Need help from square 1

[jillo1013]

Hello,
I am attending a growing church, with a media team of 3 whose knowledge is limited to audio. We currently use Easy Worship for our scriptures and music, with Power Point as the announcements. Over Christmas, I realized that we needed the capabilities to do a live feed through our projector, but I have no idea where to start. I am very interested in working with video in our church, and my son has a Sony camera I can use.

Can someone tell me what is needed to run live action? I really appreciate anything you can do to point me in the right direction.

Jill

[Tim Simms]

Welcome to CMN!

I'm assuming your projector is in the same room as the live action? If so, then you'll want to run your video camera through a scaler and send out to the projector at native resolution.

Why don't you give us some more details on what you envision (goal and purpose of camera feed, how often used, what it will be shooting, who will be viewing, etc.), and we can help you figure out what you need.

[jsharris83]

Our projector has a hardwired remote that is run back to the presentation computer. We connect the computer to the monitor in to a powered monitor splitter. The splitter acts as an extender as well. We use RCA video for the camera feed or you can use svideo if the camera/projector allows. There are svideo extenders out there if the run is too long. We use the projectors as our switcher from camera to PC. We have 2 projectors and a 58" plasma display with the same display from the computer. I know that mediashout and SongShow Plus allow live video feeds in there program. So you would just need an svideo or rca in on your comuter and that would feed in to easy worship.

[jsharris83]

Here is a setup we are thinking about using for our youth group. We are using a laptop with a video converter/switcher and a 4 port video splitter. Here are some of the items you could use and it is very inexpensive.

video switcher/converter
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...335&CatId=1430

VGA splitter
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...5823&CatId=317

Just make sure you put the splitter last in the chain.

Laptop-switcher-splitter-projector
Camera-switcher-splitter-projector

You might not have two projectors but you can still use this as an extender and then maybe later on if you get another projector of overflow room you will have the extra output. You need to have a dual screen video card in your pc as well.

[Carl Godsoe]

We use a Folsom Switcher/Scaler to switch between computer, camera, DVD, etc. Everything that goes to the projector is VGA.

[adamwe4]

You can also install a Video capture care in the EW PC and run the camera through EW. No scaler needed
I installed 2 - 3 port vidcapture cards and are able to switch/fade between the 2 inputs. I am tring to remember the vid capture card manufacurer..... I can't... It was top of EW suggested input card.

[Ebroach]

jillo1013, adamwe4 is correct. EZW supports the ability to do Imag if you have a Video Input device which you may have. Does your computer have firewire port and does the Sony video camera have a Firewire out. If not you can as adamwe4 said, you can purachase a video input card. EZW suggest the Osprey line of cards

Such as this one on EBAY
http://cgi.ebay.com/Osprey-100-Video...sid=p1638.m118

I use a product made by Avermedia
Here is a product similar to mine My model has been discontinued.
http://www.aver.com/dvd/ezmakergold.html

Now I will admit. The Quality is limited doing it this way. It will work and yes it can be done better. But it cost.

TVone makes an upscaler/switcher.

http://www.churchmedia.com/Merchant2...roduct_Count=0

But still for purposes of testing the waters . Using EZW and PC is a great way to start.

PS

Welcome to CMN. I see this was your first post.

[jillo1013]

Thanks for your responses. Due to some home remodeling, I have not been back on here like I had hoped. Let me take some time to digest your responses and post back. Boy, this is way over my head!

Happy New Year!
Jill

[sempei13]

Here's the article I wrote a couple of years ago about IMAG. I didn't write the "editor's note", so know that I don't necessarily agree with it. Click here to read it.

Paul

[adessmith]

If you dont have the ability to spend thousands in equipment, I would suggest getting a video input card or device, and running a live feed from easy worship.
Although the quality isn't top notch, it DOES work.
We do this for our childrens message, (all the kids come forward and sit in a little circle, and only the front row can really see them). It seems to work well for that, but I dont know if you would want to use it as a full time IMAG solution. If you are wanting production quality in a large church, and you are using it for more than just a few minutes per service you are gonna need a big budget.
It looks like you can spend from a couple thousand on up to about $50,000 with high end IMAG....

Just depends on your budget, exisiting equipment, and your needs.