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An Investigation into Live Streaming
"My final year project was an attempt to produce a live stream of one of
the annual Varsity games on as limited a budget as possible. This included
putting together a complete outside broadcast rig, finding and learning
how to use a streaming server and extensive research into the different
streaming formats that are available. Not only did I create a stream, I also
created a documentary about the journey outlining the key stages and
problems that were overcome to get the project up and running.
One of the problems I had to overcome involved working out a complete
broadcast rig from camera to delivery and then sourcing the equipment
as cheaply as possible. The rig consisted of four cameras, hundreds of
metres of cable, the relevant connectors, six monitors, a vision mixer, four
microphones, a sound mixer, an analogue to digital converter, a laptop
hosting both a server and a real time encoder and an internet connection.
I spent a total five hundred pounds on this project and considering the
amount of equipment involved I think I did very well!
My knowledge of IT is now considerably greater than it was before
completing the project. My background is in video so to be responsible for
a streaming server was a skill that I had to learn, and quickly, as it is very IT
based. I had to learn the difference between a unicast and a multicast, what
port numbers are and why they are important in the set up. During the early
days I also overcame many 'heartbeat failures' of the streaming server which
is made more difficult by the fact that it doesn't really tell you what's wrong,
just that something is wrong.
I successfully built a working outside broadcast rig on my own which has
furthered my understanding of video and also outside broadcast rigs and
their strengths and limitations. I managed a large crew of eighteen, which
included presenters, directors, vision mixers and camera operators, and this
is something I am more than happy to do again in the future.
I would be happy to work on a project like this again and feel that through
my experience I would be an asset to any broadcaster, especially those that
use outside broadcasts as I have experience and knowledge in this area."
