Looking for help with the reverse of streaming an event(?)

[Mike Hammond]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for suggestions to help us capture a live event next week. It's an event wherein presenters will be doing walk-throughs on the computers, and their computers will be put through the venue's project system.

We'll be able to get a video feed from the venue but I'm wondering what people would suggest for capturing it so we can add it to the edit in post-production. I'm guessing capturing it direct into a laptop using something like Camtasia or another screen recording software.

May be a dumb question, but I thought I'd ask as we've never done this before at an event.

Thanks!

[Edward Carlson]

Since it's already going out to a projector, I would take that same feed into a stand-alone recorder. Running screen capture software on the presenter's computers is problematic, especially if each presenter brings their own.

If the projector has a video output, hook up your recorder to that. Otherwise, get an HDMI DA and a recorder like an Atomos or Blackmagic Video Assist.You might have to convert the signal coming out of the computer to something more favorable to the recorders, so a Decimator MD-HX or something more capable like an ImagePro could be necessary.

[Stein Onshus]

If you are using a JVC ls300 camera you will be able to record in camera and stream HD over wifi at the same time.

[Jay Massengill]

I've just been recording presentations using both methods.

If it's just one computer and you have full control over it, the recording function of Open Broadcaster Software works very well.

If it's multiple computers or a single computer but you don't have access to it, record the HDMI signal going to the projection system.

Make sure you have good sync audio being recorded with the screen visual. At the very least to be a guide during post-production using better audio recordings.

[Mike Hammond]

Thanks very much guys.

Edward: I meant we were thinking of getting a video feed out of the projector or the AV team's board and running that into our own laptop with screen recording software. What do you mean by "stand-alone recorder?" Do you mean a seperate cam being used just for capturing the stream?

Jay: Thanks. We're going to take a look into OBS.

[Steven Digges]

Mike,

The only way for you to know how to do this properly is to contact the AV guys doing the presentation control. Find out how they are doing it and what kind of audio and video feeds will be available to you. Do not assume a standard audio/video feed will be automatically there for you.

Also, if this is one of those gigs where each presenter brings his own device your feed will change. There are a lot of variables here for both audio and video. You may not have a video feed available at all, it may be a RGBHV or RGB composite feed with no audio. You need to work with the AV dept in advance to know what you will get. And remember if you are lucky enough to get HDMI it will not have the presenters audio embedded. It is a projector feed. And HDMI is output only on PC or Macs. That is why guys here are properly telling you to use a recorder.

Don't be surprised if you run into the presentation running VGA cable in 4x3.....it is still out there!

Kind Regards,

Steve

[Jay Massengill]

Today for a large meeting I used a third method.

The screen recording was done via Webex sharing of the presentation computer's PowerPoint show via hard wired ethernet.

I used a camera with good audio capabilities and located at the audio mixer position to record a good audio direct feed and just guide visuals from the projector screen to sync up later with the Webex screen recording.

[Craig Seeman]

You can also use Camtasia on Windows or ScreenFlow on Mac as an alternative to OBS. They're both professional screen capture utilities if you need something on that level.

[Mike Hammond]

Hi everyone,

From the AV team at the venue: "The presentations will all go through a switcher and be sent out via HDSDI to the 80" display monitors. I can also send DVI or HDMI if needed."

Stand alone recorder? I'm wondering if a Atomos Ninja 2 will do the trick taking an HDMI input straight from the venue? We use these for backup capture on our cams via HDMI but, just as a test, I hooked one up to a TV cable HDMI and it recorded nothing but black screen so maybe not?

[Craig Seeman]

You'll want to be able to monitor while you're recording IMHO. TV output may be blocked by HDMI copy protection so that may not be a useful test.

You could use a Magewell or Epiphan device going into a laptop with recording software that may encode to Apple ProRes or MJPEG recording on the computer's drive or a fast external drive.

https://www.epiphan.com/products/com...ideo-grabbers/

This handls HDMI up to 4K
https://www.epiphan.com/products/avio-4k/

The also have this
https://www.epiphan.com/products/vgadvi-recorder-pro/

[Donald McPherson]

Mike. This only costs a few pounds and worth a try. Buy a cheap HDMI splitter from Ebay. Don't know how, but they somehow get past the blocking system.

[Jay Massengill]

Some of the consumer HDMI recorder boxes also get past the copy protection, but since the OP already has the Atomos Ninja 2 available to him I'd recommend using one of those as there shouldn't be any copy protection involved in the presentation display system.

Just a reminder, don't forget about a way to get sync audio with the visual recording.

It's best to have good audio recorded onto the screen visual recorder and the A/V company should be able to provide that too.

In my case the other day (a last minute request) it was more convenient to record the computer screen visual feed through a method that was silent. I paired this with a good quality direct audio recording that had guide-quality visual sync of the same projection screen the audience was watching.