Mass Media & Technology

Broadcasting to YouTube

Broadcasting to YouTube with a DSLR camera. (March 2020)

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16
16ratnettfi
Hello. Not sure if you will be able to help with this but I hope someone can help me out. I recently bought a Nikon D5600. I have been researching how I can broadcast to YouTube with my camera. I am 15 years old and I am wanting the cheapest way to do this. I have just the camera on a tripod with a Rode mic on top. Sometimes I may not be at home with it so is there a way of doing this on location too?

Thanks in advance.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
The 5600 seems to be primarily a camera that can also record video. You may not be able to live stream to YouTube with it if that's what you want?
MA
mapperuo
A quick look on Google shows the D5600 does have clean hdmi output, So you could get a hdmi cable and plug it into a capture card, a blackmagic intensity for example and then use OBS on a PC/Mac which is free.

On location stuff is totally different... You have the wrong camera for that really as you'd need something like a LiveU. There are other camcorders that have wifi which you could have then tethered to your phone which would be easier/cheaper.
16
16ratnettfi
A quick look on Google shows the D5600 does have clean hdmi output, So you could get a hdmi cable and plug it into a capture card, a blackmagic intensity for example and then use OBS on a PC/Mac which is free.

On location stuff is totally different... You have the wrong camera for that really as you'd need something like a LiveU. There are other camcorders that have wifi which you could have then tethered to your phone which would be easier/cheaper.


So the blackmagic intensity would be suitable as long as their is a wifi connection? Are there cheaper alternatives?
DO
dosxuk
I would seriously suggest forgetting trying to live stream to begin with. Record to camera and then edit it and upload to YouTube once you're happy with your video.

Live streaming is a lot more work to produce something vaguely watchable, and requires a lot more setting up and finicky equipment which never seems to want to be in the right mode. Then you have to deal with all the rights issues, like someone next door playing a song on the radio causing your stream to be cut off mid way through. And if you want a cut away, or a close up, then you start needing even more equipment and software, and it starts getting expensive quickly.

Recorded + edited stuff has none of these downsides, and you can spend time on your content rather than having to worry about what things are doing. That doesn't mean never go live, just get your confidence with what your using first before making things complicated.
DO
dosxuk
A quick look on Google shows the D5600 does have clean hdmi output, So you could get a hdmi cable and plug it into a capture card, a blackmagic intensity for example and then use OBS on a PC/Mac which is free.

On location stuff is totally different... You have the wrong camera for that really as you'd need something like a LiveU. There are other camcorders that have wifi which you could have then tethered to your phone which would be easier/cheaper.


So the blackmagic intensity would be suitable as long as their is a wifi connection? Are there cheaper alternatives?


No, the intensity is a capture device for a computer. You then need a computer running appropriate software (e.g. OBS as suggested) to take the signal from the intensity device and then encode it for streaming. You will need a fairly decent computer to do this, and a good internet connection, wifi not recommended unless you have a particularly good and reliable signal.

The intensity device is also at the cheap end of boxes to do this sort of thing. There are some cheaper, but they're generally worse.
EL
elmarko
I would seriously suggest forgetting trying to live stream to begin with. Record to camera and then edit it and upload to YouTube once you're happy with your video.

Live streaming is a lot more work to produce something vaguely watchable, and requires a lot more setting up and finicky equipment which never seems to want to be in the right mode. Then you have to deal with all the rights issues, like someone next door playing a song on the radio causing your stream to be cut off mid way through. And if you want a cut away, or a close up, then you start needing even more equipment and software, and it starts getting expensive quickly.

Recorded + edited stuff has none of these downsides, and you can spend time on your content rather than having to worry about what things are doing. That doesn't mean never go live, just get your confidence with what your using first before making things complicated.

This is all good advice - but I wouldn't write it off too quickly. It entirely depends on what you want to do and what look you're happy with. If you're happy with a single camera shot and no fancy lighting and no live cutting between different shots then you may be fine. Many YouTubers get away with doing just this.

Definitely the wrong camera though for that type of fun, IMO.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
As has been said it probably is the wrong camera for the job, however you might want to investigate whether the camera's on-board wifi can help. I gather the software has a live view mode which you might well be able to capture into OBS.

But I think you would probably get better results with a modern phone with an external mic or a halfway decent webcam into a computer.

I did a live stream recently of a panel discussion (a work thing) using a 4K webcam that has a decent wide angle lens option. Streaming in 720p, I was able to load that source into multiple scenes with different cropping and zoom options so I was able to do a virtual multi-camera mix with a close up of each panelist and various two shots and wides. May be worth thinking about as a lightweight portable set up.

72 days later

MI
Miller
I would start with a web-camera, Microsoft 5WH-00002 being my personal choice. It's not too expensive, has not that many settings, and yet just enough for streaming (unless you prefer filming 360 degrees videos, which is a totally different story). Regarding the articles that could give you more insights on the matter, [Mod edit: unrelated link removed]
NG
noggin Founding member
To broadcast live to YouTube etc. it's often easier to get an HDMI->USB interface that simulates a webcam rather than a capture device like a Blackmagic Intensity, and remove the need to use OBS or similar as an intermediate stage. (They also let you use the same camera as a high quality webcam for Zoom, Skype and potentially FaceTime - though that may be trickier)

If you do want to live stream rather than edit - then Magewell make HDMI->USB 'webcam' style capture solutions - though they aren't cheap. There are much cheaper 'EzCap' solutions which are branded via various Chinese no-name suppliers for ~£100-150 - though their quality may be lower and they may not handle all frame rates (though that may not be an issue for you)

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