Virtual Stake Conference with everyone at home

[jnpetersen]

How were you able to get multiple languages to Youtube? Were you streaming from 1 computer 3 times or 3 computers?

I'm not sure what jsfriedman did, but what many do is use Zoom Webinar to originate the webcast and send the English viewers to the YouTube overflow (which is fed by Zoom's servers). For other languages, they connect to the Zoom webinar which supports translation. As long as you don't bump into Zoom's limit (500 streams?) , that should work fine.

Translation could be done from anywhere, such as the translator's home. So, only one computer and one upload stream is required from the stake center.

Thanks russellhltn, That's exactly how we have been doing it, but we are trying to figure out a path to take as we are back in our buildings and we looking at best ways to provide other languages in our building, without having to put a laptop in every room for that language. I'm working on a way to try and get the video to multiple live streams on Youtube so that we can then use the Smart TV's we have in some of our rooms that have YouTube on them so we can just bring up the meeting that way.

The reason I want to go the Youtube route is because Zoom is limited to 720p, which is still great (I have tried methods of sending it as HD Video, but it appears zoom is only doing 720 at most) but I can get 1080p on Youtube and the quality is just so much better. Not only that, but our congregation who are viewing remotely, including other languages would be able to view from a TV versus a laptop.

[sbradshaw]

… we are back in our buildings and we looking at best ways to provide other languages in our building, without having to put a laptop in every room for that language. …

For those who are in the building, it seems like it would be simplest to use headphones with Bluetooth receivers, rather than separating people into different rooms and having to transmit both audio and video.

[jnpetersen]

… we are back in our buildings and we looking at best ways to provide other languages in our building, without having to put a laptop in every room for that language. …

For those who are in the building, it seems like it would be simplest to use headphones with Bluetooth receivers, rather than separating people into different rooms and having to transmit both audio and video.

During the pandemic even when we returned to the building, we had our Spanish Branch meet at their building and join the zoom meeting from that building, while we had the translator translate to the room and that audio was also being sent back into zoom as an interpreter. It has worked, but has required that specific congregation to meet at a different building. We are trying to allow everyone to come to our Stake building, but in the past with our video distribution system we just hooked up a TV to the system and then the room had a XLR to hook up a mic and have audio specifically in that room. The interpreter had one of the headset we would provide to our hard of hearing members, so he can hear it in english and then translate in the room. All of this would have been great if we kept to that old, SD setup, but the camera we had used just wasn't working anymore, so we upgraded to a PTZ camera which has NDI, so we are looking at other routes.

I did come across a piece of software called ProPresenter, it is used by other churches, but I found that I can create multiple NDI feeds with different audio sources, but the license is $399 and I'm not sure I can convince my Stake to make that purchase.

It would be great if the church provided tools like these so we can make our Stake Conferences more "professional" looking. I know its not needed, but we have had a great response to having lower thirds, or a pre-roll of some footage of our building I took, as it makes watching it more visual, like General Conference has.

[russellhltn]

We are trying to allow everyone to come to our Stake building, but in the past with our video distribution system we just hooked up a TV to the system and then the room had a XLR to hook up a mic and have audio specifically in that room. The interpreter had one of the headset we would provide to our hard of hearing members, so he can hear it in english and then translate in the room. All of this would have been great if we kept to that old, SD setup, but the camera we had used just wasn't working anymore, so we upgraded to a PTZ camera which has NDI, so we are looking at other routes.

I'm not understanding how the change in camera impacts this. You have a different way of distributing the video, but that doesn't change the audio at all. What am I missing?

[Wattsuk]

I think you can use OBS to the same effect as pro presenter in this case.

[tmarks]

We use OBS and use the "NDI Output" function to bring the stream into a second computer running OBS with headphones/microphones to dub the audio for our Spanish language stream. We split the microphone so that it goes into both the stream as well as into the headset transmitter. We also have a filter applied so that when the interpreter speaks, the volume of the stream is decreased automatically. When they stop speaking, the stream audio returns. That makes it easy to get music, etc. into the stream.

[jnpetersen]

We use OBS and use the "NDI Output" function to bring the stream into a second computer running OBS with headphones/microphones to dub the audio for our Spanish language stream. We split the microphone so that it goes into both the stream as well as into the headset transmitter. We also have a filter applied so that when the interpreter speaks, the volume of the stream is decreased automatically. When they stop speaking, the stream audio returns. That makes it easy to get music, etc. into the stream.

I had the same idea, but I'm trying to limit the amount of computers needed at the building. We are utilizing zoom webinar with multiple languages and having translators either translate from home, or in another room in the building to zoom and for this Stake Conference, I'll be using a computer in the room we are going to use for Spanish and just have it play that specific feed. Zoom has it setup to use "ducking" when it comes to lowering the audio of the actual stream for the translators voice and then bringing audio back up when they are done.

The reason I like ProPresenter is because you can have as many NDI feeds as the hardware of the machine can handle, so it doesn't require multiple computers. I will look into seeing if it has a ducking feature for audio, because that would make it that much better if it did. It's great because you can create different feeds for different purposes, including a different feed for the stream, if lets say you wanted to put hymn lyrics on screen for streaming, but not for overflow monitors, you could can have it separate. You could also have a different view up on the rostrum for them to see whatever you would like, or to even push a message to just those screens if there is something that needs to be told to them. It free version is full featured just with a watermark, so I'm going to play with it more, and if I can get everything I need figured out, then its a great way to justify needing it. If not, I may purchase it myself and use it for my own personal use and for Stake Conference.

[jnpetersen]

I do want to say, I'm pretty proud of what I've been able to set up for our upcoming Stake Conference.

We have the old composite/coax video system, and since we upgraded to these cameras, we are trying to figure out ways to avoid having to downgrade the feed to use on that system. I found a network capable video distribution system, which allows me to have 1 transmitter and multiple receivers (I believe its up to 32 per transmitter) and they aren't badly priced (about $65 for a transmitter and receiver combo, and then $35 per receiver). This is until the company of the NDI PTZ cameras we got release their NDI viewer device, then we'll just purchase those as we'll be able to pull the NDI feed directly, and if we have ProPresenter handling multiple languages, that would be better.

With the units above, I'm able to send a feed up to the rostrum to give them a view of what is being seen, but also gives me the ability to control the videos they want played at the leadership session and adult session right from my setup, so I don't have to run into the room to make sure everything works, they just have to power on the projector and I can start playing.

i'm also utilizing OBS with the NDI output as the final "Program" feed so I can place that in the NDI Studio Monitor and have that playing over those units, so lower thirds, videos, etc all show up around the building.

All of the things I have ready to go would normally take a few people to do, but I have a Elgato Stream Deck I setup so that I have full control of camera presets, lower thirds, and various scene adjustments, all within reach.

[simph1]

now take a look at the website I have built for our stake.

I use OBS, YouTube, and put in the link into the website, so that I do not have to send hundreds of emails out every time the link breaks. Since the domain name never changes, therefore when we advertise it in Facebook, we simply make it an announcement, and everyone knows the link.

They go into the website and they choose their ward, the stream they want to watch, and I am also adding in a future update baptism, funeral.

There is also a section that allows the social media specialists to add in the sacrament program, announcements, etc.

It makes reports for clerks, and we even know who is watching, as they put in their name, how many are watching etc.

The bishop also has to decide who watches, or they do not get access to that individual stream.

https://magnautahstake.com

(feedback welcomed).

[jnpetersen]

Thanks for sharing. We tried what you have there, and if yours is successful, fantastic, but we had a negative response from people that they had to go to a website to get their link. I've taken ours offline currently and until the Stake Presidency changes our process, every Ward has a dedicated Zoom link they use, so everyone typically has it bookmarked in their phone or computer.