StickyChurch Webcasts using OBS

The attached PDF shows one stake's experience using OBS software running on a computer for broadcasting Sacrament Meetings.

I am planning to use OBS on Sunday for a broadcast. I have tested it with the Church Webcast system and it worked. Will to another test run Saturday night. Thanks for this PDF, it will help. I have also used a tool called ecam live (it costs) in my profession to broadcast live events and it also allows you to bring in up to 4 guests to present via skype. Pretty slick.

Another cool tool it yardstream (costs) that is all web interface but allows you to do live stream with bringing in guests. You can keep your guests in the green room until time. Used by a lot of video casters these days.

Kevin

Streamyard has a monthly fee and is interesting, but I would suggest looking at VMIX. It is a dedicated application and is not a monthly subscription. It is very stable and powerful...or stick with OBS or Streamlabs OBS.

We had a stake fireside this week - and for the first time we had to 2 two simultaneous streaming events.

Normally all of the Spanish speakers in our stake gather at their meeting house and they translate it locally for them while broadcasting in the chapel. However, because of COVID-19 this was not possible.

So we fed our audio and video system into our teradek like normal. But we split the feed and fed it into a computer and used OBS, since we did not have another teradek available to us.

We were able to feed the spanish translation into the computer line-in for OBS and were able to use OBS to mix the audio between the translation and the music numbers from the main event feed audio.

This was our first event using OBS (https://obsproject.com/), and I have to say I loved it.

spencerto wrote:Streamyard has a monthly fee and is interesting, but I would suggest looking at VMIX. It is a dedicated application and is not a monthly subscription. It is very stable and powerful...or stick with OBS or Streamlabs OBS.

Price is right for VMIX and it looks very impressive. One main difference between it and Yardstream is that Yardstream can bring in guests/speakers who are not in your building. In other words you could produce your show with everyone being at different locations. VMIX looks like a very powerful production tool for streaming from your building where guests/speakers are. Mix in audio and do overlays. At $60 for the 1 year usage for SD. I think it is great. Will have to try the free trial version and play with it.

vMix allows for remote participants ("vMix Call"), but only on the paid "HD" tier.

vMix does have it's own ability to have guests from other locations with it's paid tiers. You can also use Skype to bring in remote guests. Skype has supported NDI for quite some time. With NDI enabled, you can bring in a guest into OBS or vMix and mix them into the broadcast. Teams also has support for NDI now as well.

To find the NDI support in skype, open settings -> Calling -> Advanced Calling -> Allow NDI usage

Not sure if there is enough interest to justify the effort to document what I've built, but I've created a Python script that queries the XML configuration file (normally used by a Teradek encoder to get its settings), update the configuration files for OBS studio, and then when a new URL becomes available, it auto-launches OBS with the new settings. When run as a Cron job on a linux machine (or presumably with modifications it could work on Windows as a scheduled task) it begins and ends the event automatically. I've found that pretty old computers (I'm using 2009 iMacs with Core 2 Duo processors at 2.6 GHz, purchased for about $35 surplus from a school district a few years back plus $15 for a RAM upgrade to 2 GB) work wonderfully with Ubuntu and OBS studio for streaming meetings. Furthermore, I've even automated the setup of the iMacs with SaltStack so you install the base OS, configure the Salt Minion, and apply the state from the Master and it sets up virtually everything in one (long) step. I've also got a manual setup guide for doing audio-only streaming with Raspberry Pi computers (<$75 each with SD card, power adapter and USB audio interface) and a DigitalOcean ($5/mo) droplet server running IceCast in the cloud. If there's enough interest, I'd be happy to share what I've built and learned in the process.
They work great sitting in the second row of pews facing the pulpit, only sticking up an inch or two above the back of the pew, directly using the built-in webcam, or with an $8 HDMI input USB dongle if you prefer a better camera, or just a USB webcam. You can take audio from the built-in mic or run a cable from the "record out" port from the sound system.
I'll check in on this thread occasionally, but feel free to direct message me if you like.

jeremywillden wrote:Not sure if there is enough interest to justify the effort to document what I've built, but I've created a Python script that queries the XML configuration file (normally used by a Teradek encoder to get its settings), update the configuration files for OBS studio, and then when a new URL becomes available, it auto-launches OBS with the new settings. When run as a Cron job on a linux machine (or presumably with modifications it could work on Windows as a scheduled task) it begins and ends the event automatically. I've found that pretty old computers (I'm using 2009 iMacs with Core 2 Duo processors at 2.6 GHz, purchased for about $35 surplus from a school district a few years back plus $15 for a RAM upgrade to 2 GB) work wonderfully with Ubuntu and OBS studio for streaming meetings. Furthermore, I've even automated the setup of the iMacs with SaltStack so you install the base OS, configure the Salt Minion, and apply the state from the Master and it sets up virtually everything in one (long) step. I've also got a manual setup guide for doing audio-only streaming with Raspberry Pi computers (<$75 each with SD card, power adapter and USB audio interface) and a DigitalOcean ($5/mo) droplet server running IceCast in the cloud. If there's enough interest, I'd be happy to share what I've built and learned in the process.
They work great sitting in the second row of pews facing the pulpit, only sticking up an inch or two above the back of the pew, directly using the built-in webcam, or with an $8 HDMI input USB dongle if you prefer a better camera, or just a USB webcam. You can take audio from the built-in mic or run a cable from the "record out" port from the sound system.
I'll check in on this thread occasionally, but feel free to direct message me if you like.

I would be interested to know more about your Python script you have created to update the OBS studio configuration files. This is one solution that I would like to try using for webcasting as a solution which uses existing equipment.

I will be using OBS as well but I will just have the one scene in OBS. I do A/V work like this for work so I have a video switcher I will be using to switch between the camera and a graphic/still image when needed. I will also be using an audio interface to take the audio from the 1/8" record out from the building house sound to send the audio into the stream. Vmix is a great program too.

Thank you for this information, I was hoping to find some instructions for using OBS Studio, and this was just what I was looking for.

For the code and instructions, refer to this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=37666

Followed everything in the instructions. But an error "Failed to connect to server. Hostname not found. Make sure you entered a valid streaming server..." in OBS appears. Am I missing something?

Make sure the Church server is ready to accept the video stream (in the Event Manager). If it is, double check the Stream URL and Stream Key and make sure they (exactly) match what you configured in OBS studio. With the "hostname not found" error, it's likely that the rtsp:// is incorrect or the part immediately after it.

Got it! Works for me now! So apparently I can only start streaming when it goes to Pre-buffer status which is 10 minutes before broadcast when running through Test. Thanks!

ljbusadre wrote:Got it! Works for me now! So apparently I can only start streaming when it goes to Pre-buffer status which is 10 minutes before broadcast when running through Test. Thanks!

Test events don't get much of a pre-roll, if any, but with live events you can start streaming up to 60 minutes prior to the event's start time.

15 minutes is the pre-roll time for the Test option.

Biggles wrote:15 minutes is the pre-roll time for the Test option.

It was, but I heard it changed to 10 minutes when the two-hour pre-roll for live events changed to one hour.

And I have no idea what we get now at the end for overrun. It used to be 30 minutes for a live event. I noticed recently that while in a live event it can be extended in increments of 10 minutes.

lajackson wrote:

Biggles wrote:15 minutes is the pre-roll time for the Test option.

It was, but I heard it changed to 10 minutes when the two-hour pre-roll for live events changed to one hour.

And I have no idea what we get now at the end for overrun. It used to be 30 minutes for a live event. I noticed recently that while in a live event it can be extended in increments of 10 minutes.

I was sure it said 15 minutes when I scheduled and did a Test earlier this week. But I was in a hurry, so might have missed the change.

You may still be correct. I have not seen the change for myself.

Just passing along a few weeks of OBS experience:

While we use the tool in 7 wards, it has some small glitches that make it unsuitable for individuals who aren't familiar with technology. Specifically:

* If a USB camera somehow loses a connection (such as an unplugged cable), you have to restart OBS to get it to work again.
* We've had issues where a saved camera USB source doesn't pick up on a reboot, so we've had to recreate the camera source.
* We had an assistant accidentally prepend a space to a stream address or key, and that caused the connection to fail. OBS doesn't trim out spaces.

While these are minor, they do affect meetings. Additionally, assistants are making mistakes not plugging in cords tight and snug. Overall, we still like OBS because of its flexibility (for example, we can put text on screen letting users know if we are having audio trouble). But it's definitely not a foolproof solution.

Has anyone else had trouble with the church camera not being recognized when plugging into a laptop?

I tried this OBS setup, but when I select the camera I only have my laptop webcam and the OBS virtual camera.

We have the camera going out into an HDMI converter and then I am plugging in the HDMI cable into my laptop. I've tried it on 2 different laptops and on OBS and Zoom, but it doesn't get recognized.

jsorens6 wrote: I am plugging in the HDMI cable into my laptop. I've tried it on 2 different laptops and on OBS and Zoom, but it doesn't get recognized.

Are you sure that's a HDMI input? All laptops I've seen have only HDMI outputs to feed external monitors.

You probably need a HDMI to USB adapter.

russellhltn wrote:

jsorens6 wrote: I am plugging in the HDMI cable into my laptop. I've tried it on 2 different laptops and on OBS and Zoom, but it doesn't get recognized.

Are you sure that's a HDMI input? All laptops I've seen have only HDMI outputs to feed external monitors.

You probably need a HDMI to USB adapter.

Ha! I am not sure. That's why I'm the last one that should be trying to figure this stuff out!

As always, thanks for the response and tip!

russellhltn wrote:

jsorens6 wrote: I am plugging in the HDMI cable into my laptop. I've tried it on 2 different laptops and on OBS and Zoom, but it doesn't get recognized.

Are you sure that's a HDMI input? All laptops I've seen have only HDMI outputs to feed external monitors.

You probably need a HDMI to USB adapter.

I have used this $12 HDMI to USB Capture Adapter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089RXBHWN/ to get camera's HDMI output into OBS.

bradpeterson@gmail.com wrote:Just passing along a few weeks of OBS experience:

While we use the tool in 7 wards, it has some small glitches that make it unsuitable for individuals who aren't familiar with technology. Specifically:

* If a USB camera somehow loses a connection (such as an unplugged cable), you have to restart OBS to get it to work again.
* We've had issues where a saved camera USB source doesn't pick up on a reboot, so we've had to recreate the camera source.
* We had an assistant accidentally prepend a space to a stream address or key, and that caused the connection to fail. OBS doesn't trim out spaces.

While these are minor, they do affect meetings. Additionally, assistants are making mistakes not plugging in cords tight and snug. Overall, we still like OBS because of its flexibility (for example, we can put text on screen letting users know if we are having audio trouble). But it's definitely not a foolproof solution.

You do not have to restart OBS to get a camera (not just USB) working again. Just go to the Source/Settings screen for the camera and press the "Deactive/Activate" button twice. Note: In the latest version of OBS the button has been promoted on the main screen.

CalS201 wrote:

russellhltn wrote:

jsorens6 wrote: I am plugging in the HDMI cable into my laptop. I've tried it on 2 different laptops and on OBS and Zoom, but it doesn't get recognized.

Are you sure that's a HDMI input? All laptops I've seen have only HDMI outputs to feed external monitors.

You probably need a HDMI to USB adapter.

I have used this $12 HDMI to USB Capture Adapter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089RXBHWN/ to get camera's HDMI output into OBS.

Thanks!

CalS201 wrote:I have used this $12 HDMI to USB Capture Adapter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089RXBHWN/ to get camera's HDMI output into OBS.

We use that same one in three buildings. They're great with one glitch. It introduces roughly a 125 ms delay between audio and video. This is easily fixable in OBS. In the Audio Mixer, click on the audio sources gear wheel, click on Advanced Audio Properties. In sync offset for your audio input, set it to 125 ms. Click Close.

bradpeterson@gmail.com wrote:

CalS201 wrote:I have used this $12 HDMI to USB Capture Adapter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089RXBHWN/ to get camera's HDMI output into OBS.

We use that same one in three buildings. They're great with one glitch. It introduces roughly a 125 ms delay between audio and video. This is easily fixable in OBS. In the Audio Mixer, click on the audio sources gear wheel, click on Advanced Audio Properties. In sync offset for your audio input, set it to 125 ms. Click Close.

You have 3 bldgs and are using 3 HDMI output cameras ?! What make and model cameras are you using?

Have you tried using 2 or more of the HDMI to USB Capture Adapters on the same computer with OBS?

I have heard that audio to video delay over 200ms begins to be noticeable. Longer delays become annoying. What has been your experience? How did you determine your delay was about 125ms?

We're using the ones suggested by the church, Sony HDRCX405 Meetinghouse Webcast Camera. https://store.churchofjesuschrist.org/u ... ast-camera

I found 3 at my local Best Buy for cheaper, around $220 or so each. The great part about these is they have fantastic zoom, so if for any reason you ever need to set up a camera in the back, it can still work.

We use them with the HDMI to USB converter, and this tripod is great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087D ... UTF8&psc=1

Have you tried using 2 or more of the HDMI to USB Capture Adapters on the same computer with OBS?

We're only doing 1 camera + adapter per building. The tripod lets us pan, tilt, and the camera lets us zoom.

But if you want a multi-camera setup, this should work. but I haven't tried it. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't. I think the biggest issue is these adapters are a bit fat, so their plastic housing tends to overlap a nearby USB. You'd want something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0871 ... UTF8&psc=1\

I have heard that audio to video delay over 200ms begins to be noticeable. Longer delays become annoying. What has been your experience? How did you determine your delay was about 125ms?
Top

I personally notice around 50 ms. 100 ms becomes distracting to me. I was able to determine the delay by broadcasting then clapping. I'd adjust, and try again. 125-150 seems to be the sweet spot to fix it.

I have been playing around with closed captions in OBS (captions which are embedded into the stream and can be toggled by the user in the video player client/YouTube).

It looks like the video player client the church uses on their webcast platform does not have this option to display captions. So I assume that the captions from OBS can only be seen by streamers on YouTube live.

Anyone able to get closed captions working on the churches streaming platform?

bphilli7 wrote:Anyone able to get closed captions working on the churches streaming platform?

Considering that there is no control on the player end to switch it on or off, I can't see how that would work. It would have to be Open Captioned (part of the video).

We're doing a stake conference this weekend. We have a deaf group in our stake, so there's been a request for closed captioning. I was told by the folks coordinating this on Salt Lake's end that we'd have to setup a second Church Webcast for the captioned program.

russellhltn wrote:

bphilli7 wrote:Anyone able to get closed captions working on the churches streaming platform?

We have a deaf group in our stake, so there's been a request for closed captioning.

Just a thought, is it possible you could have a second camera trained on someone who does live ASL interpretation? Then feed that through a second webcast?

OBS makes it very easy to "tile" a second video camera source, I do it all the time for my work. If you want to go the extra mile, you can put the ASL interpreter in front of a mono colored wall/screen, then use an OBS chroma key filter to make the wall/screen transparent.

bradpeterson@gmail.com wrote:Just a thought, is it possible you could have a second camera trained on someone who does live ASL interpretation? Then feed that through a second webcast?

I'm sure a number of things are possible. But that would have to be another setup and you'd need the equipment and staffing to do it. If you have a visiting authority, the primary setup will be zoom.

As it is, it seems SL wants the local stake to co-host the meeting and run the hymns. To do it right would be two machines and two people.

Did a Stake Conference broadcast on Sunday using OBS. 33 people in the chapel, the rest all online.

I solicited the help of two other people for this to get everything right. One on camera, one on audio and one on OBS switching, and doing the text overlays (lower 3rd) on speakers and songs.
We had two special musical numbers not at the pulpit. A vocal soloist with piano accompanying and a piano solo. Put a mic on the grand piano and one for soloist. Piano mic was only sent to broadcast and not house sound. Piano was plenty loud with lid lifted up for in the chapel.


While I was looking up how to do something in OBS I discovered you can connect a Stream Deck button controller to OBS. I had one sitting around collecting dust so I hooked it up and made buttons for speaker overlays. Worked like a charm.

We set up at the back of the chapel as to not be a distraction to those in the meeting.

Appreciate all the good advice and experience on these forums from those of you who have done this many times.

We use OBS to feed the Church webcast system for sacrament meeting each Sunday. Traditionalists (nothing wrong with that), our bishopric runs with the sacrament at its normal place in the meeting. We put up a slide that the sacrament ordinance is in progress and cut the sound.

Almost every week, near the end of the sacrament portion of the meeting or within a minute of the resumption of the meeting with the first talk, the webcast drops. The operator watches for it and immediately restarts OBS. The rest of the meeting usually proceeds without incident.

Is there some reason OBS might be doing this to us? Does something about the feed change during the quiet part that causes the online servers to drop the webcast?

We are befuddled and welcome any sugestions that may help alleviate this challenge.

lajackson,

I've run now about 50 OBS meetings, I've never had drops like what you mention. Every time I have issues connecting it has been the fault of the servers. But it's never dropped mid meeting.

The only reason I could see a drop is due to 1) you are broadcasting through wireless and not ethernet, or 2) the laptop is weak and slow, and it drops because it can't keep up with the encoding.

Recent recommendation was to move sacrament to the end of the meeting allowing for those watching on stream to have a unbroken experience. We've been doing it this way and it works well.

jkarras wrote:Recent recommendation was to move sacrament to the end of the meeting allowing for those watching on stream to have a unbroken experience. We've been doing it this way and it works well.

Or to start the webcast after the sacrament ordinance. We are aware of those guidelines. The bishop still has the keys, though, and the stake president agrees with him.

Still, this should not affect the webcast.

I'm wondering about how the webcast is being paused.

Our Bishop was undecided when the guidance came out. I just explained that the difference between what we were doing and the sacrament program that is shown on BYU-TV every Sunday was that the BYU-TV program was produced and not live streamed. So they can manipulate it in post and you get a nice continuous feel and keep it to 45min. For us, it would require a blank space of unknown time each week. This would give those at home a nicer program and less fiddling on our part plus less use of technology we didn't have (cameras and laptops).

Once he thought about the flow for those at home he went with the modified format with sacrament at the end. The side benefit is people stay to the end and don't duck out early

russellhltn wrote:I'm wondering about how the webcast is being paused.

In OBS? Put up the graphic and turn off the sound input. When the ordinance is completed, put up the camera again and turn the sound input back on. Am I missing something, or was that not the question?

lajackson wrote:

russellhltn wrote:I'm wondering about how the webcast is being paused.

In OBS? Put up the graphic and turn off the sound input. When the ordinance is completed, put up the camera again and turn the sound input back on. Am I missing something, or was that not the question?

That's the question. And that's the general idea of what should be done. I don't know OBS to know if there's some common error coming into play. The main thing is to make sure the outgoing data stream is still going and not paused at all.

Muting the audio is something I hadn't considered, but I wonder if the combination of a static screen and no audio is causing something to think the stream has been cut off.

Again, I don't know OBS well enough, but I'd give thought to some soft music and/or animated graphic so the servers see "activity".

Another suggestion is to watch the status page during the sacrament to see if it gives any clues before the link dies.

russellhltn wrote:The main thing is to make sure the outgoing data stream is still going and not paused at all.

Got it. We did not have a problem this week. I also shut off the meetinghouse WiFi just in case a shortage of bandwidth was causing the problem. Should not have been an issue, but you never know, and I was not there to take a speed test reading.

During the quiet time (slide and no sound), OBS and the servers say they still are trading 74 kbps. Of course, that is a lot lower than 1,800 kbps when the meeting is actually running.

We will keep watching it.

We are experiencing a 1min 30 second delay between when the meeting starts and when it shows up in OBS making everything offset by 1 min 30 seconds. Is this normal and can it be changed/eliminated?

chrismiltimore wrote:We are experiencing a 1min 30 second delay between when the meeting starts and when it shows up in OBS making everything offset by 1 min 30 seconds. Is this normal and can it be changed/eliminated?

If you're talking about the church webcast, the default for the viewer seems to be a 120 second delay. You can see the settings at the bottom of each individual's viewer screen.

jeremywillden wrote:
Not sure if there is enough interest to justify the effort to document what I've built, but I've created a Python script that queries the XML configuration file (normally used by a Teradek encoder to get its settings), update the configuration files for OBS studio, and then when a new URL becomes available, it auto-launches OBS with the new settings. When run as a Cron job on a linux machine (or presumably with modifications it could work on Windows as a scheduled task) it begins and ends the event automatically. I've found that pretty old computers (I'm using 2009 iMacs with Core 2 Duo processors at 2.6 GHz, purchased for about $35 surplus from a school district a few years back plus $15 for a RAM upgrade to 2 GB) work wonderfully with Ubuntu and OBS studio for streaming meetings. Furthermore, I've even automated the setup of the iMacs with SaltStack so you install the base OS, configure the Salt Minion, and apply the state from the Master and it sets up virtually everything in one (long) step. I've also got a manual setup guide for doing audio-only streaming with Raspberry Pi computers (<$75 each with SD card, power adapter and USB audio interface) and a DigitalOcean ($5/mo) droplet server running IceCast in the cloud. If there's enough interest, I'd be happy to share what I've built and learned in the process.
They work great sitting in the second row of pews facing the pulpit, only sticking up an inch or two above the back of the pew, directly using the built-in webcam, or with an $8 HDMI input USB dongle if you prefer a better camera, or just a USB webcam. You can take audio from the built-in mic or run a cable from the "record out" port from the sound system.
I'll check in on this thread occasionally, but feel free to direct message me if you like.

I'd be interested in the Python Script as well.

Bump and Following...

icecapc wrote:

jeremywillden wrote:
Not sure if there is enough interest to justify the effort to document what I've built, but I've created a Python script that queries the XML configuration file (normally used by a Teradek encoder to get its settings), update the configuration files for OBS studio, and then when a new URL becomes available, it auto-launches OBS with the new settings. When run as a Cron job on a linux machine (or presumably with modifications it could work on Windows as a scheduled task) it begins and ends the event automatically. I've found that pretty old computers (I'm using 2009 iMacs with Core 2 Duo processors at 2.6 GHz, purchased for about $35 surplus from a school district a few years back plus $15 for a RAM upgrade to 2 GB) work wonderfully with Ubuntu and OBS studio for streaming meetings. Furthermore, I've even automated the setup of the iMacs with SaltStack so you install the base OS, configure the Salt Minion, and apply the state from the Master and it sets up virtually everything in one (long) step. I've also got a manual setup guide for doing audio-only streaming with Raspberry Pi computers (<$75 each with SD card, power adapter and USB audio interface) and a DigitalOcean ($5/mo) droplet server running IceCast in the cloud. If there's enough interest, I'd be happy to share what I've built and learned in the process.
They work great sitting in the second row of pews facing the pulpit, only sticking up an inch or two above the back of the pew, directly using the built-in webcam, or with an $8 HDMI input USB dongle if you prefer a better camera, or just a USB webcam. You can take audio from the built-in mic or run a cable from the "record out" port from the sound system.
I'll check in on this thread occasionally, but feel free to direct message me if you like.

I'd be interested in the Python Script as well.

Take a look at:
https://github.com/jeremywillden/obs-automator

I've got four buildings and the meetings auto-start every week with zero involvement from me. I just connect to all four streams to make sure they remembered to turn on the sound system.

That sounds great! I am tossing the idea around for building a raspberry pi and configuring it to stream to youtube. With youtube, you don't have the constant server and code changes that you do in webcast.

There is a bluetooth adapter that runs on a microusb charger and can connect to the building line-out. It was designed with our church systems in mind. We have been using them for a while in our stake and the speaking audio is outstanding. (Organs do not always pick up well.) https://www.tinyosshop.com/tsa6017

Task list to be successful:
- Set and save the RMTP URL
- Set and save the YouTube Broadcast key
- Configure bluetooth startup and pairing with the specialty adapter
- Connect to the new "Lehi" wifi
- Configure a start streaming procedure with confirmation of live feed. (Possible led)
- Configure the ability to stop the feed and confirmation of stopping.

I could see a raspberry pi mounted on a tripod running off a battery pack with a simple start / stop button.

I have used @jeremywillden's obs-automator as a base for a Raspberry Pi system that costs just about 250$ for the whole system. It is able to do any RTMP source, such as youtube, but also is able to read the autoconfig from the church.

We removed the requirement for obs, and went straight to ffmpeg, for increased performance and so we could go with a cheaper solution. It has a configuration page to be able to stop, start, restart, and see the status, along with editing all sorts of settings such as an autoconfig url, rtmp details, resolution, etc. We also have recently started development of an app to be able to control the pi easily for bishops.

If you want to take a look, feel free at:
viewtopic.php?p=218301
https://github.com/ChickenDevs/webcast

evan@alexfam.com wrote:I have used @jeremywillden's obs-automator as a base for a Raspberry Pi system that costs just about 250$ for the whole system. It is able to do any RTMP source, such as youtube, but also is able to read the autoconfig from the church.

We removed the requirement for obs, and went straight to ffmpeg, for increased performance and so we could go with a cheaper solution. It has a configuration page to be able to stop, start, restart, and see the status, along with editing all sorts of settings such as an autoconfig url, rtmp details, resolution, etc. We also have recently started development of an app to be able to control the pi easily for bishops.

If you want to take a look, feel free at:
viewtopic.php?p=218301
https://github.com/ChickenDevs/webcast-pi

Just realized i made a typo, its https://github.com/ChickenDevs/webcast

I use OBS for the "camera" options (transitioning & different camera angles) and enable the OBS Virtual Camera, and use that option in Zoom when I start broadcasting for Sacrament Meetings Webinar... It works well!

I am currently using OBS to manage 4 camera shots. I have issues with RTMP streams dropping when not in use. We've even added a dedicated access point for our AV purposes. It's helped but I still get streams dropping and I can't get them back and I can't just restart OBS during the meeting. I can sometimes get them back by clicking into the media source properties for the individual RTMP feeds but sometimes it just doesn't work. I've seen a post here about an activate/deactivate button but I don't seem to have one. Anybody else have issues with RTMP streams dropping on them and not being able to get them back?

Also, for those using OBS, and have an iPad (not sure about android), check out OBS blade. There's some set up required, but it allows for really easy scene changes. I haven't used it yet but have experimented with it. I usually use studio mode so I can do on-the-fly changes.

The guy who does webcasting for our ward used to have problems with dropped streams. He fixed it by using a wired connection. Since then he bought a new laptop and has gone back to wireless and seems happy with it.

bretbassett wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:17 pm The attached PDF shows one stake's experience using OBS software running on a computer for broadcasting Sacrament Meetings.

I was very pleased to find this document today. I was seeking setup instructions for OBS and Zoom using the Razer Ripsaw Capture Card (USB) that was sent to us by the FM group. I've called webcast support and emailed MHT. The person I reached at the webcast support seemed new. Although he was very polite, he could offer no help. There have been no email replies from MHT. (Is this mailbox not monitored?) I was eventually successful at configuring a test Zoom video broadcast but I could not get the audio to work. I'm going to study the OBS portion of this document closer and work on it with Zoom.

This is what I am working with:

• Webcast rack mounted panel in the satellite closet with SD video and chapel audio.
  Sony PTZ camera in the chapel
  Transcoder with RCA video and 3.5mm audio in and HDMI out.
  HDMI into the Razer Ripsaw.
  MacBook with USB port replicator.

I will also be setting up a scene 2 for the passing of the sacrament.

Thanks!

hktonga6966 wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:35 pm I use OBS for the "camera" options (transitioning & different camera angles) and enable the OBS Virtual Camera, and use that option in Zoom when I start broadcasting for Sacrament Meetings Webinar... It works well!

Hi,
What kind of capture card do you use? Also, where can I find setup instructions for audio? I'm using a Razer Ripsaw USB capture card. Video is working fine but I can't get audio to be broadcast.

Thanks,
Larry

autryld wrote: Fri Jun 03, 2022 9:48 am

hktonga6966 wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:35 pm I use OBS for the "camera" options (transitioning & different camera angles) and enable the OBS Virtual Camera, and use that option in Zoom when I start broadcasting for Sacrament Meetings Webinar... It works well!

Hi,
What kind of capture card do you use? Also, where can I find setup instructions for audio? I'm using a Razer Ripsaw USB capture card. Video is working fine but I can't get audio to be broadcast.

Thanks,
Larry

I’m getting somewhat anxious with 1 July approaching. Any advice about my OBS audio issue would be appreciated.

Thanks!