Windows Media Encoder Enhancments/setting for Live Internet Broadcasting

[Bobertec]

:engel017: Great forum! I saw a quick reference to WME subject matter, but I have more or need detailed questions and answers.

At Park High School, Livingston MT, I have started a Live broadcasting club through yourschoolevents.com to raise funds for my film production program/club. I'm not a professional, but I'm technically inclined. We have a full schedule of sporting events and concerts.

My question pertains to the proper setting (WME & Panasonic DVX100a) for fast pace sports like basketball which requires fast panning/movement that is effecting 'end' user quality. Our 'end' users are getting a lot of digital artifacts (halo/blurring) around players as we capture them. Using a computer on our network for Q&A (see T1) we see it and are getting reports from our customers. During concerts it not really an issue due to the slow pace activity and we can zoom up and stay on target. However on closeups our subjects eyes pixilate/blur, but it is acceptable.

System setup:

Laptop 1.39 GHz WinXp, 512Mb Ram, 4Gb hard drive space (can free up space, but not effecting codex performance)

Panasonic DVX100a:happy:
Went through all scene files, F1-F6. F2 works the best for fluorescent lights -manual spec.
Used a wide range of shutter output speeds-1/250,1/500,1/1000,& 1/2000
adjusted iris in accordance. Gain, White balance, etc.
At 1/2000 we get less 'blur' but it's too dark (see gym- lighting).

T1+ LAN-we're the only ones running so little to no network activity.

Windows Media Encoder ver 9.00.00.2980-with updated drivers
Currently set to Muti bit rates Video (CBR) at 282kps-29.97fps-320x240 output size. Yourschoolevents.com Admin recommends that setting. Have played with all Video Compression settings- Muti bit rates Video-->High speed content settings. Just need to find the right Kps and output ratios. Any suggestions.

Gym-fluorescent Tube Lights:embarasse . Can't add additional lights-against N.H.A.A. rules (I gues they have an issue with blinding players), May switch out some ceiling light with Halogen. Any suggestions?

Yourschoolevents.com has two servers dedicated to us each with a 1000 simultaneous download capacity.

We can push the bit rate, but have to be careful not to lose our slower customers (dsl's) or avoid too much end user buffering. Can I push the camcorder output anymore? What setting would you suggest? Can't change software option (WME)-little or no budget and yourschoolevents only supports this codex-have not moved to flashbased codex.

My students and I thank you for your support.

[mikkowilson]

Hello and welcome to DVXuser! :beer:

Try dropping down the Framerate from 30fps to 15fps.

The viewer won't notice the *slight* strobyness in the image, but you will have twice the bandwitch available to make the remaining frames shaper and arrive on time. The overall look will be better.

If you have hardware available, you could always run 2 encoders in paralel at 2 different bitrates and let the end viewer choose their speed. This would also serve as a redundant backup incase one goes down. (easy to set up using .wvx files)

Are you casting 24/7? ... is there a URL where we can see the stream? Or perhaps any clips you've encoded.

- Mikko

[PerroneFord]

I would recommend a few things.

1. Get a machine with more hosepower. I am encoding live events and broadcasting canned events on several servers around the state. However, each one was speced with dual processors, and a LOT more memory than you're giving these processes.

2. Drop the frame rate. Fifteen fps might get the job done to your satisfaction. If not, go to 24.

3. Try to have several static camera angles to give the encoders less to do.

If you have more questions I can put you in contact with a friend working at a University in Georgia who is broadcasting live internet events such as this with a lot of success.

[Bobertec]

I would recommend a few things.

1. Get a machine with more hosepower. I am encoding live events and broadcasting canned events on several servers around the state. However, each one was speced with dual processors, and a LOT more memory than you're giving these processes.

2. Drop the frame rate. Fifteen fps might get the job done to your satisfaction. If not, go to 24.

3. Try to have several static camera angles to give the encoders less to do.

If you have more questions I can put you in contact with a friend working at a University in Georgia who is broadcasting live internet events such as this with a lot of success.
Thanks for your responses. I've dropped the frame rate to 30 and 24 (edited scene files F2). 30 seems to work a little better. I wish I have a video switcher for multi cam angles... that's what we're fundrasing for~$8,000. I can switch to my editing machine Mac G5 dual 2.0 processor, 512Mb Ram (I know...Got to purchase more mem...budgets or lack of suck). I don't have a wireless nic and running a rj45 cable on bleachers may not be too safe or fun to do every night . Plus the damn thing weighs a ton and if my students drop the 20" Cinema display their future in my club would be "shorten". I will have to dl windows encoder/player. Any issues you see with that? Thanks

[PerroneFord]

When we say drop the frame rate, we mean at the encoder, not at the camera. Leave the frame rate on the camera alone. 60i is where you need to be with that.

[mikkowilson]

We meant: try lowering the Framerate of the encoded stream. It's a setting in Windows Media Encoder under the compression properties.
Leave your camera at 30fps (easier to switch/mix that way), but set MWE to encode at 15fps.
EDIT: Ford beat me to it.

Note that WME can switch internally between capture sources on the fly. Now it's not a video mixer by a long shot, but it will allow you to use multiple camera angles if you wish. - Note that audio switches too, so you'd have to be carefull about that.

A simple multicamera system that may work for you on a budget untill you can get a switcher. ($8000? What switcher? MX-70 with 3D and/or SDI card?)...
- Currently you have one camera firewired to a laptop. Leave that as is.
- Now take a 2nd camera and place it somewhere else in the gym. Pull a Composite video cable from this camera back to your laptop & camera one.
- Use a 3rd camera (or a deck, or converter, whatever you have handy) to convert that incoming Composite signal to Firewire.
Now how to get the 2nd firewire input into the laptop that probably ony has one. And even if it does 2, plugging in 2 cameras into the same firewire bus may fry something, so not a good idea. What to do?
- Buy a PC-card firewire card and stick it in the laptop. This will give you a seperate firewire bus for you to plug your converter/camera into. Add the new camera as a source to WME and you will see 2 cameras. The original camera 1, and the converter which is of course really camera 2's picture.
- Lastly (this is the trickey bit), because WME will switch the audio with the video, you need to connect the analog audio output from camera 1 (headphone or RCA output, doesn't matter. Though Headphone will probabaly give you soem control fo volume to match the cameras) into the analog audio input on your converter/camera. This way both firewire inputs will be sending in audio from camera 1 (either directly or via the converter, depending on what is "on the air"

It's a little strange, but it should work fine.
I'd recomend 3 operators: one for each camera and then a "video mixer"
The video mixer can use the converter/camera's monitor if it has one as a monitor for the feed coming from camera 2 and either just look at camera 1's LCD if s/he can see it, or use the still available composite output from camera 1 to connect to a seperate video monitor for that camera.
Unfortunatly there is no way to get the mixed video recorded except by recording/archving the windows media stream.

- Mikko ... maximizing resources.

[Bobertec]

Thanks for the update. i'll set the encoder to 15fps and leave the DVX100a at 30

Inregards to equipment here's the wish list:
Datavideo SE-800DVKQ Digital VideoMixer Kit, Looks like a good setup for ease of use (key and character generator) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=2865&A=details&Q=&sku=458868&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=2865&A=details&Q=&sku=458868&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation)

other option was:Edirol / Roland LVS-400 Live Production Switcher - 4 Input, Composite, S-Video, Dual Bus, MIDI, NTSC or PAL, but no firewire capabilities.

I want to try to avoid analog to digital convertion. Difference between MX-70 with 3D and/or SDI card? Any thoughts?

Eartec TD904PRO, Full Duplexing Portable 4-Station Wireless Intercom System
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=306129&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

I have my DVX100a plus 3 Canon ELURA 100 Dv camcorders (I know they low end but they should do)

I'd like the camcorders to go wireless so I need transmitters (on or off camera)/reciever. Any affordable suggestions?

mikko wilson thanks! If I read this correctly I can take one Cannon ELURA 100 run a yellow Composite video cable to my JVC SR-VS30 Mini dV and SVHS Recorder.I have to read the JVC Manual (Imangine that. lol) to see if it converts in real time. If it does, from the JVC run the converted firewire signal into the PC-card firewire card (laptop). I think I have multiple Svideo ins I'm assuming the JVC can only handle one converted firewire signal out.You lost me on the sound , but if I understand it, just run the red/white audio outs (Cannon ELURA 100) into the JVC. Right?

In regards to " "Note that WME can switch internally between capture sources on the fly. Now it's not a video mixer by a long shot, but it will allow you to use multiple camera angles if you wish. - Note that audio switches too, so you'd have to be carefull about that."

I spoke with the admin from yourschoolevents.com regarding the ablilty to switch between feeds. Don't you need a "physical A/B switch to move from cam1 and cam2 for your output? I thought WME doesn't allow that... If I lose the signal from cam1 I have to start a new session-resulting in a lost broadcast. Can't split the screen (run both at same time) because that will be a mess. I wouldn't trust a software program of this....Right?

You guys know of any good/affordable Character Video overlay programs (Win, Mac, or both). Game clock features would be great. Which ones would you pick. Have you guys used Live Type (Mac) for live broadcasts see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_generator

Thanks for all of your time you put into the responces!!!

[MiniMan13]

Im really busy right now so i didnt real everything in this thread, but if you need help broadcasting with WME and you have specific questions, Feel free to PM me, i have alot of experience threw EGLN.net