Editing NCast Live Streaming Equipment for Events

Hank, CEO of NCast, kindly donated some live streaming equipment!! We have the NCast Presentation Recorder, which is mounted on the pillar where other AV equipment is.

[[File:Mounted_NCast_Presentation_Recorder.jpg|none|400px|thumb|left|NCast Presentation Recorder]]

__TOC__

==Quick Start==

If the live streaming equipment is in good shape, and you already have A/V (sound, presenter laptop) set up for the Hackitorium, you only need to locate the live streaming box in the photo above and do these set up steps:

# Set up the camera. The camera, tripod, and HDMI extension cord, are in one of the small lockers next to the bike rack. The locker is the third from the bottom on the right side and the combination is 128.
# Select the live stream arrangement by picking a channel: [[NCast_Live_Streaming_Equipment_for_Events#Arranging camera and presenter laptop on stream]]
# Edit the text overlay: [[NCast_Live_Streaming_Equipment_for_Events#Text]]
# Hit Start under Stream on http://PRGN2MB-111214-0152.noise. If the Stream section only has as Stop button then you're already live. The live stream will show up on the Noisebridge Youtube account: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6oE60rGWqFynD34ielQzxA/

If http://PRGN2MB-111214-0152.noise is not working, try turning the live streaming box off and then on again.

==Set up==

Hopefully all of this will already be plugged in for you when you go to run a live stream, except for the video input (since the camera and cable is kept in a locker)

Things that can be plugged into the NCast Presentation Recorder:

* Ethernet
* Power
* Audio input
* Video input
* Computer monitor input (like for power point slides)

===Power===
This is the power supply that came with the NCast Presentation Recorder.

[[File:NCast_Power_Supply.jpg|none|200px|thumb|left|NCast Power Supply]]

===Audio input===

The audio mixer has 1/4 inch stereo (Main Out), and that is connected to the 1/8 mono "Line In" of the NCast Presentation Recorder.

[[File:Audio_Mixer_Main_Output_For_Live_Stream.jpg|none|400px|thumb|left|Audio Mixer Top Outputs]]

NCast Presentation Recorder where the 1/8 mono goes in. It should be plugged into "Line In", NOT "Mic In" (since the audio gains etc are already set by the mixer)

[[File:NCast_Presentation_Recorder_IO.jpg|none|400px|thumb|left|NCast Presentation Recorder Input and Output]]

==Running a live stream==

===Video Monitor===

If you like, you can hook up a physical monitor to VGA out, power it, and be able to see what's on the live stream. You can also hit Start (if the Stream section only has as Stop button then you're already live!), and then you will be live on the Noisebridge Youtube account: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6oE60rGWqFynD34ielQzxA/

===Presenter Laptop===

The Presenter Laptop connects to the A/V the regular way. Hit the button until the blue light is beside the method by which the presenter laptop is connected (directly via floor HDMI, or indirectly via Chromecast or AppleTV to the Hackitorium).

[[File:AV_Presentation_Settings.jpg|none|400px|thumb|left|AV Presentation Settings]]

And then the A/V system can be hooked up to the NCast Presentation Recorder.

===Camera===

We have a Cannon Vixia HFR800 Camcorder. This is currently in the Responsible People locker (the higher locker beside the Ordibooth) and there is also a 25ft HDMI extension cable and a folding tripod. PLEASE put this away after events. It needs to be hidden to be protected from opportunistic theft.

The camera has mini HDMI under the little camcorder video screen. This mini HDMI needs to be plugged into the NCast Presentation Recorder "HDMI In". The camcorder can be run by battery or power supply.

[[File:Cannon_Vixia_Camcorder.jpg|none|200px|thumb|left|Cannon Vixia Camcorder]]

The mini HDMI to HDMI cable and power supply should be in the box with the camcorder.

[[File:Cannon_Vixia_Camcorder_Box.jpg|none|300px|thumb|left|Cannon Vixia Camcorder Box]]


===Audio===

All of the inputs are being mixed by the mixer, unless the red "RUDE SOLO LIGHT" is on (above the Master knob on the bottom right). You can include audio from videos or sound in the presenter's computer with the Chrome/HDMI/Apple TV volume control knob (assuming the presenter is one of these).

The bottom knob of each column is the volume, and the top black knob of the first four columns are the amplification -- you can adjust these to get the correct volume out of the speakers.

[[File:Audio_Mixer_AV.jpg|none|600px|thumb|left|A/V Audio Mixer]]

===Multicast software===

If you are connected to the Noisebridge network, you can access the live streaming software via http://PRGN2MB-111214-0152.noise . The username is admin and the password is ncast.

This is what you'll see after logging into http://PRGN2MB-111214-0152.noise . The part of the layout with the person's head and shoulders is the PIP (Picture In Picture), and the part with the bar graph is the Main. You can select different layouts here.

[[File:NCast_Software_Main_Screen.png|none|600px|thumb|left|NCast Software Main Screen]]


====Arranging camera and presenter laptop on stream====

Our camcorder has an HDMI input to NCast, and the Chromecast/AppleTV/Laptop is the VGA input. So normally you would select PIP to turn on output to the PIP part of the layout. If you want the camera to be small and the presenter laptop to be big in the stream output, you can select HDMI for PIP and VGA for Main. If you want the camera to be big and the presenter laptop to be small, you can select HDMI for Main and VGA for PIP.

[[File:NCast_Video_Layout.png|none|600px|thumb|left|NCast Video Layout Setting]]

Preset layouts that are popular are:
* #4 -- large video, large presentation, text overlay, Noisebridge logo
* #10 -- video only, text overlay, Noisebridge logo

====Static images on stream====

To change the logo shown on the screen, click the channel layout from the main screen

=====Logo=====

[[File:NCast_Main_Screen_Layouts.png|none|600px|thumb|left|NCast Main Screen Channel Layouts]]

Hit Customize Overlays

[[File:NCast_Channel_Layout_Config.png|none|600px|thumb|left|NCast Channel Layout Config Screen]]

Upload an appropriately sized logo

[[File:NCast_Edit_Logo_Overlay.png|none|600px|thumb|left|NCast Edit Logo Overlay Screen]]

=====Text=====

From the main screen at http://PRGN2MB-111214-0152.noise , hit Sources > Overlays

[[File:NCast_Main_Screen_Sources_Overlays.png|none|600px|thumb|left|NCast Main Screen With Sources]]

Hit Edit for the overlay that is On

[[File:NCast_Text_Overlay_Config.png|none|600px|thumb|left|NCast Text Overlay Config Screen]]

Now you can edit the text, background color, and foreground color.

[[File:NCast_Edit_Text_Overlay.png|none|600px|thumb|left|NCast Edit Logo Overlay Screen]]

====Video quality====

For a 720p video, 3-5Mbps is recommended. If most of your image is a powerpoint and you just have a little camera, you can go to 1 or 1.4 Mbps without a decrease in quality.

====Automatic upload to Youtube====

If you Edit a channel and hit Next for a few more screens, you'll see the upload options. I have channels 4, 5, 10, and 21 set to AUTOMATICALLY upload to Youtube for the primary output, and also live stream to Youtube if you hit Stream, and the secondary output is just set to None.

[[File:NCast_Channel_Edit_Button.png|none|300px|thumb|left|Channel Edit Button]]

[[File:NCast_Streaming_Output_Settings.png|none|300px|thumb|left|NCast Upload To Youtube Configuration]]

=====Title for Youtube Upload=====

The title is the channel name which you can edit on one of the channel edit screens (hit Next until you see this screen):

[[File:NCast_Channel_Edit_Button.png|none|300px|thumb|left|Channel Edit Button]]

[[File:NCast_Channel_Name_Setting_Screen.png|none|500px|thumb|left|NCast Youtube Upload Title Configuration]]