Have you considered Streaming from your church?

Streaming services or events from your church is relatively new.  Many churches have started with either uploading a pre-recorded/edited service or used a conference type system like Zoom.  It's been a steep learning curve and not eveyone has an internet connection in their church, something that is essential if you are considering streaming live events or services.

So where do you start?  Well, a good place is deciding what you are aiming for in the short, medium and long term - in other words a VISION is needed, supported by an implementation PLAN and a BUDGET.

Your VISION in the short term may include simply keeping communication going with your congregation (passive or interactive), perhaps experimenting with more outreach etc.  In the medium term you might be considering a regular "transmission" of services and events (e.g. weddings etc) to encourage participation once more in church, or reach out to those still not able to return to regular services.  In the long term you might be considering how to widen the appeal of your transmissions in order to build a (lost?) hub in the local community. 

Once you have a Vision for the future, you then need a PLAN - a roadmap of how you will bring your Vision to life.  This is where you begin to consider some of the technical requirements to achieve your Vision.  The plan can take the form of small steps in each of the short, medium and long term Vision including what equipment will be needed and who will operate it?  Will your existing infrastructure work with your streaming Vision (e.g. do you have a sound system that will provide an approporiate output and do you want your visual images to be available for display in the church as well)?

Finally you need a BUDGET.  With many churches receiving less income over the last 12 months, small budget steps will need to go hand-in-hand with the Plan.  You might start with a suitably specified computer, add a camera that improves image quality (that can be integrated with more cameras further in your Vision, perhaps with a Pan Tilt Zoom feature) and connect in wireless microphones from your sound system to improve sound quality.  Adding a second (or more) cameras will require a visual switching system and associated display to "pre-view" the images of the cameras before you select them.

As you can see, there are many things to consider before entering the Streaming world.  This is where an experienced supplier is invaluable - they should be sympathetic to your Vision, and help you with your Plan and Budget.

If you need help with any of the issues raised above, then please contact us - we have designed and installed a wide range range of Visual and Streaming solutions to meet different requirements and budgets.