Stake Conference Broadcasts - Rotating Buildings/Streaming

Since streaming of video can originate from any building with enough upload bandwidth, I proposed having Stake Conference originate from one of those remote ward buildings and rotate around. Our presidency, speakers could speak and choir could sing from any remote building and broadcast back to the Stake Center.

My suggestion stems from those in remote buildings who don't get the chance to experience the sessions live and only for a conference with which no visiting presiding authority would be attending.

What's your opinion?

Additional info: Stake center capacity (average attendance) = 1000, two remote building capacities (average attendance) = 500 /ea (however there are about a dozen more choir seats in one of the remote buildings than there are at the stake center), Bandwidth is not an issue.

michaelfish wrote:Since streaming of video can originate from any building with enough upload bandwidth, I proposed having Stake Conference originate from one of those remote ward buildings and rotate around. Our presidency, speakers could speak and choir could sing from any remote building and broadcast back to the Stake Center.

It would be up to the stake presidency, of course. I think the idea has merit. It would require outfitting the other buildings in the stake with the necessary camera(s), cable(s), and other broadcast equipment, would require the proper bandwidth, and require the setting up of the stake center to receive (which is probably already in place).

A disadvantage would be travel if the other buildings are located some distance away.

What I would really like to see would be a way to have a stake conference speaker speak from any building and be seen by all the others. In addition to bandwidth, that would require some form of video conferencing, having the necessary camera and other equipment at every building. It would also require setting up the stake center to receive, as well as originate, and setting up any buildings with speakers to originate, as well as receive. You would need a couple of qualified operators at each building to handle camera and lights, etc.

But that is my dream ideal. We have not yet successfully originated from our stake center to one other building and completed a broadcast in four attempts.

That does take additional equipment - and crew to do that.

I think you'd have to use PVC as trying to use webcast would run into too many problems.

russellhltn wrote:That does take additional equipment - and crew to do that.

I think you'd have to use PVC as trying to use webcast would run into too many problems.

That is an idea I tried to pursue when we started doing our several years ago. What I found was I could concentrate on pulling, pushing, and prodding my FMG to support the infrastructure for one meetinghouse, but found there was just too much work to be done at our remote sites that the FMG would not justify based on the availability at the stake center.

Also, bandwidth is a problem as stated. again, FMG just wouldn't budge from their position that it wasn't needed or necessary.

We have broadcast from 3 different bldgs with good results. Where possible we prewired the bldg for 3 cameras using CAT5 for power, video, IR, and RS232 which allowed us to operate out of the satellite equip room. In one bldg we had to setup our control booth in the chapel overflow area. Attached is a picture and explanation.

CalS201 wrote:We have broadcast from 3 different bldgs with good results. Where possible we prewired the bldg for 3 cameras using CAT5 for power, video, IR, and RS232 which allowed us to operate out of the satellite equip room. In one bldg we had to setup our control booth in the chapel overflow area. Attached is a picture and explanation.

Nice arrangement. Just curious, what did you use to mix the 3 video feeds? I like the video monitor. Is that off the building's A/V distribution, or did you have to wire that separately?

[BTW, I remember as a youth your stake center always hosted THE BEST dances in the Bay Area! ]

We use a DataVideo SE-500 Video Switcher for mixing and the Osprey 230 card for encoding. The video also connects to the bldg's "camera input" located in the overflow area-which gets the video signal into several overflow rooms as well as the pulpit area for our choir and speaker monitors. The attachment shows our control booth setup.

CalS201:

How are you getting the hymns from the iPad into your mixer? And what app do you use on the iPad to show the hymns. I am needing to do this for our upcoming stake conference, and I have some great ideas and so far have the equipment I need.

Thank you

We purchased a "Composite Video AV Adapter" (typically $15-$35) for the iPad which we use to connect the iPad to input #4 of the 4 input video mixer. With the iPad app "GoodReader" (which supports the "Composite Video AV adapter"), we loaded a landscape oriented TXT file containing 2-4 lines of the hymn per paragraph. When it's time to display the hymn we just do a partial wipe(fade) to channel 4 to show the hymn on the bottom part of the video screen - and scroll the hymn as needed by touching the iPad screen.