Help picking gear for multiple camera sports web cast setup

I am trying to sort out what I need to setup multiple camera angles for webcasting live video for an amateur sports league. Live webcasting is the eventual goal, but I expect to start off with just recording the games to be edited together in post before uploading to youtube.

An example of what kind of work I want to be able to do: http://wftda.tv/ But eventually supporting even more angles than most are showing there. (I could happily deploy nearly a dozen fixed cameras and a few panning cameras if I had the hardware and other volunteers)

Track area I need to work around is about 110 feet by 80, but I have no idea what would be the best way to wire the cameras in, or exact maximum lengths.

Specifically I want to start with 2 or 3 cameras more suited to the task than my GoPro Hero 3 Silver and assembling the videos in post to upload, and slowly expanding my gear to support live webcast. So I need input on the following three main points:


First: I need suggestions on camera models, which would need:
1. Ability to record to an SD card upwards of 2 hours without interruption or user interaction.
2. Be able to function as a remote camera to feed some form of a switcher/remote recoding device.
3. Be simple, reliable, and ideally fairly inexpensive. Older model clearance bin stuff that can do this for under $200 would be perfect. We're not recording for ESPN after all, and they will either be stuck on a fixed tripod, or panned by a volunteer who possibly only gets a 30 second less a few minutes before game starts.

Second: I need suggestions on wiring/networking the cameras.
Wireless would not be ideal due to the buildings we play in and potential interference, but what have people found to be the most cost effective way to manage long run digital video. This also feeds into the third point on signal switching, encoding, and storage.

Third: thoughts on hardware/software option for managing all these cameras if we go for live webcast. The goal is 1080HD signals, but would happily settle for 720, with at least 4 cameras. Signal switching of this kind is rather new to me, but I'm expecting that starting with hardware that can handle up to 6 feeds is my best bet, and if we ever go beyond that then it would become a two person job to manage.

something like:
Feed 1: Sponsor video to switch to for downtime
Feeds 2-5: Main cameras where 90% of the video is coming from
Feed 6: Input from secondary controller, who would switch between the lesser stuff. Penalty box, crowd, etc.

The live webcast stuff would also of course need some way to overlay images for things like score and such.


One other thing I would ideally have is a way to easily sync everything up after the fact so we could not only switch between camera angles, but also keep everything in sync when rewinding. This would really help post game review so the players can analyze things and look for issues to improve on.


Thanks for any input on the subject, even just suggestions for good reading on the subject matter are going to be of great use to me.

I don't have any personal experience, but I've been getting email and facebook advertisements from Markertek for equipment that should do what you want.

....I finally went to their website, and ... hoo, it's cluttered.

Yeah, it has been 'fun' trying to just google and start sorting things out for myself. Seems to be a subject that has lots of information on it, but not a whole lot of guidance if you're just trying to get started. I have a degree in computer sciences and I'm very familiar with technology and ways things like this can be done, I'm just clueless as to how best to try tackling it with mostly off the shelf gear.

Switchers are looking like they'll be a problem cost wise. Might end up rolling some of my own custom hardware to deal with that part of things.

This is an incredibly big task and so hard to do on a budget. It is very hard to edit multiple live camera feeds in an NLE alone without timecode to synch them together. Solid audio recording and music are a big concern.

At the most basic level, I would use cheaper HD camcorders mounted at multiple points each feeding a HD Recorder/Monitor at a central location over long run HDMI cables. You will need to run one audio feed from the announcer/play by play into one camera, and a room mic into another camera. At least then you have extended recording time of multiple cameras in synch with each other for later editing. Trying to edit 3+ cameras without synch, with various clips and recording formats is the worst nightmare ever.

I would start with no more than 5 cameras- 1 wide angle of the action, 2 main cameras on a tripod to follow the action, 1 on the announcer/commentator, and 1 on B roll extra action. Any cheap HDMI camcorder or action cam will work.

When you need to move to a live broadcast, you then feed each camera into an switcher/editor for a single feed out. You can easily spend big bucks on this alone. You will need a graphics/tiles person with scoreboard software to update scoring, graphics, etc live. At some point you will need radio communications between all camera people.

Here is a solid recorder/monitor:
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …201_Atomos_Roni​n_Duo.html

Add switcher/streamer:
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …all_in_one_a_v_​mixer.html

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …HD_500_Portable​_Live.html

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …i_Format_Video_​Mixer.html

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …hd_sdi_mobile_s​tudio.html

Beyond the recording and production aspects, you will need to get licensed music. You can play popular music at the game live, but you cannot use that same music in any broadcast or event video without licensing.

Good Luck. This type of production usually takes an entire Video Crew and big $$$.
-Scott

Yeah, wasn't expecting it to be cheap or easy, but I also wasn't expecting just getting the HDMI from a cheap camera to a central station with a reliable signal was going to be as expensive as it appears. I'm seeing a lot online about the hassle of going more than 30-50 feet with HDMI, and HDMI to HD-SDI converters aren't exactly cheap.

Starting to wonder if rolling a custom system might be the way to go if I'm going to end up sinking hundreds over and above each camera just to get the signal to the box that is going to be costing me a few thousand anyway. I need to look into what it will cost me to build a box that can convert the HDMI output into h.264 to pass over a standard network. Skip the hardware switcher for a straight software controller telling each box if they're piping to the monitor station or if they're the one streaming.

Handling keying and fades however is an issue, as I have no idea how well h.264 encoded signals would handle reprocessing and re-encoding. (Actually I won't shed any tears if the system is restricted to straight signal cuts.)

Luckily we already have a great crew at most games in the region when it comes to the audio. Half the announcers in Atlantic Canada are big on synths and such. Plus I'm possibly going to be building new score board hardware and software this summer.

Should prove interesting which ever direction this project takes.

These 100 ft HDMI cables are reportedly reliable for $100.
http://www.amazon.com …t-Amplifier/dp/B0012SB5F​8

This BlackMagic Switcher is a budget HW solution w SW control at a great price:
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …on_Studio_Produ​ction.html

There is a super low budget synch solution that avoids all cables or synch external recording. Just get an clapper board with timecode like this:
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …on_strobe_slate​_with.html

or app:
https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=PWEfj35uB88

this will allow you to start recording on all cameras, show the time stamp to the camera and then use the audio clap and time display to synch them in post.