Webcams & Cameras for Live Streaming

Other than yourself, your webcam or video camera is gonna to take on the brunt of the work here, so it should be a workhorse. Without a decent video camera attached to your computer, there’s the likelihood you may have VGA (Video Graphics Array) output with a resolution of around 640 x 360p (sorry, not HD).

These clunky components are still found in use in older laptops and outdated external webcams (usually found in webcams before 2010 and budget knock-offs). These may be great for family Skype calls or friendly Google Hangouts, but they are not at all up to the task of creating live stream video broadcasts.

A few Chosen Words on Pixels, Resolutions and Frame Rates

I’ll try to make this easy on both of us. For now, this is all you need to know:

Pixels = Think Picasso, remember him? Every image is made up of millions of tiny colored dots, called pixels. For instance, you may have a 5mp or 12mp (megapixel) digital camera. A megapixel is equal to 1 million pixels. (ie. multiply L x H of an avg. 2000×1000 monitor = 2 megapixels). A camera’s pixel setting helps to determine the data needed to reproduce a good quality print. (4”x6” = 2mp, 8” x 10” = 5mp, 11” x 14” = 7mp), many people claim > 8mp is overkill.

Display Resolution = An ambiguous term, due to its varied use, as for us video is typically measured by it’s L x H resolution. For example, 1024 x 768(p) is a screen that measures 1024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. High Definition (HD) = 1280 x 720p, Full HD = 1920 x 1080p, 2K = 2048 x 1080p, 4K = 4096 x 2160p

Note: Be sure not to confuse Display Resolution with Display Size.

Resolution is measured L x H, (ie. 1024×768) and relates to detail or quality. Size is measured diagonally (ie. 21” monitor) relative to the unit’s scale.

Frame Rate = Measured in frames per second (fps), frame rate is the rate or frequency at which consecutive images, called frames, are displayed in an animated output, usually seen as a moving picture. Frame rates are somewhat dependent upon local video standards, typically:

24, 29.97 or 30fps in North America (NTSC standards)

-or-

25 and 50fps in the UK and Europe (PAL standards).

A Note about DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) Cameras for LIVE Video:

A Note about DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) Cameras for LIVE video:

Due to the fact that older DSLR cameras are not designed for extended use as a video camera, they really don’t make for good live streaming equipment. In fact, some DSLR cams have a default setting designed to shutoff the camera after extended use, or if the sensor gets too hot to operate safely. Which leaves one to question if over-extending it’s use as a video camera may not cause serious permanent damage to the device. Are you prepared to take that kind of risk?

This is not to say the DSLR cameras can’t be used, they certainly can, we just don’t recommend it for beginners unless you already have a DSLR camera and are familiar with how to use it for video. Be sure whatever brand of camera you buy (Panasonic, JVC, Sony, Canon, Nikon, etc.) is the correct model or series of a compatible model that is specifically built for producing video over extended periods of time, and won’t by way of safety features automatically shut itself off during a broadcast.

Most DSLR cameras nowadays price out in the range of $300+ depending on the manufacturer and accessories you purchase. You could certainly spend thousands. This guide is not designed to go into the depth of configurations possible when it comes to various brands and models of professional grade video equipment. Contact me if you want more info.

USB-HDMI-PTZ Webcams

As for me, I’m still a webcam kinda guy…for one, they’re lighter and easier to move around; two, they’re a heck of a lot less expensive to both buy and maintain; and three, they are the simplest to operate and troubleshoot.

As a beginner, there is absolutely no need to drop hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on all kinds of super high-tech equipment just because the other guy in your Facebook group has some. Come on! Don’t be imitative, be imaginative!

For the price of a single DSLR camera, you could purchase 4 C922x webcams. You can pull off just about any camera tricks you’d like with three of them, as you send the 4th to grandma, or hook up a friend to come and stream with you! My question is always the same; Why dump over $750 on such a high-priced status symbol, when you could be having more fun capturing the actions of one talent from two camera angles, or two talents with their own break-away camera? You could be conducting high quality, up close and personal interviews, or maybe you stir things up with a spectacular, multi-cam home cooking show with stove top demonstrations?! Take the money you save and buy a nice Go-Pro Hero!

If you’re doing work for others, especially businesses, then by all means, invest some money into some high end gear to accommodate the job at hand. All I’m saying is that when you’re starting off, if you want this thing to be productive and profitable, it’s probably best to drop a few hundred dollars rather than a few thousand to see if it’s something that’s going to pan out for you in the long run. If you’re doing this merely as a hobby, or maybe you want to dive down deeper into the live streams, then let’s sit down in a video chat so we can fully discuss the kind of equipment best suited to your wants and needs.

I’ll be introducing you to what I consider to be some of the ONLY webcams you should even think about dropping dough on right out of the gate.

Best Live TV™ only deals in the BEST webcams, video cameras and PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) equipment available in the marketplace. We not only understand that good quality live streaming equipment can get REALLY expensive, but we also know that people with limited budgets can still create AWESOME videos using reasonably priced hardware that still produces professional results! You’ll find our selection of webcams and cameras does a good job of ticking all the boxes when it comes to live streaming productions.

Check back often for our specials and promotional items!
The latest drivers available for the C920 shown below as of Aug. 21st, 2017 are HERE
(http://support.logitech.com/en_us/product/hd-pro-webcam-c920/downloads)

Video Cameras & Camcorders 

When it comes right down to it, whether your doing this for fun, or if you’re going to be getting into creating live streams as a business model, you may decide to start right off with the best available equipment you can get your hands on.

For now know this… Digital Video Cameras start around the $1000+ range and require more advanced technical skills from the user to not only connect and setup, but also when it comes to the cameras basic operation and maintenance. This certainly isn’t your daddy’s old VHS machine anymore. This is why I decided to stick with the webcam strategy. That way you’re not initiated in your first live stream experience by having me push you straight off a cliff, only to have you fall into the river below.