Frame rateįrame rate is another important aspect to consider, especially if you are planning to stream fast-paced activities like sports. Investing in a 4K camera (as well as powerful encoding hardware) is only reasonable when you know viewers will actually watch your live video on 4K displays. Essentially, it’s a significant investment for a dubious advantage. Another reason is that sending and receiving 4K requires significant resources in terms of both encoding and bandwidth. For one, most viewers watch videos on their mobile devices (for YouTube, it’s over 70 percent of viewers), where even 1080p is more than enough for an enjoyable experience. Despite the ever-growing ubiquity of 4K displays, streaming in 4K is still unnecessary in most cases. Wondering whether you need 4K streaming? Chances are you don’t. We suggest going for at least 1920×1080 (i.e., 1080p), which most cameras today do offer. Today, a camera should be able to output a minimum of 1280×720 (i.e., 720p) resolution. In addition to the four essential criteria, there are a few other aspects to consider. It is also safe to assume that all camera models listed in this article comply with these guidelines. Webcams, on the other hand, are designed specifically for streaming, so it’s safe to assume that most of them come out of the box ready to live stream. Be sure to research this before buying.īe it a DSLR, a camcorder, cinema, mirrorless, or any other type, if your camera meets these four criteria, your camera is ready for live streaming. Even so, some cameras are just more prone to overheating than others. One way to prevent this is to use something called a dummy battery and an AC power adapter instead of USB power.

Some mirrorless and DSLR cameras can overheat, especially when powered over USB. If you are planning to stream for over an hour, camera overheating may become an issue. Check to see if your camera has this safety feature and whether there’s a way to disable it in settings. Automatic shutoff will not be acceptable for longer live streams. Unlimited runtimeįor safety and battery conservation reasons, some cameras (especially DSLR models) will automatically shut off after about 30 minutes of inactivity. Make sure there’s an option to get an AC power adapter for your camera (and get it!). Most internal batteries can only last for about 20 minutes.

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