Streaming has now become a major source of media entertainment, especially with how the internet is now readily available to most people. Streaming is not limited to video games as there are teams of people eating different foods, traveling, crafting, art, and so much more. It has basically replaced network television.
Like television, streamers need to compete with each other to get views so they can earn more money. Some do it for entertainment, but it is a job for most. If someone must make a career off of streaming to entertain, educate, or just engage in simple conversation with others, they need the gear for it. Streaming is not as simple as having a webcam record everything you do. Whether it is streaming video games, a podcast, or just something with pure entertainment, a computer and some gear is involved. We will go over the necessities of streaming and what it takes to get set up.
First and foremost, you need an internet connection. This can honestly be any internet connection and most internet service providers have some form of upload speed or even limits, but without this, you cannot upload content from your camera or computer and broadcast it without internet. The higher the upload speed, the better for streaming.
The second necessity is a device to stream with, and this heavily depends on the content you wish to stream with and how your internet connection works. This can be a phone, a laptop, or much preferably, a desktop PC. This is the main means of streaming, as it will be in charge of encoding and uploading data taken from the content displayed on the computer and uploading it to a stream service.
Something else that is tied with the device is the software you use to broadcast your content. This software controls what users can see, as well as allow the streamer to interact with them and control the content with overlays, information, audio, video, etc. The most commonly used streaming software is probably Streamlabs. OBS is basically a featureless Streamlabs and is open sourced so there can be more customization while Streamlabs has presets and assets that streamers can use upon initial setup.
The third necessity is to have an account with a platform where you can stream your content to. The most common streaming platforms are Twitch, Youtube, and Kick at the moment for gaming.
The above three things are the bare minimum to get started with streaming.
Everything else depends on what you want to achieve for your stream and what kind of content you are broadcasting. If engaging with your viewers or providing commentary is something you wish to provide, then you will need to consider a camera and microphone! If you want to edit out the background and have just you or a different setting, you will need a green screen. There is plenty of gear to choose from that will cater to your streaming needs.
Pixio recognizes that video game streamers are here to stay, and we are releasing products that can help enhance your streaming experience. So far, we offer our own green screen in two different, very large sizes and a webcam that is capable of 1440p@30FPS. We also have an upcoming product, a green screen gaming mat, which allows users to add a green screen to their table, whether it is used for crafting or to show viewers controller or keyboard/mouse inputs.
You can find our webcam, the StreamCube here:
https://pixiogaming.com/products/streamcube
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLHFTXWF?ref=myi_title_dp
For our Green Screens, you can find them here:
https://pixiogaming.com/products/greenscreen
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP8SXBKM?ref=myi_title_dp
As for our green screen play mat, we are still in the production stage, so stay tuned!
There are some nuances to setting up for the perfect stream. Here is a helpful resource we found from Twitch that can help you set up your stream.
https://www.twitch.tv/creatorcamp/en/paths/going-live/setting-up-your-stream/
