The Remote Studio combines live gameplay with live announcers located anywhere in the world. This is a great opportunity for commentators who can't travel with their team but wish to represent the team and engage their fans as part of the broadcast.
Connecting to the Remote Studio is very similar to joining a Zoom call: the connection opens in a web browser where you'll see the live gameplay video as it's happening and add your commentary as the video is broadcast to the audience.
From your perspective:
You’ll connect to a video conference style call using your choice of device. The video return from the call (what appears on your screen) is the output of the video switcher (what the audience sees). That switcher output includes the other announcer(s), graphics, and live gameplay video feed.
You’ll commentate the game based on what you can see on your screen (the gameplay video). Your voice is mixed & synced with the game video then the combined sources are sent to YouTube to stream to the world.
You can connect to the remote studio with just about any smartphone, tablet, or computer.
HOWEVER: due to the nature of commentating a gameplay, you’ll want to use the largest screen you have available. The device you connect to the studio with is also your view of the game. We recommend using a desktop or laptop computer with as large a screen as you have to view the live gameplay and make accurate game calls.
Any modern computer capable of video conferencing is capable of connecting to the studio. Google Chrome is the web browser most compatible/supported by vMix Call. Safari on OSX may also work.
If your only option is a mobile device: you can connect with Chrome on Android. iOS users must copy/paste the connection link into the Safari browser.
The quality of your internet connection is key to a good remote broadcast experience. Connecting to the studio establishes a 2-way high definition, low latency video stream. Your connection must be capable of a continuous 3Mbps download and 3Mbps upload.
A wired (ethernet) connection is preferred. This will provide the most stable connection experience.
If WiFi is your only option, make sure you're in a spot with with very good signal strength.
Device built-in speakers and microphone should not be used for Remote Studio game broadcasting. These cause too many show-impacting audio problems.
Headphones, earbuds, or a headset required for Remote Studio talent. Headphones put the studio return audio directly into your ear which eliminates the chance of feedback and ducking. The quality of audio for the whole show is negatively impacted if a commentator allows the sound from the game to be projected into their room.
Microphone should be as high quality and narrow pick up as you have access to. Built-in devices (laptop, tablet) tend to pick up all the noise around you: traffic, family, dogs, honking horns, sirens.
Any headset (mic + headphone in one) designed for video conferencing or gaming that’s compatible with your connecting device should work great. These are relatively inexpensive and widely available. Happy to help you find one that fits your situation.
The earbud+mic combo that comes with most smartphones will work but the microphone tends to be really bad and creates a bunch of noise as it drags across your clothing/hair. It will work but won’t be great.
High end wireless earbuds like AirPods tend to have really good noise reducing, narrow range microphones and work fine in the remote studio. CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES TO FULL PRIOR TO SHOW!
Commentators may appear on camera as part of the broadcast. This is at the discretion of the participating talent and the director.
Any webcam can work. What really makes the difference is positioning and lighting. Keep the camera at roughly eye level and arm’s length away. Put lights behind the camera so that they illuminate your face. Think about the background behind you; make it interesting if you like!
Here’s a decent, quick example: https://youtu.be/rQwanxQmFnc (you can find lots more vids on youtube of how to look good on Zoom)
Your webcam feed will likely be cropped and modified to fit the broadcast look. Most announcer view layouts are square; if your webcam is widescreen (16:9), expect the edges of the video to be cropped.
Please don’t send vertical video. If you’re connecting with a phone or tablet, operate it in landscape mode only.
Instructions for connecting to your specific show will be provided prior to show, typically via a calendar invite.
Each guest is an assigned a unique connect code. These are listed in the show documentation. Follow your link to join and enter your name in the box.
The web page will ask for permission to use your Camera & Microphone; please allow it!
Always best to be prepared! If you’d like to test your connection prior to going live, please reach out to Benjamin! The studio is available for scheduled appointments during the week and most weekends (when not in broadcasting) to assist with setups, answer questions, and rehearse in the show environment.
vMix Call is just like connecting to any video call (zoom, skype, facetime, etc). Here’s what you’ll need:
Phone, tablet, or computer with webcam (apple*/android/windows, doesn't matter)
wired internet connection or very strong WiFi signal
earbuds/headphones/airpods - to put sound directly in ear, please don’t use device built-in speakers if you can avoid it. This is to avoid feedback and audio ducking.
Microphone if possible (the one in the earbuds/airpods/headset is fine)
A comfortable place to sit & talk on camera for duration of show (2 hours); well lit, quiet, no distractions
light source should be in front of you, not behind
elevate the camera, looking straight on (eye level) looks better than chin-tucking
expect to connect to the call 30+ minutes prior to the show start time and remain connected for the duration of the game broadcast: 2 hour+ commitment.
We will take brief breaks (halftime) and you can always excuse yourself if something comes up
*iOS users must be on iOS 11 or newer and open the vMix call link in Safari browser. info
In show you’ll see the Gameplay and the other participants on the call at the discretion of the show director. You’ll see and hear what the audience sees/hears in the final product (minus your own voice).
The call interface has a menu (bottom of the window) with controls to:
Hang up
Turn off camera (leave this green)
Mute (leave this green unless you need to mute yourself)
Turn mirror (local camera) on/off - turn this off if you don’t need to see yourself
Fullscreen toggle
Turn chat window on/off - turn this off, we don’t use this chat.
All Remote Studio games will be broadcast to the PUL YouTube Channel. Each event has unique live link that can be shared.
YouTube Live features a live chat during the broadcast. Commentators are encouraged to monitor this chat and respond/interact with the audience if you feel comfortable doing so.
In case you need to communicate with the director or other talent "off air" during the live broadcast, we've set up a text chat on the Quad Media Discord: https://discord.gg/WQkDRyMKEC
Other methods (SMS, email) are less likely to receive a response during live production.