2010 ECAC-SIDA Table Topics Presentation by Perry Laskaris •
Rensselaer Sports Information •
laskap2@rpi.edu •
Video Streaming/YouTube presentation (PDF)
Video Streaming
The Basics
Whether it be through CBSSports.com, B2 Networks, Live Sports Video or ICS, streaming home events can be made very simple. Sports that already tape their games make the task even easier, as the most basic streaming can be done with either a digital or analog video feed.
Setting Up
• The equipment needed varies, so make sure you go over what’s needed with your web streaming provider.
• If your team already has a camera set up for game film purposes, just take a free output from the camera and connect it to the computer. Otherwise you’ll need to provide a camera and operator.
• The first time you set up to stream a game, you want to make sure you show up between two hours and an hour and a half before the start time to make sure you have all the equipment you need. If you have the time, you would like to test everything a day or two before, just to make sure everything is in working order.
Start Small and Expand
• Sometimes its easiest to start your live streaming with only a few sports in a given year or season. Jumping into a full schedule without experience could be overwhelming, especially while juggling SID game day responsibilities.
• Whether you choose to just cover certain sports or even certain games (maybe big rivalries or just league games), beginning with a manageable amount of events will be helpful.
• Once you have a handle on the way the system works and have the man-power, feel free to expand coverage to as many sports as possible.
• Some sports may be difficult and sometimes even impossible to shoot,
Improving Webcast Quality
• Once you have a solid web stream, adding play-by-play and color commentary will add to the experience of the viewer. Even if to just help indicate who has the ball/puck and how much time is remaining (sometimes this is difficult to display with a one-camera set-up) can be helpful.
• Connect with student groups such as the campus radio station or campus cable television club as they may be looking for live filming or game coverage opportunities that could potentially benefit both their club and the athletic department.
YouTube
YouTube can be used as the main hub for all your school’s videos or just a place to store them for embedding uses on your website. With simple uploading and organizing on the site’s back-end, YouTube is a great resource when trying to further your new media outreach.
Opening an Account
• YouTube accounts are free and if you already have a Google account you can easily link them for
your convenience.
• Once you have created an account you have a number of customizing options for what is called
your YouTube Channel. Your Channel is a hub where all your videos will be displayed.
Adding Content
• Shooting video, whether as simple as a minute and half post-game interview or a 5-7 minute season retro-spective, can be easily uploaded and posted to your channel.
• Once uploaded, users have the ability to add to the video, including “tagging” it, which makes it easier to find through search engines.
• Other options include adding a description, the date the piece was filmed and location.
• Privacy and sharing options allow you to customize who can comment or rate your videos, or if you want comments allowed at all.
Back-End Navigation
• Once you have videos online, you have the ability to track how many people are viewing your channel as well as individual videos by clicking on the “Insight” tab.
• “Insight” also breaks down where your viewers are coming from, while graphing your total and individual video views over time.
•The YouTube back-end is where all of the branding and account settings can be adjusted.
Benefits
• Creating engaging videos can expand the outreach of your athletic department as well as give
alumni, families and fans an inside look into the school’s student-athletes that can’t always be displayed through a press release or feature story.
• Student-athletes get a low-pressure introduction to having a camera in their face, which can
sometimes be a challenge at first.
• Sports that don’t always get the same media attention can be put on display.
• The analytical aspect, although not perfect, gives an indication of who your viewers and consequently your site visitors are and where they are logging on from.