When you’ve decided you’re ready to step up your game, here’s all the gear you’ll need.

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If you’re not ready for what’s detailed here, you can get started streaming for nearly free presuming you have some basic gear on hand.

Software – $0

Again, our software of choice is Blue Frame Tech’s Production Truck because you can get started for free and in a very short period of time. If your school is responsive to a small amount of paperwork, you can sign up on Monday & be streaming Friday night’s football game.

Hardware

Computer – $0

For this particular post, we’re going to assume that your school already has a computer and a WiFi connection for you to use because, obviously, these are two big expenses if you don’t have them already. Check with your athletic director, booster club, principal or the school’s journalism or A/V teacher. I’m partial to using a MAC if you’re going to be commentating and the whole nine yards because the Blue Frame software is much more robust – specifically, replays are not supported on a PC.

Camera with Hudl Focus – $0

Hudl offers, as part of its high end package, an indoor and an outdoor Focus Camera. This is a proprietary, action tracking camera for coaches to record all the action without having to have a camera person. The best part? They work with Blue Frame! So check with your coaches before you buy a camera. If you have these, you might be able to tie into them wirelessly. The setup is relatively easy. You have to be on the same network as the camera, and then you can find instructions on either Hudl’s or Blue Frame’s website. In order for the cameras to work, the coaches must have an event scheduled so don’t freak on your test run when it doesn’t show you anything.

Full disclosure here, we had a few issues with our Focus during basketball season. I think that it was in the processing power of the laptop that we were using, but sometimes it would lag and the video would get way behind. When this happened, we’d switch to our physical camera.

Pro tip: if the video is behind just a little bit, there are some advanced features in Production Truck that will allow you to delay the audio so you don’t sound like a fortune teller calling the game you’re seeing before the video hits the screen. I suspect this happens occasionally because the video is traveling to a server at Hudl, then to your screen that you’re broadcasting from.

Camera without Hudl Focus – $300

This is another category where if you’re resourceful, you should be able to get started for free or close to it, but I’ll make a few recommendations here. If you’re streaming a “major” sport, it’s likely that the coaches are already filming it.

If they’re using Hudl (the most widely accepted coaching video platform), they’ll have the HDMI outputs on their camera already in which case, you just need an HDMI splitter and a two HDMI cables (one for you and one for them). A short HDMI cable is usually fine for them, and I have a long one for our setup because we setup away from the coaches for better audio.

For the getting started post, we’re going to focus on the entry level consumer cameras. These cameras are not super fancy. They won’t get the video you see on ESPN, but they’ll suffice for proof-of-concept. What we’re trying to do a lot of times is prove to the decision-makers that this endeavor is worthwhile.

If you’re buying a new camera from any respectable outlet that is any respectable name brand, you won’t need to worry too much about resolution, zoom stats, etc. The biggest concern we have here is how are we going to get it to our computer? HDMI is the simplest solution on a budget so that’s what we’re going with. Look for cameras with HDMI output.

Now, what I will say is that these pesky little HDMI outputs are way too susceptible to breakage from the weight of the cord hanging on them all the time. A 90 degree plug helps a lot with this. Another helpful tip is that we have a short little cord with an adapter on it to go from this output to regular HDMI. Then you can tape the short cord to your tripod to relieve some pressure from this plug.

Video Capture Device $115

This is a very important piece of your setup. There are a ton of these to choose from, but beware. Skimp on this item at your own risk. I’ve used a few different ones, and the cheap ones show it in your video quality. Blackmagic makes good ones, and this UltraStudio 3G Recorder is the entry level which works well with Production Truck.

Tripod $15-$50

The tripod for your camera is an important part that I didn’t fully understand, but after a while you get frustrated with the cheap-o ones. If you’re going to have students using it & transporting it, then you probably don’t want to drop a ton of cash on one. In that case, $15 will get you started. If you’re operating or if you want a little smoother operation and less frustration, then get into the $50 range. The more expensive ones will typically get you a ball head (smoother operation) and a higher maximum height. Make sure you pay attention here to see if it has all the connections you need. Some come with smart phone or tablet adapters; others will need an adapter in addition.

Mixer $200

This piece isn’t included until we get into the “getting serious” section because it’s not absolutely necessary. You can stream with the audio from your camera when you’re first starting out. However, when you want to add commentary, ambient noise, PA announcer sound, etc., a mixer with USB output becomes essential.

When you’re first getting started, you’re probably thinking one commentator and ambient noise from the crowd is great. In that case, a simple mixer will work. However, when we started, we wanted to allow for a little bit of expand-ability in case we get more serious in the future. It’s easy to get addicted to getting more serious!

We decided to go with the Behringer Xenyx QX1202USB which is not currently available in a lot of places, but this Yamaha MG10XU is very similar.

Headset(s) $60 each ($20 optional accessory)

We tried a bunch of different methods here. If you want to go really simple and cheap, any microphone will do. However, we found quickly that it was annoying to hold microphones so we switched to clip-ons. Then when it got really loud at the game, it became difficult to hear each other. If you’re doing everything yourself, it’s also helpful to be able to hear so you can make sure your audio is working and sounds like you want it to.

This Yamaha CM500 headset is entry level, but it has everything you need to get started. The boom mic will make sure that it captures everything you’re saying clearly, the headset will drown out the crowd noise, and the separate headphone and mic cables let you plug into the mixer for the mic and the computer headphone jack for the headphones. This will let you make sure that you’re hearing what your audience is hearing. Whether it’s ad videos, replays, etc., Production Truck lets you decide whether your audience will hear the video sound or your microphone.

Because these headsets are entry level, they don’t do a great job drowning out ambient noise from the crowd which is a blessing and a curse. If you’re on a really strict budget, you don’t need to add another mic to capture crowd noise – especially for indoor events. We elected to add a shotgun mic which is really helpful especially for outdoor events.

These mics also need power. It’s nice of Yamaha to include the battery power kit, but if you don’t want to buy batteries all the time, this is a $20 permanent fix. There are others on the B&H site that are better, but they are out of stock at the time of writing. This will take the phantom power of the mixer and make it into the lower voltage that the mic needs.

Shotgun Mic $60 with additional $20 adapter ($80 total)

This Rode Video Micro Shotgun Mic is perfect to get started. As with most of this equipment, you’re going to want to upgrade eventually, but this will capture crowd noise well for the first few years that you’re getting things going. This piece is not essential, but it’ll make your broadcast experience sooo much better.

You’ll need the same adapter from the headsets above to power this one.

Transport $0

Again, I’m making a small assumption here, but if you’re like me, you have a few pieces of rolling luggage laying around that you only use a few times a year. The carry-on bag size works perfectly for the starter package we’ve talked about here. The pockets work well for cords and cables. This will save you multiple trips to the car and strain on your back from having to carry everything. The small plastic storage totes work well to organize cables and small plugs so you don’t lose them.

Cables $89

Obviously, you’ll need to connect all the stuff you just bought. Go grab that tote of cables that you have that you swear you’re going to use someday. This is its moment to shine! Then anything you don’t have, just search it; Amazon, Wal-Mart, B&H, wherever you can find them. Again, don’t go super cheap here, but most cables will work just fine.

Summary $999

For a two person setup, before taxes and shipping, you should come in under $1000. I love B&H’s website because the products are trustworthy, the shipping is reliable, and their experts are available to chat or call and ask questions. We have successfully ordered products from them and had them rush shipped for less than 10% of the cost of the item to arrive the following day at noon so we could use them to stream a game that evening.

Not Quite Ready?

If you’re not ready for what’s detailed here, you can get started streaming for nearly free presuming you have some basic gear on hand.