Pretty cool huh?
And easier to do than you think!
Let’s get you streaming!
Hey everyone!
Welcome to DIY in 5 - the show where we make
tech simple for the everyday user.
I’m Trisha Hershberger and this episode
is near and dear to my heart because we are
talking all about streaming.
Live streaming content - whether it be gaming,
creative, informational or just hanging out
- is a ton of fun and can be a great way to
connect with others in real time.
But I often hear people say that the only
reason they aren’t streaming is because
they don’t have the setup and
don’t know where to start.
I assure you, getting a streaming setup is
much easier and more affordable than one might think,
and I’m here to walk you through it!
First, let’s look at your hardware.
Some people stream straight from their consoles
and while this will serve to share your gameplay,
it is extremely limited in terms of features
and customization.
For a truly professional look to your stream,
you’ll want to stream from a PC.
Surprisingly, you can get a fairly mid-range
PC and still stream at decent settings depending
on what type of content you create.
If you are hoping to stream a hardware intensive
PC game and broadcast from the same computer,
that’s where you’ll have to invest more
in your hardware.
Check out this previous DIY in 5 we did on
streaming PC hardware
to find the right fit for your needs.
Next up, after your PC, I’d look at your
capture card.
A capture card allows you to capture content
from another device
and stream it on your current device.
If you want to stream console gameplay or
from another PC this is how you feed your
video and audio to your streaming PC without
affecting your PC’s performance.
There are a wide variety of cards out there
with various quality, inputs
and customer support
options across various price points.
Some are external some are internal.
For most people, an external capture card
with HDMI input output that records HD quality
will do just fine, like the Razer Ripsaw HD
which I personally use in my home setup.
For the pros out there looking at fancier
cards like the Elgato 4K60 Pro, keep in mind
you’ll need a beefy computer to handle what
cards like that are throwing down.
If you invest in one, you’ll need to do
the same with the other.
As far as displays go, I recommend at least
two although you can 100% do a budget setup with one.
If you are operating off one monitor, you’ll
just need to arrange your windows so that
you have your broadcasting software, notification
window, chat and game or program you are streaming
all on one monitor.
Totally doable just a little crowded.
With two monitors, most streamers prefer to
put their primary broadcast program or game
on one monitor and all the technical aspects
of their stream on another.
If you want to have a facecam in your stream,
there are many options out there including
some with built in lighting specifically for
streamers like the Razer Kiyo or you can invest
in lights and a webcam separately.
Basic 720 or 1080p webcams will do the trick
for most streamers and usually cost under $100.
You’ll want to make sure you frame your
shot so that you are close to the camera
to easily be seen.
And when it comes to lighting, a basic ring light,
LED panel or softbox lighting kit can give you
the flexibility to stream anytime of day
or night and still have a professional look.
However, if just starting out, you can improvise
with home lighting
or setup right in front
of a sunny window.
Now, if you want that ‘green screen’ background
keyed out look, there are some cameras and
software alternatives that try to get that
look, but in my experience, none are as successful
as setting up an actual
green screen behind you.
It’s a pain to setup, properly light and
tear down, but a cool look if you can pull it off.
Your microphone is just as, if not more important,
than your camera since some viewers spend
more time listening to streams than watching
them and while poor video quality can be forgiven,
poor audio is the worst!
Depending on the content of your stream, you
may want to use a headset microphone, desktop
microphone or even off camera microphone.
Most streamers use a USB microphone that connects
directly to their computer and there are a
variety of options built specifically for
live streamers, like the HyperX Quadcast Mic
with a tap to mute button right on the top
of the mic so your “MOM, THE MEATLOAF!”
moments stay your little secret.
As always with sound you’ll want to think
about the echo in your room.
Generally carpets and curtains are better
than bare walls and hard floors.
Think about throwing a run down, hanging some
curtains or hanging up some
sound dampening panels
if this prooves to be an issue.
Other hardware considerations include gaming
controllers, keyboard/mice setup and these
are more a matter of personal preference.
If you do a lot of typing on stream, you may
want to consider a quiet keyboard
with dampening rings
or key switches built for silence.
Another very popular hardware option is a
Stream Deck, a panel of buttons you can use
to switch settings, scenes
or load sound effects on the fly.
A recent addition to my setup has been a silent
USB fan for myself because it’s hard to
keep cool under pressure
and under lights in a 4+ hour stream!
It’s the little things!
From a software standpoint, there are many
different tools you can use to customize your
stream exactly how you want it.
OBS Studio, XSplit & SLObs are some of the
more popular broadcasting software options
and they all have a free
version to get you started.
I’ve done an in depth XSplit tutorial on
my personal youtube channel you can check
out but most of them have a similar setup
of ‘scenes’ and ‘sources’ that you
can setup and live switch between on the fly.
Sites like Streamlabs and Streamelements allow
you to even further personalize your streams
by providing notifications, chatbots, loyalty
point & donation systems and more
and these are free as well.
If you are streaming to a site like Twitch,
there are Twitch extensions again, free of charge,
that can add more pizazz like viewer
driven music playlists, face filters or mini-games.
It’s all about running
your show how you see fit.
Ok, there’s one final thing I’ll mention and
that’s your chair.
Livestreams can go on for hours so finding
an ergonomic chair, gaming chair or otherwise
comfy supportive place to put your butt will
help reduce both stream breaks and naptime.
So there we have it!
If you want a closer look at my personal streaming
setup, you can find that linked in the
description below, and if you have any questions not
answered in this video, please leave it in a comment
and we’ll do our best to get back to you
or maybe even do a deep dive just for your question.
Thanks for watching
everyone and happy streaming!
Oh yeah, please put your Twitch or Mixer or
Facebook or YouTube channel that you stream to
in the comments so that we can all
check out what each other are up to.
Ok then, see ya next time!
