I might start streaming - advice needed

[Bishop89]

***UPDATED OP 29/7/2020***

So i am a bit stumped.

I've streamed a few times (loved it) and used Streamlabs OBS, however I wasn't also aware that OBS Studio and Streamelements were super popular.

I don't know which one i should be using, which is the best one, which will give me less headaches etc..

I haven't had much of a problem with streamlabs (so far) but im still early on and i rather fix everything now rather than later.

OBS Studio
Streamelements
Streamlabs

 

[Deleted member 21709]

I don't think any of that matters at this point - just start streaming regularly and build your skillset and audience.

Your current capture card and whatever mic will do for now.

 

[Soviet]

You should probably go back in time 5 years and start then. But on a more serious note: don't buy fancy equipement. Get a Blue Yeti mic, download OBS and start streaming to see if you'll have fun with it.

 

[BareKnuckle]

Just use your PS4 for now, it has streaming capabilities built in. Use a mic and camera through the ps4. Can be set up in under a minute.

my mate bought all the stuff for streaming at about £180 then decided it wasn't for him after 1 session.

 

[Deleted member 5028]

I picked up the HD60 S+ and the 15 key stream deck recently. Both are fantastic and there's no drivers or lag behind other that device. I also have a Keylight Air, helpful for making you look semi human.

I'm using Streamlabs OBS and it's fantastic for streaming. Was going to pick up a green screen but it's oos at the minute. When you have your channel set please share!

 

[Bishop89]

Yeh I figure I'd only needa mic and mostly anything else is overkill. Got hyped up because a mate of mine has started streaming again and started buying stuff like a new mic, new capture device etc..

But starting out I probably don't need anything fancy like green screens etc.

And yeh you guys are right, I should do it for a month with what I have, and if I'm still keen I can then start doing extra stuff.

 

[Bishop89]

I picked up the HD60 S+ and the 15 key stream deck recently. Both are fantastic and there's no drivers or lag behind other that device. I also have a Keylight Air, helpful for making you look semi human.

I'm using Streamlabs OBS and it's fantastic for streaming. Was going to pick up a green screen but it's oos at the minute. When you have your channel set please share!

Click to shrink...

You're the second/third person to mention streamlabs. What exactly is it?

Also don't worry I'll definitely let you guys know when I get started with all this ;)

 

[Sixfortyfive]

I'm just going to copy some stuff over from the last thread I saw on this.

On hardware:

You should probably just stick with what you have unless it's causing you issues or can't do something you need. But if you are looking to upgrade, then:

- Avoid USB 2.0 devices. (3.0 is fine.)

- Avoid anything with built-in, forced hardware-based H264 encoding. That would noticeably degrade the picture and add delay. Usually this only applies to USB 2.0 devices (see above), but I've seen this in some other devices as well.

- If you're using a Windows PC, get something that is DirectShow compliant. This is the simplest way to confirm that the device "just works" in popular software like OBS and XSplit, as opposed to requiring specifically programmed support for the device.

- You can't record PS3 over HDMI as it has always-on HDCP. You either need to record that system through component, or get some kind of HDCP stripper. Some HDMI splitters will strip HDCP, but not all of them.

On software:

- Get OBS.

I've been out of the game for a couple years at this point so I'm usually hesitant to make strong recommendations for or against any particular product or brand, but I can tell you from experience that every local peer of mine who has used Elgato devices has grown to absolutely loathe them for their unreliability. I've cycled through various capture devices from Matrox, Blackmagic, Avermedia, and Micomsoft/Startech, and I'd take every last one of those brands over Elgato in general. The only device I've used that I hated more was a Hauppauge HDPVR, and that device isn't even intended to be used for streaming anyway.

 

[Deleted member 5028]

You're the second/third person to mention streamlabs. What exactly is it?

Also don't worry I'll definitely let you guys know when I get started with all this ;)

Click to shrink...

It's software that'll let you pipe together a number of sources such as a camera, twitch chat and your elgato game feed into a single package. It's broadcasting studio software that's open source. I've been experimenting but this past week has been a shit show in the world so I haven't been streaming much

 

[Yuntu]

While I don't have any technical advise, I can say for streaming itself just be yourself and start the stream. You either find an audience or you don't, but it can be fun either way.

 

[Reckheim]

Equipment wont make you funny or interesting. Make sure you're note wasting time and money on all this.

Edit: unless you're just doing it for fun, but then you just need a decent camera and mic.

 

[Darkstorne]

Equipment wont make you funny or interesting. Make sure you're note wasting time and money on all this.

Edit: unless you're just doing it for fun, but then you just need a decent camera and mic.

Click to shrink...

Yeah that's key, and I'd also stress the "or" part here. If you're not funny, don't try to be. Find your groove and skillset. Find something you're passionate about. Many popular streamers/YouTubers focus on providing interest, thought provoking discussions, deep dives into elements of games most people don't know about etc, and make little to no attempt at LOLZ. I generally ignore any video that has a streamer pulling a stupid face as the thumbnail.

 

[GuitarGuruu]

I just wanted to offer some advice as someone who has had a lot of success lately,

Find a niche and play to it and don't ride the popular train. You'll grow a dedicated audience by being discoverable on a smaller title rather than hopping onto a game where you'll start off from the bottom of the list.

When you're starting out make sure you have a tab open and tell any friends or family to have it up too even if they're not watching. It will make you again more discoverable to be on top of the list especially like I said if it is a smaller title.

Very few people have success being variety streamers, you need a big personality and a lot of the time that isn't even enough. It is a very saturated type of streamer, so like I said you need to find a niche and stick to it. Personally I think sticking to one game is good when you're starting out and building an audience. Just make sure it's one you're prepared to play for hundreds of hours.

Best of luck, it's a grind starting out but it's easily more enjoyable when you have even a core group of 40-50 people tuning in.

Edit: also if you're user OBS I'd turn off the viewer count, it can be distracting when you get a number of viewers and you're too focused on maintaining that rather than streaming. Interact with your audience and always be acting like you have people watching.

 

[Bishop89]

Thanks for the advice all.
Appreciate it a lot 👌
I'll give it a crack and see how I go.

 

[Deleted member 5028]

Microphones:
I am totally out of my element with these. Have absolutely no idea what to look for, what's good/bad.
Options here

Click to shrink...

I see Elgato started the countdown to Project Wave's reveal which we assume is audio related gear, possibly a Mic, mixer or both?

Project Wave | elgato.com

The next big thing from Elgato. Coming this spring.

www.elgato.com

LtRoyalShrimp anything you can tell us about this? I get you're on their marketing team but would love to know if I'm on the right path here for streaming gear? (also lots of items out of stock on your site - any news on restocks?)

 

[Videophile]

I see Elgato started the countdown to Project Wave's reveal which we assume is audio related gear, possibly a Mic, mixer or both?

Project Wave | elgato.com

The next big thing from Elgato. Coming this spring.

www.elgato.com

LtRoyalShrimp anything you can tell us about this? I get you're on their marketing team but would love to know if I'm on the right path here for streaming gear? (also lots of items out of stock on your site - any news on restocks?)

Click to shrink...

Oh hi.

I can't say go into specifics but -

if I'm on the right path here for streaming gear
Yes. Before purchasing anything new I would suggest waiting till the 18th. You wont be disappointed.

Regarding restocks, I'd need to know what product you're looking at specifically.

 

[Deleted member 5028]

Oh hi.

I can't say go into specifics but -

if I'm on the right path here for streaming gear
Yes.

Regarding restocks, I'd need to know what product you're looking at specifically.

Click to shrink...

Hehe, I'm excited to see what the reveal is. Greenscreen (non MT) in the EU region, and the Camlink 4K. Both have been OOS for a while :/

 

[Deleted member 5028]

Oh hi.

I can't say go into specifics but -

if I'm on the right path here for streaming gear
Yes. Before purchasing anything new I would suggest waiting till the 18th. You wont be disappointed.

Regarding restocks, I'd need to know what product you're looking at specifically.

Click to shrink...

This looks great and removes the need for a mixing amp. Ordered the Wave 3, will be perfect as a work mic too. Great work

Wave:3 – Elgato

Wave:3 is a premium microphone and digital mixing solution that fuses plug and play convenience with broadcast-grade circuitry. Never clip again thanks to proprietary anti-distortion technology. Tap the capacitive sensor to silently mute your mic feed. Co

www.elgato.com

Wave:3 – Elgato

Wave:3 is a premium microphone and digital mixing solution that fuses plug and play convenience with broadcast-grade circuitry. Never clip again thanks to proprietary anti-distortion technology. Tap the capacitive sensor to silently mute your mic feed. Co

www.elgato.com

 

[Videophile]

This looks great and removes the need for a mixing amp. Ordered the Wave 3, will be perfect as a work mic too. Great work

Wave:3 – Elgato

Wave:3 is a premium microphone and digital mixing solution that fuses plug and play convenience with broadcast-grade circuitry. Never clip again thanks to proprietary anti-distortion technology. Tap the capacitive sensor to silently mute your mic feed. Co

www.elgato.com

Wave:3 – Elgato

Wave:3 is a premium microphone and digital mixing solution that fuses plug and play convenience with broadcast-grade circuitry. Never clip again thanks to proprietary anti-distortion technology. Tap the capacitive sensor to silently mute your mic feed. Co

www.elgato.com

Click to shrink...

Thanks! The team worked really hard on this to bring something new and exciting to a rather stale market of microphones. The value of the mic itself is clear but once Wave Link is added to the mix its unbeatable.

Let me know what you think of it and how its working for you once it arrives.

 

[Deleted member 5028]

Thanks! The team worked really hard on this to bring something new and exciting to a rather stale market of microphones. The value of the mic itself is clear but once Wave Link is added to the mix its unbeatable.

Let me know what you think of it and how its working for you once it arrives.

Click to shrink...

Will do for sure!!

 

[Bishop89]

Been doing some streams here and there, it's pretty fun. But I want to start using a webcam. Due to this global pandemic however, webcams are as rare as rainbow farting unicorns.

I have a Sony 6300 camera though, and I read on the interwebs that you can turn your camera into a webcam.

A couple of questions.

1. Do you need any special hardware and/or software to do this?

2. Is there any possibility of this somehow damaging my camera (shutter etc...)?

 

[Hilarious_Bearious]

My advice would be don't be a creep. That seems to be the thing streamers have the hardest time figuring out.

 

[Valkerion]

Play what you like and have fun. Most people come into streams because of the game being played but stay because of the player. Oh and deciding a schedule to stream helps a ton so people can know when they can catch you or be ready to watch a recording. Especially helpful for those of us in not peak time zones for certain languages.

 

[Timu]

I'm just going to copy some stuff over from the last thread I saw on this.

On hardware:

You should probably just stick with what you have unless it's causing you issues or can't do something you need. But if you are looking to upgrade, then:

- Avoid USB 2.0 devices. (3.0 is fine.)

- Avoid anything with built-in, forced hardware-based H264 encoding. That would noticeably degrade the picture and add delay. Usually this only applies to USB 2.0 devices (see above), but I've seen this in some other devices as well.

- If you're using a Windows PC, get something that is DirectShow compliant. This is the simplest way to confirm that the device "just works" in popular software like OBS and XSplit, as opposed to requiring specifically programmed support for the device.

- You can't record PS3 over HDMI as it has always-on HDCP. You either need to record that system through component, or get some kind of HDCP stripper. Some HDMI splitters will strip HDCP, but not all of them.

On software:

- Get OBS.

I've been out of the game for a couple years at this point so I'm usually hesitant to make strong recommendations for or against any particular product or brand, but I can tell you from experience that every local peer of mine who has used Elgato devices has grown to absolutely loathe them for their unreliability. I've cycled through various capture devices from Matrox, Blackmagic, Avermedia, and Micomsoft/Startech, and I'd take every last one of those brands over Elgato in general. The only device I've used that I hated more was a Hauppauge HDPVR, and that device isn't even intended to be used for streaming anyway.

Click to shrink...

This is pretty much all spot on!

 

[Superking]

on the subject, how powerful does one's PC need to be do streaming effectively?

 

[Bishop89]

My advice would be don't be a creep. That seems to be the thing streamers have the hardest time figuring out.

Click to shrink...

don't worry, the only thread that will show up on ERA with my name is "Bishop passes 1 Billion subscribers 😬😬😬😬"

Play what you like and have fun. Most people come into streams because of the game being played but stay because of the player. Oh and deciding a schedule to stream helps a ton so people can know when they can catch you or be ready to watch a recording. Especially helpful for those of us in not peak time zones for certain languages.

Click to shrink...

Besides everything in nature wanting to kill you, the other bad thing about Australia is the shitty timezone difference with the EU/NA countries 😭

 

[Valkerion]

Besides everything in nature wanting to kill you, the other bad thing about Australia is the shitty timezone difference with the EU/NA countries 😭

Click to shrink...

Similar to me then! I stream on Japan time and always get viewers trickling in as I start to wind down for the night since thats when NA east coast wakes up lol. 1-3 viewers for 3 hours, then last 20mins 20~30 viewers. Every time. lol.

 

[signal]

make me mod in your chat

 

[Bishop89]

make me mod in your chat

Click to shrink...

Can't moderate anyone if there are no viewers to moderate

 

[Bishop89]

So i am a bit stumped.

I've streamed a few times (loved it) and used Streamlabs OBS, however I wasn't also aware that OBS Studio and Streamelements were super popular.

I don't know which one i should be using, which is the best one, which will give me less headaches etc..

I haven't had much of a problem with streamlabs (so far) but im still early on and i rather fix everything now rather than later.

OBS Studio
Streamelements
Streamlabs


*ive updated OP to the above so people don't answer old questions lol*

 

[Timu]

So i am a bit stumped.

I've streamed a few times (loved it) and used Streamlabs OBS, however I wasn't also aware that OBS Studio and Streamelements were super popular.

I don't know which one i should be using, which is the best one, which will give me less headaches etc..

I haven't had much of a problem with streamlabs (so far) but im still early on and i rather fix everything now rather than later.

OBS Studio
Streamelements
Streamlabs


*ive updated OP to the above so people don't answer old questions lol*

Click to shrink...

I rely on OBS Studio!

 

[Bishop89]

I rely on OBS Studio!

Click to shrink...

why Studio over the other(s)?
What advantages does it have?

 

[super-famicom]

So i am a bit stumped.

I've streamed a few times (loved it) and used Streamlabs OBS, however I wasn't also aware that OBS Studio and Streamelements were super popular.

I don't know which one i should be using, which is the best one, which will give me less headaches etc..

I haven't had much of a problem with streamlabs (so far) but im still early on and i rather fix everything now rather than later.

OBS Studio
Streamelements
Streamlabs


*ive updated OP to the above so people don't answer old questions lol*

Click to shrink...

I started streaming a month or so ago (but have barely streamed) and use OBS Studios with the OBS Live plugin from Streamelements. OBS Studios has tons of options but I think it uses a bit less resources than Streamlabs. Streamlabs seems to be more popular but it seems way focused on earning revenue, which is not what my focus is. And if you want a fancy theme, Streamelements offers free ones, while you have to sub to Premium for themes in Streamlabs. Also, OBS Studios was like the original and everything else was built off of it.

 

[Patitoloco]

What's your Twitch page Bishop89 ?

 

[AWriterintheRain]

So i am a bit stumped.

I've streamed a few times (loved it) and used Streamlabs OBS, however I wasn't also aware that OBS Studio and Streamelements were super popular.

I don't know which one i should be using, which is the best one, which will give me less headaches etc..

I haven't had much of a problem with streamlabs (so far) but im still early on and i rather fix everything now rather than later.

OBS Studio
Streamelements
Streamlabs


*ive updated OP to the above so people don't answer old questions lol*

Click to shrink...

I'm using both but I feel more comfortable with Streamelements at the moment. I've only started streaming myself just a few weeks ago so maybe my opinion will change over time.

What's your Twitch page Bishop89 ?

Click to shrink...

Yeah, out of curiosity, what is your Twitch username, Bishop89?

 

[Bishop89]

What's your Twitch page Bishop89 ?

Click to shrink...

I'm using both but I feel more comfortable with Streamelements at the moment. I've only started streaming myself just a few weeks ago so maybe my opinion will change over time.



Yeah, out of curiosity, what is your Twitch username, Bishop89?

Click to shrink...

I'll DM you two coz I don't want to be accused of self-promoting lol