When people buy camera equipment these days there are many different reasons for doing so. While some dream of taking portrait pictures and others are making videos with their cameras, millions of people around the world are trying their hand at streaming. The idea of live video has become so huge that people can give it a go in their living rooms!
On top of that, there are many companies and industries now involved in live streaming and broadcasting content via the internet. Think of the kinds of things available to watch now on Twitch or YouTube and how many people are involved. Equipment was always going to play a huge role.
The improving camera equipment (and the fact that a lot of equipment is getting more affordable) means that streaming is becoming even more accessible, but the journey has been long…
Driving Streaming Forward: Industries Using Streams
Streaming took time to catch on. When we relied on dial-up internet and the connections would drop out it just wasn’t going to work. Buffering was a huge problem and people would not have even attempted to stream in HD. Cameras that had the facility to produce and stream HD footage were more expensive historically and would not have done the job efficiently. Now, phones can do a basic job and an average Canon DSLR will have high video specs.
Some companies started pushing the boundaries though, and tech caught up. Now, the equipment (and internet connection) for streaming is something accessible to a lot of people and smaller companies as well as the giants of industries.
The gambling industry has had a big impact on streaming. It makes sense that they would want to provide this different way for players to watch sports and the events that were already covered by the sites and many gambling companies started to stream football and other competitions.
Even better technology and faster internet connections mean that there are uses for streaming in casinos. Live dealer games have become another way for people to potentially play and instead of using the interface created for a casino app or website, they may choose to connect via a video feed to a real dealer at an online live casino. Cameras are set up in these rooms and stream the dealer live directly to the living room. People have the choice of playing on an interface or connecting to a human on the other end of the line.
We can’t ignore the role of gaming in general and the development of streaming. Casinos are part of this, but streamers play a variety of games, and platforms including Twitch have cropped up with a focus on gameplay.
The social media industry has also made a massive impact and given people a platform for streaming. More people being able to stream means more niches and more content. It isn’t reserved for those who can spend big bucks and Amazon even included a live-streaming starter kit as a part of Prime Day.
The Role of Equipment
The combination of improved camera equipment and advanced streaming platforms have opened up new possibilities for creators.
With better cameras, streamers can experiment with different types of content and even stream things like outdoor adventures. These new genres require cameras that can handle a variety of environments and lighting conditions, which modern equipment is well-suited to provide.
Multi-camera setups are now so much easier and this has further enhanced the quality of streams. Content creators can now switch between different angles using a video switcher, and these have gone from being prohibitively expensive to pretty affordable.
In events like live interviews or podcasts you may see the switcher used to provide different angles and shots.
Improved camera equipment has also benefited mobile streaming. With the advancement of smartphone cameras, streaming on the go has become a reality and while they don’t have the features of a high-end camera there are many modern smartphones equipped with high-quality cameras. This allows streamers to broadcast from virtually anywhere. This has given rise to a new genre of content known as IRL (In Real Life) streaming, where creators take their viewers along on their daily lives.
The integration of better cameras with mobile devices has made streaming more spontaneous and authentic and this immediacy has made IRL streaming incredibly popular.
Conclusion
People can now use an everyday camera connected to software or a hardware device to stream all over the internet. Some companies are embracing the technology to bring a more personal connection to their customers and as you would expect, streaming is continuing to grow. About seven million streamers put their content out through Twitch alone and plenty are using other platforms. Without the affordable cameras and HD footage we have today (plus the internet stability) it just wouldn’t be an option.
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