live streaming equipment Blog Posts

This post is a guide to the cameras, tripods, and video switchers that we find to be easy, reliable, and professional at every level. It's the main post in our series on live streaming equipment.

So, you’ve decided to start live video streaming.

Or you’ve at least started to do your research. As you’ve probably already discovered, choosing equipment can be challenging and time consuming. 

Let us help. Though BoxCast works well with all sorts of different cameras and production equipment, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorites to help you get started. Whether you’re just getting started or a professional videographer, this post is for you.

This post is a video review of the Roland V-1HD Video Switcher. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

We recently incorporated the Roland V-1HD Video Switcher into our production studio and love what it’s allowed us to do with our broadcasts. We’re convinced that this easy-to-use switcher is the perfect solution for any broadcaster, especially those who are new to the video production game, work on a small team, or even run a one-person show.

This post covers what we think are the best 4K camera options for live video streaming. There are plenty of 4K camera options out there, but we spec'd out options that are between $1,000-$6,000, to give you the best mix of quality and affordability. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

If you’re just getting started with 4K streaming, there are a few things to keep in mind when seeking a 4K camera. One is that in order for a camera to live stream in 4K, it has to be able to output a 4K signal (typically over SDI or HDMI). The recommended cameras below can output a 4K signal over HDMI, SDI, or both. 

This post talks about some of the best video cameras that we have found for live streaming at every level. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

As every broadcaster knows, the most important piece of equipment in your production arsenal is your camera. (The second most important piece is your encoder). Viewers won’t watch something that’s poorly captured, so as you develop your live streaming strategy, be sure to dedicate proper resources to finding the right camera.

We've done the legwork to make your search easier. Below you’ll find a list of our favorite cameras for live streaming at the consumer, prosumer, and professional levels.

This post is a video review of the Decimator MD-HX, one of the most versatile tools in a live streaming production set up. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

Today, I'm excited to show you the new Decimator MD-HX one of the best tools to keep handy for any event that you stream. I like to take one of these everywhere that I go because it's like a Swiss Army knife for handling video signals. 

This post is a summary of the steps that you should consider working through as you purchase new video and audio equipment for your organization. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

If you’re new to live video streaming, you might feel intimidated by the prospect of determining what equipment you need, especially with all the options you have for cameras, cables, switchers, etc. Finding what’s right for you can seem overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be.

The five guidelines we’ve listed below will help you break down your decision process and properly evaluate what’s best for you.

This post covers the best video switchers for starting to live stream with multiple camera angles. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

When it's time to level up your live stream from one camera to more than one camera, your production setup adds an additional piece of equipment: a video switcher.

A video switcher allows you to bring in multiple feeds (camera, audio, presentation slides, etc) and choose which feed to send live at any given moment.

This post talks about the features that matter when purchasing a video camera for live streaming. It covers video resolution, outputs, zooming, image stabilization, and frame rates. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

The task of finding your next camera can feel overwhelming.

Whether you’re searching for the very best gear or a camcorder to get started, there's always a never-ending list of features to evaluate.

To guide you through your search, we’ve pulled together a list of must-have and nice-to-have features to consider when choosing the a camera for your live stream.

This post covers the best PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras for live streaming. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

There's a whole world of video cameras you might want to use for live streaming.

PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras are cameras you can attach to a wall, ceiling, or other fixed location and operate via remote. These differ from other video cameras that sit on tripods and require a cameraperson to operate.

In the world of live streaming, PTZ cameras are great for capturing a wide shot of a room or a tough angle while allowing for zoom.

They can be used for anything from an easy one-camera, hands-off setup to a highly produced multi-cam setup where the production crew controls the cameras from a studio. They are particularly helpful when you don't have a large team to operate a stream.

This post talks about the best software encoders for live streaming. It also addresses how to create an ideal workflow with these tools. It's part of our series on live streaming equipment.

If you're looking for an encoder for your live streaming setup, we recommend a hardware encoder.

TL;DR (for that link): Computers complicate live streaming. They drastically increase the chance something goes wrong. If you want to make live streaming easy, you should keep them out of your workflow.

That said, there are plenty of situations when you need to bring software into the process. Most likely, you require the advanced production elements that some software encoders offer.

Below, we'll quickly name the top softwares for live stream encoding and then talk about how to set up an ideal workflow with them.