Live-streamed worship services are here to stay. After the COVID-19 pandemic forced many churches to go 100% online, most never stopped offering online services.
If live-streamed worship services are a vital part of your church, consider evaluating your setup. With a little investment, you can take things to the next level to make sure those who are worshipping from home have the best experience possible.
Here are some recommended products, from audio and visual components to overall production quality, that are designed to improve various aspects of your live stream.
Level up your camera
A really good webcam can take your livestream to the next level. The higher quality the camera, the better it is going to look, especially in the low-light situations you often have in churches.
If you are at the basic webcam level and are ready for an improvement, you can’t go wrong looking at the Mevo system. These tiny cameras do it all. They will not only capture good-quality images but also stream it out.
They are controlled with the Mevo app, and for less than $1,000, you can buy three and place them in various locations for a nice multi-camera setup. It’s easy to get them close to the action because their slim profile won’t obstruct people’s view.
If you already have something like the Mevo and are ready to go to the next level, consider moving into PTZ cameras. These motorized cameras have better sensors and instead of cropping down an image to imitate pan, tilt and zoom, they actually pan, tilt and zoom.
A great less-expensive option is the PTZOptics 12X-NDI-GY. For the money, the Canon CR-N300 is great. One thing to remember with PTZ cameras is you will need a separate controller, such as the Canon RC-IP100.
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Add a good video switcher
Although you can do everything you need to with a software system such as Ecamm, a video switcher will not only improve the quality of the video, but it also will make it much easier for your church volunteers to produce a higher quality livestream.
If you are looking for a solid middle-of-the-line switcher, you can’t go wrong with the ATEM models. The Atem Extreme ISO will switch between any input you give it, and it also will record every one of those inputs to a hard drive you attach, so that you can go back and make your own clips, edits and content.
If you don’t need all the recording or inputs of the extreme iso, you can grab the four-channel Atem Mini pro for under $300.
If you are ready to go for a solid production switcher, just a little more money can get you a lot more quality. The ATEM Television Studio HD8 brings professional quality down to a smaller scale that churches can afford. It has audio mixing, hardware encoding and a 16-way multi view. And you can use the fader bar to make fades between inputs completely controllable.
Increase your stability
One of the biggest differentiators between professional live streams and that of most churches is the way they get to the internet. To improve the stability and quality of your stream, it is essential that you have a hardware encoder that provides the best looking (and sounding) stream. And when you can bond multiple types of internet connections (think cable modem and cellular internet), you will never lose a frame if something gets out of control.
A great first step in this direction is the LiveU Solo. It will bond up to four networks (two cell, wifi and ethernet) into a single stream. And its H.264 AVC video encoder is fantastic.
If you want the best from a professional brand that is within reach, the industry-leading Teradek has an entry-level option that will give you a rock-solid connection and incredible 4K encoding. At just under $3,500, the Teradek Prism is four times the cost of the LiveU Solo, but in a field where $10,000 is considered cheap, this is a lot of bang for the buck.
Whether it’s getting your connection problems fixed with bonded internet or just upgrading your camera, these products will help you take your online worship experience to the next level and ensure that your virtual congregants are able to fully engage with worship from wherever they are.
Jeremy Steele is a writer, conspirator and spiritual entrepreneur who refuses to give up on Christianity. He spends his time resourcing the dreams of the next generation and helping it discover paths to spiritual enlightenment and connection with God. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, and is associate pastor at Chesterbrook UMC. Find more about him and his work at Jeremy-Steele.com.