- One of the easiest ways to improve the quality
of your live streaming setup is to use your DSLR,
your camcorder, or any other video camera.
And the process to do it is actually super simple,
and to show you how simple it is,
in this video we're gonna run you through step by step
exactly how to use a video camera for live streaming.
(upbeat music)
Hey, it's Justin from Primal Video,
where we hope you leverage video
to amplify your business and brand.
And in this video, we're gonna be stepping you through
how to use your DSLR, your camcorder,
or any other video camera next time you go live.
And the process works even if you're not live streaming
and you just wanna use that camera or DSLR as a webcam
for an interview or for a presentation,
or pretty much any other online video.
And while we're stepping through the process,
I'll also touch on some
of my favorite software for live streaming.
But I want to hear from you guys.
What software do you use the most and why?
Drop a note in the comments below
and take a look at what some of the other people
are commenting as well,
because you might find some cool new tools.
All right, so step number one,
or the first thing you're going to need
is an HDMI interface unit or an HDMI capture card.
Some way to get the video feed
from your camera into your computer.
Now, we'll have links down in the description
to everything that we're gonna mention in this video,
but Blackmagic is a company
that makes some really great gear
for doing exactly this.
I'm a big fan of the UltraStudio Mini Recorder,
which sells for around the $145 price point.
This one is Thunderbolt only and Mac only,
but it will let you plug in both HDMI or SDI cameras.
Now, another great option by Blackmagic
if you're on Windows or you're looking
for a USB 3 equivalent if you don't have Thunderbolt,
then you can check out the Intensity Shuttle.
And you can pick these up for around the $199 price point.
Another company that makes really great HDMI interface units
is called Epiphan.
There's two main ones that they sell.
One of them is a 1080p version,
and the other one is a 4K version,
selling for around 399 and 499.
And the biggest advantage with these ones
is that whether you're a Mac or PC,
there's no drivers or software
or anything that you need to install
to get them up and running.
So they are probably the easiest to get running,
but they are a little bit more expensive.
Now there's lots of other options out there as well,
but these ones are really my go-to recommendations.
We've also used a few devices from Elgato,
and while they work well for the live streaming side,
a lot of them can't easily be used to mimic a webcam
or to be used as a webcam inside of apps like Skype.
So yeah, check out the Blackmagic or the Epiphan.
So now that you've got your HDMI interface unit sorted,
the next thing you're gonna need is a camera
with clean HDMI output
so the video feed that's coming out of your camera
through HDMI is clean.
It doesn't have all of your camera status
and display and battery level and record time
and all that information.
Some cameras actually output that through HDMI
with no way of turning it off.
Now this can be the case
with all different brands of cameras,
but there are a lot of Canon cameras specifically
that don't give you that clean HDMI output
or the video feed without all your camera data on it.
Now this isn't the case for most cameras,
but you will want to do a quick Google search
for your camera make and model
with the words clean HDMI afterwards
to see if your camera actually has clean HDMI output.
Otherwise the video feed or the video footage
you're gonna get out of that camera
while you're live streaming
will have all of your camera data on it too.
The next step then is to connect everything up,
so plug your camera into your interface unit,
then connect the interface unit
into your Mac or PC,
and then open up either your live streaming app,
things like OBS, Wirecast, vMix, Ecamm,
whatever it is you're using to live stream,
or whatever it is you're using for video communication,
whether it's Skype or Zoom or any other platform.
Then it's just a matter of selecting your webcam
or your video source to be that interface unit,
which is your camera.
Now, depending on your computer,
which camera you're using, and which interface you're using,
there can be some delay between the audio and the video
if you're using a microphone that's not connected
to the camera itself,
so if you're using a podcast-style microphone
directly into the computer.
And you can sometimes have delay between the audio
going directly into your computer
and the video coming through the HDMI interface unit.
Now there's a couple of ways that you can overcome this.
If you have the ability to plug in your microphones
or your audio directly into your camera itself,
then that HDMI feed from your camera into your computer
is going to have the audio perfectly in sync
because it's all coming from the camera itself.
Another way that you can fix this if your video and audio
are slightly out of sync
is, if you're using software for live streaming
like vMix or Wirecast, you actually have the option
to adjust the delay on the audio
so that it can match your camera and stay in sync
while people are watching.
So that's how easy it is to use your DSLR,
your mirrorless, or your video cameras for live streaming
or for things like Skype calls or Zoom calls as well.
Now, if you're interested in finding out
how you can live stream on YouTube
with more than person on the stream with you,
then check out the video linked on screen,
and I'll see you soon.