
• Massive batteries. Ordinarily Gold or V Mount batteries because of the high chapters.
• A fashion to keep all this equipment cool.
• Something in which to behave all these separate things.

In that location are more and more live video broadcasting streaming encoders out on the market, but unfortunately even the affordable ones are still pretty pricey. But hither's a few of our current favorite options if you lot're and then inclined to exit at that place and broadcast from the field.

Teradek Bond 659 backpack

I'm an avid disc golfer (and occasionally blog most disc golf!), and as such watch a good corporeality of pre-recorded footage and alive tournaments. Disc golf isn't a huge sport like traditional golf, and every bit such the community has had to figure out a way to get the live coverage where there's no infrastructure for full stationary camera setups, and do it at a fraction of the cost.

1 of the most prominent disc golf YouTube channels out there, SmashBoxx, has been streaming tournaments for years, and use Teradek Bail kits for their two on-form cameras (1 at the tee, ane at the basket, called a "catch cam").

Teradek is known for excellent wireless transmission gear for professional person applications, and the Bond backpack kits are probably the most well-rounded and modular setups available right now. They come with almost everything you need to go up and running, even if you don't take any modems of your own.

The backpacks come up with the Teradek Cube h.264 encoders (h.265 in the Bond 759) to handle the video input and compression, the Bond device to bond together multiple modems, and four Node modems for whichever geographical region yous choose when yous buy the gear up.

You'll as well become the massive high-proceeds antennas and your choice of bombardment mount organisation, merely y'all'll have to supply your ain batteries (hence the aforementioned "near everything"). The whole setup is continued with locking cables so nothing can come loose in the backpack, and there'southward an agile cooling organization to go on everything running outdoors.

Typically the information stream from these setups will be fed to a control room where all of the titles, graphics, camera bending cuts, and voiceover/announcing tin can be coordinated. This frees the camera operators to do exactly what their job title says, and all other decisions are handled remotely.

While they accept a fairly high toll fastened, the reliability and plug-and-play functionality really practice make these excellent remote live streaming encoder kits. For those who demand stone solid stability, the Teradek Bail backpacks should be your first stop for an all-in-one solution.

Buy Teradeck Bond 659 here

LiveU Solo Wireless Alive Video Streaming Encoder

The LiveU Solo is a much more affordable solution, albeit less robust. This is a smaller device meant for smaller outfits, but still provides a solid option for remote video broadcasting.

You won't need to supply your own battery, as there's an internal rechargeable battery that tin supply upwards to iii hours of broadcasting. Yous tin bond upwardly to four connections, including one wifi, one ethernet, and upward to two LTE or WiMax modems connected via USB, which you lot volition need to provide on your ain.

The stream can exist monitored on the small built-in display, and your stream destinations set up via the LiveU Solo portal on any web-connected device. Information technology's a relatively dead simple setup and is easy to operate for on-the-go video broadcasting and makes an first-class single person live streaming setup for when yous're away from your home base.

Buy LiveU Solo Wireless Live Video Streaming Encoder here

SlingStudio Hub and SlingStudio CameraLink

We've been meaning to put together a full guide on the SlingStudio Hub and its associated devices but keeps getting delayed. This is a really interesting ecosystem of devices. It isn't necessarily a fully field-ready video broadcast organisation, merely information technology does piece of work if you lot take wifi.

The basics are that there'south a base of operations station (SlingStudio Hub) and and so transmitters that go on your cameras (SlingStudio CameraLink). Everything tin can be monitored and controlled via the SlingStudio Panel app on an iPad or Mac (no Windows or Android devices, sadly). This allows you to control your cameras without needing a computer, or from in front of the photographic camera.

Speaking of cameras, not only can you connect your DSLR, camcorder, or mirrorless camera with a CameraLink as well as take an HDMI input, but you lot can also use your iOS or Android (on supported devices) device as an additional camera with the SlingStudio Capture app.

In 1080p30 and lower, you tin have up to 10 total camera sources, upwards to 4 of those monitored via the app–you lot won't get a total heads-up view of all x sources. In 1080p60 that unfortunately drops to 2 monitored sources.

Not merely can you stream from the SlingStudio Hub, but you can also salvage the streams either separately or equally the stream was cut on an SD carte or USB portable hard bulldoze (USB 3.0 preferred, 2.0 non recommended). This is so that you can later on come back to the footage and either upload the chief stream exactly as switched live, or re-edit the source footage in case one camera angle missed something important.

Coming back to the portability aspect of this, of grade there's a battery available. It's basically an add together-on that the Hub sits on. This style you will be able to become portable with the Hub–every bit long as you lot're on wifi.

There's a modest number of drawbacks if you're looking for a field-ready setup. First, the range from the Hub to the CameraLinks is well-nigh 300 feet, less with objects and other interference.

2d, the Hub's operating temperature range is only 32°F to 95°F. So basically, don't operate this exterior in the summer or else it will virtually likely overheat and shut down.

And lastly is the lack of connectivity to USB LTE or WiMax modems. This is probably the biggest obstacle to using it as a truly portable video broadcast system. Information technology really is simply suitable for indoors situations around potent wifi, but is honestly meant for a stationary studio situation every bit an affordable version of the studio standard Tricaster.

Simply if that's what you need, then this is an excellent option for you lot, as it offers a ton of connectivity and flexibility for non much money as long every bit you piece of work within its limitations.

Purchase SlingStudio Hub here
Buy SlingStudio CameraLink here

Buy SlingStudio Bombardment here

Final thoughts

Not counting the whole last section on fully remote circulate streaming setups, there's really not much in the way of you setting up a great alive stream with your external video photographic camera. Well-nigh people are really just missing the video capture device, merely we hope to have demystified it and get you up and running, gear up to accept on the world of live streaming video.

Do you lot have any questions most alive streaming with a video photographic camera that we missed? Whatsoever thoughts or suggestions? Drop a comment below or @ us at @creatorbeat_ on Twitter or @creatorbeat on Instagram!

Source: https://www.creatorbeat.com/cameras/how-to-live-stream-with-a-video-camera/

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