Video team sprint notes

An assessment of the current situation

  1. current streaming architecture

  2. Current setup
    • talk capture
      • 2 cameras
      • slide/presenter's laptop capture (goes to projector)
        • hdmi (audio and video)
        • vga (video)
        • audio
        • DP/miniDP to hdmi (audio and video)
      • up to 2 speaker mics
      • up to 2 audience mics
      • up to 2 ambient mics
    • three outputs
      • talk capture output to streaming
      • projector screen (shows slides/laptop)
      • confidence screen (duplicate of projector for presenter)
    • two inputs
      • mixed capture
      • remote source (e.g. streaming from another room)

We use TwinPacts and laptops running DVSwitch. These are getting old, don't support HD, don't support the modern HDMI laptops that presenters turn up with.

Sources of inspiration

Other places that capture presentations

Thursday session

Objective 1: replace twinpact

Goals

  1. replicate existing functionality
  2. increase resolution to 720p or 1080p modes
  3. independent confidence screen for presenter
  4. remote video source (for repeater rooms)
  5. audio in/out tied to source/sink
  6. direct to ethernet or sdi

Discussion points

The consensus seems to be to use HDMI2USB in some form.

Objective 2: replace DVswitch

Goals

  1. replicate existing functionality
  2. increase resolution to 720p or 1080p modes
  3. select output on twinpact replacement
  4. select source for output #2
  5. record all inputs
  6. record all edits

Objective 3: streaming

Goals

  1. single domain name, website to start debconf video
  2. point "local" capture to streaming services
  3. log stats
  4. list and name streams

Discussion points

Objective 4: AV kit

Goals

  1. rearrange kit by room and package up on per-room basis
  2. cameras
    • hdmi/sdi/ethernet
    • lens
  3. mics
    • licences for radio frequencies to run wireless mics
  4. DI boxes
  5. director talkback to camera operators

Discussion points

Decisions

  1. Kit by room
    1. Kit for a talk room
      • 2 speaker mics
      • main camera
      • audience camera
      • optional fixed wideangle webcam
      • capture workstation with single set of capturing cards
      • 2 ambient microphones
      • sound mixer 4-channel
    2. Kit for plenary
      • as talk room
      • 2 more speaker mics
      • 2 more cameras
      • second set of capturing cards in workstation

Objective 5: kit for BOF room

Goals

  1. to be investigated
  2. consider videoconferencing kit as alternative to camera and mic

Objective 6: logistics

Goals

  1. can we avoid shipping cables?
  2. hire versus buy

Friday session

Objective 1: replace twinpact

Achievements

Lots of work on the Atlys-based prototype and software to support it. This will be tested at the talks of this Minidebconf.

Objective 2: Replace DVswitch

Achievements

People are looking at gst-switch and voctomix.

Actions to take away