Imagine being able to stream your school’s sporting events to fans near and far—showcasing your team’s talent and bringing the excitement to a broader audience. A good setup for streaming high school sports is crucial to making this happen. But what exactly does that entail?
Our team at WSN Live has put together a comprehensive guide that covers everything you need to know to stream high school sports like a pro. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to upgrade your current setup, we’ve got you covered with expert tips and essential equipment recommendations.
Fundamental High School Sports Streaming Equipment
Every good live-streaming setup for high school sports requires audio-visual gear and streaming equipment. At the very least, you’d need the following:
- A good quality camera
- Reliable microphones
- A capture card
- A dependable laptop
Let’s have a closer look at each of these must-haves.
A Good Quality Camera
A good-quality camera should offer a resolution of at least 720p to help you avoid low-quality video streams. However, ensure it allows you to switch to 1080p for an even crisper video quality with improved clarity.
While there are cameras that let you shoot at 4K, it’s up to you if your budget allows for these more expensive options. Remember, though, that the higher the resolution of your streams, the more bandwidth they’ll need.
Plus, according to NMW.com, most people now watch new videos on their smart devices, specifically smartphones, more than on their televisions. Most smartphones have 1080p resolution, so viewers won’t see any difference even if a live streaming feed is in 4K.
Reliable Microphones
So, ensure you have a few good-quality microphones for professional-looking (and sounding!) sports broadcasting for schools. Consider dynamic mics, which are hardy and suitable for loud environments.
The last thing you want is to capture your high school team’s best plays in HD but let it become marred by too much external noise or stream without any sound. Sporting events are great to watch because of the incredible mix between the visuals and the excitement that the crowd adds to the game.
Capture Card
A capture card captures video and audio and converts it into digital signals for sharing on internet platforms. While you’re using it to stream video from your camera, it prepares the content for streaming. As it does, it maintains the feed’s quality and doesn’t overtax your computer.
With a capture card, you can reduce the odds of your computer lagging while streaming and recording video.
A Dependable Laptop
While you can use a smartphone for live streaming, it won’t be as professional-looking as one done through a robust computer. Internet or data connections can also be choppy, causing frustrating delays.
So, invest in a dependable laptop to connect your camera and stream from. The more memory and processing power the computer has, the smoother the stream and production.
A Stable Internet Connection
The internet connection you’ll use to stream can make or break the quality of the feed, so it must be stable and, ideally, wired. As the folks at How-To Geek explain, compared to a wireless connection, a wired one is several times faster, is more reliable, and has less latency. Also, radio interference won’t be an issue since a wired connection connects straight to your computer.
Remember that the higher the bandwidth, the higher the video resolution the connection can support.
Streaming Software
Now that you know the essential hardware for a good setup for streaming high school sports, the next step is to decide on the software. Streaming software is an application that converts the video and audio input into digital signals for live streaming, like a capture card. The primary difference is that it has more bells and whistles, including the following features and functions:
- Mix multiple sources
- Add graphics
- Place text overlays
- Encode with different formats
- Distribute streamed content to popular streaming platforms
If you choose WSN Live, your service plan will include easy-to-use streaming software with exceptional training and support. You can even access innovative features like AI live streaming by partnering with us!
Streaming Platform
Your streaming software is the back end of your production, while the streaming platform is the front end. It’s the access point of your viewers, where they can watch your live streams. Therefore, it’s vital to take the time to decide on which platform to choose since your choice will affect several aspects of your streaming, such as:
- What you can stream
- The quality of the video on the viewers’ side
- The ownership of the videos you stream
- The potential revenue you can earn from ads
- Customer and technical support
The Ideal Alternative: WSN Live
At WSN Live, you can count on our experts to provide you and your production team with training and support when needed. You’ll get a dedicated website for all your streaming projects and archiving needs, letting your viewers watch them from anywhere.
Don’t Just Settle for a Good Setup for Streaming
Why settle for a good setup for streaming your high school sports team’s incredible plays when you can make it excellent? At WSN Live, we can help you make this happen with our exceptional online streaming services.
We began our journey in 2010, and since then, we’ve helped schools and sports teams stream professional-quality broadcasts to their fans. With over a decade of experience, you can rely on us to help set you up with the right gear, prep you for game day, and be with you on game day and post-game.
So, connect with us today if you’re ready to livestream your school events.