Connecting your Video Source to your PC.

Intro Video:

To get a standard camera or video feed to broadcast through the internet is simple. All you need are:
1. A video source
2. A computer
3. A way for your computer to capture the video device
4. A connection to the internet
5. An account at TikiLIVE.com

Figure 1: Simple Set Up:

This particular tutorial will cover number 3 above and will detail a few suggestions on having your PC capture the video and audio content you are looking to broadcast.

First: Plan Ahead

There are several ways to have your PC recognize a video and audio source. Before purchasing any equipment one should figure out the quality they are looking to broadcast and what type of video source will be utilized. Knowing these details when setting up your studio can save you time and money on purchasing and setting up equipment that you may not need.

A key component to reducing complications at this phase is to plan on capturing your audio and video with different devices if the source permits this. This reduces the stress on any one capture device and allows your PC to utilize standard ports such as the stereo input that most mother board come standard with. By splitting the audio and video signals you can ensure a more reliable broadcast by reducing the stress on your capture devices.

Second: Decide Upon the type of video connection you will be using

There are several different mediums for delivering your video content to your PC and many video sources actually provide multiple options. Please check out the following reference for a list of most standard video connections:

For this tutorial we will limit the possible video connections to the most widely used for home broadcasting equipment and we will split it into Standard Definition and High Definition.

Standard Definition Connections:

1. Composite Video (analog) – This is the most common video connection and you can recognize it by its single yellow RCA jack. The disadvantage is that composite offers the lowest video quality. Color and brightness are combined then sent through a single coaxial cable. Most displays have this type of connection as an input.

2. S-Video (analog) – comes with a small improvement over composite. This time color and brightness are sent in two separate signals not one as it was on composite. S-Video cables are made up of two coaxial cables and use a 4 pin Mini-DIN connector. PC video cards and laptops have usually an S-Video connection.

High Definition Connections:

1. HDMI (digital) – This is the newest type of connection and is created to replace DVI. The difference is that HDMI is a different connector being able to handle audio signals also. HDMI is HD capable and also offers up to 8 channels of HD audio.

2. Component (analog) – Gets the best video quality over the previous Composite and S-Video types. Now the signal is sent over three separate cables, Red, Blue and Green ( YPbPr ). Component handles HD video.

Third: Decide upon the audio connection you will be using:

Audio is more standardized within the broadcast industry and thus the choices are a little more straight forward than that of the video connection. A more complete list of audio connections can be found at TheHDStandard.com:

For this tutorial we will limit the discussion to RCA (analog) as well as a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack.

Fourth: Decide upon a capture device

Please be sure that the capture device supports the video connection type as well as video format. Be sure to check that the video source (camera, DVD, Blu-ray, etc) has the available connection and video format for the capture device you wish to utilize.

Please be sure to check our list of confirmed capture devices here:

Fifth: Connect your video and audio to your PC

This is the easy part! All you need to do is make sure that your video and audio signals are connected to the PC directly or through a capture device.

A few example configurations:

A. Standard Definition Broadcast 1:
Source: Video Camera
Video Connection: Composite
Audio Connection: 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack
Capture Device: AverMedia EZMaker USB Gold

B. Standard Definition Broadcast 2:
Source: DVD
Video Connection: S-Video
Audio Connection: RCA
Capture Device AverMedia EZMaker USB Gold

C. High Definition Broadcast 1:
Source: HD Camera
Video Connection: HDMI
Audio Connection: 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack
Capture Device: Blackmagic Intensity Pro

D. High Definition Broadcast 2
Source: Blu-ray
Video Connection: Component (R/B/G)
Audio Connection: RCA
Capture Device: Blackmagic Intensity Pro

Feel free to contact us and let us know if you have any other hardware configurations that you have had success broadcasting with.

Keep Streaming,

Tom

8 Simple steps to get broadcasting, today!

Step 1: Register at TikiLIVE.com
In order to broadcast at TikilLIVE you need to be a registered user. Don’t know where to start? Simply click on “Sign Up” located at the top of the homepage, or go directly to the registration page here:

http://www.tikilive.com/register

Image 1: Registration Form

After filling in all applicable fields submit the registration form.

Step 2: Confirm email address
The email address that you define for your account in Step 1. Please confirm that email address to complete the registration Process.

Step 3: Create your first show
The first thing you will need to do once you have been approved as a broadcaster by following Steps 1 and 2 is create a showpage. This can be done by clicking on “My Shows” tab or by going directly to the following URL”:

http://www.tikilive.com/my_shows

Image 2: Create a show

Step 4: Edit show details and design showpage
These sessions with have their own tutorial as there are many functions and features that will require more detail.

Step 5: Download Plug-ins
The TikiLIVE Desktop broadcaster requires 4 plug-ins to be installed.
a. Dot NET Framework
b. Dot NET Hotfix
c. DirectX Framework
d. Flash Player ActiveX

You can do this by clicking on each “Download” button displayed on the Download Broadcaster page or you can go directly to the download location by clicking the above links:

http://www.tikilive.com/download_broadcaster/

Image 3: Download Broadcaster Page

Step 6: Install Broadcaster
Installing the broadcaster is a quick process. The default folder will be under Eyepartner within your program files directory. Again, download this by clicking on the “Download” button on the Download Broadcaster page (given in step 5) or by clicking on the following link:

http://www.tikilive.com/public/flash/InstallTikiLiveBroadcaster.exe

Image 4: Install Broadcaster:

Step 7: Log Into Broadcaster and Select Channel

Image 5: Select Channel

Step 8. Select Audio and Video source

a. Select the desired video source from the available options
b. Enter in video Bit-Rate
c. Select audio source from the available options
d. Apply Changes
e. Start Broadcast

Image 6: Select Video Preferences

Image 7: Select Audio Preferences

For a complete list of the more advanced functions within the broadcaster please see the TikiLIVE Manual here:

http://manual.tikilive.org/tiki/index.php

Keep Streaming,

Tom

Hello All,

Today’s suggestion surrounds utilizing the deinterlace option that is a current function that is readily available within the desktop broadcaster.

Article 1: Introduction Video

What is Deinterlacing?
Wikipedia defines Deinterlacing as the process of converting interlaced video, such as common analog television signals or 1080i format HDTV signals, into a non-interlaced form.
What does this mean in laymen terms? Essentially, standard mediums for delivering and recording video content trick your eye through a phenomenon known as persistence of vision. Images are displayed in rapid succession alternating between different lines of color which change fast enough that your eye cannot differentiate between the two visual fields.

Visual Representation of Interlacing:

Now that we have established what Interlacing is, how can Deinterlacing this image increase the quality of the video one would be streaming through TikiLIVE or any other broadcasting provider? Most standard LCD and Plasma monitors do not run properly in Interlaced Mode which means that the same quality cannot be viewed on a computer monitor as your television set in your living room without a deinterlace filter applied. Please see the following example of the same video that was streamed in the native, interlaced, format as well as a stream with a deinterlace filter applied:

Native Format – Deinterlace not applied:

Adaptive Deinterlace applied:

As you can see applying the deinterlace function makes for a much cleaner frame, particularly along the edge of contrasting colors, such as the white jump suite the gray stripes or black background. The faster the motion the more one will notice that the interlace effects the quality of the image. It is quite clear in the above images that interlace effects the quality of single frames, but what about running video? The following examples are from a recorded session through our TikiLIVE desktop broadcaster with the deinterlace option first disabled and then applied:

Sample Video Source with out Deinterlace applied:

Sample Video with Deinterlace Applied

When viewing the above videos please focus on objects that are in motion, such as the the hands on those who are clapping. In the first video you can clearly see a loss of quality due to the black lines caused by the interlacing of the video. Within the second video these lines have been removed, leaving the viewer with a much more pleasant experience.

When to not use Deinterlace?

Now applying the deinterlace option does not always increase the quality of ones video content. We have two demo feeds on TikiLIVE that do not have the deinterlace option engaged. These feeds are the live webcams from Niagara Falls as well as the Marathon City Marina.

It has been our experience that camera feeds that have many finite details, such as the rushing water of the falls or the glimmer of the sun off the waves in the harbor, actually cause the blending of the images within the deinterlace option to actually decrease the quality. Please see the following examples pulled from the Marathon Marina camera feed:

Marina with Deinterlace off:

Marina with Deinterlace on:

As you can see, applying the deinterlace option to the video feed of the Marathon Marina actually adds to the ‘artificating‘ of the boats, water and dock thus decreasing the video quality.

In summary, the deinterlace option can be easily utilized to increase the quality of your broadcasts, however it must be applied under the right circumstances.

If you have any other questions or comments please feel free to leave them in this blog and I will address them with our next session.

Keep Streaming.
Tom Zajac