Based on last years’ experience, we like to recommend some devices, software and tools to help you to make the broadcast quicker and better and help you to share your unique content with others.
MyShowroom is able to manage 6 devices in one broadcast and you are able to choose the right source in the Studio application. The devices can be web cameras, digitalization boards and files or mix of these.
Web cameras
This is the basic device what everybody uses for broadcasting. You can buy many brands on the market. We collected few what we or the community members used and find good.
Build-in laptop camera
The quality is various and depending on the laptop manufacturer. The latest laptop has a good picture quality and ideal for the personal training or one man show production.
Important: the build-in device must be support the Video for Windows (VfW).
 Logitech Webcam for Notebooks - Portable Webcam C905
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/webcam_communications/webcams/devices/5868
It’s a small camera with good picture and very easy to assembly to anywhere. The device supports LightBoost and ColorBoost features what make the camera picture quality better within poor lighting. With USB cable you can expand the location of the PC and the camera. We tried with 7 meter without USB amplifier without problem. Ideal for laptop usage.
 Logitech Webcam Pro 9000
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/webcam_communications/webcams/devices/5867
This camera is the one of the best device for the broadcast what we can recommend. The image quality is excellent and the body of the device allows to assembly anywhere like the ceiling.
 Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=008
This will be ideal for the 16:9 broadcast able to capture 720p widescreen video. The quality of the image is wonderful.
The device driver currently not supports the 16:9 only the 4:3 aspect ratios.
Handycam with Firewire support
MyShowroom Studio supports devices connected through firewire cable to the laptop or desktop PC. This is a good way to connect your handycam or HD cam to your computer and broadcast higher quality shows. These devices’ big advantages compared to webcams are the zoom feature and better image processing processors.
Digitalization Boards
If you have a standard video source or you handycam doesn’t support Firewire we recommend to use digitalization boards. These PC cards allow you to capture content from analogical video or audio sources. The card needs to support Video for Windows. Without this support the MyShowroom Studio will not be able to use the card like an input source.
We recommend using the following brands and model.
ViewCast – Osprey 23x : One Channel board. Video inputs can be: BNC, RCA, S-Video, Audio inputs: RCA, XLR
http://www.viewcast.com/products/osprey-230
ViewCast – Osprey 440: For Channel board.
http://www.viewcast.com/products/osprey-440
BlackMagic cards:
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/
EasyCAP – DC60: cheap and simple USB capture tool.
http://lily86.en.ec21.com/USB_Video_Capture_with_Audio--1582918_1993426.html
The cards support more settings like the webcam.
Important: the digitalization card usually uses the computer CPU to prepare the signal from the source. The higher resolution requires more CPU time and recommends using a faster CPU in this case.
Tripods
You can use any kind of tripod for the cameras. We recommend consulting the shop assistance before you buy it and calculate the camera size and weight.
On the market you can buy some motorized tripods like TrackerCam.
http://www.trackercam.com/TCamWeb/productlist.htm
This device opens the webcam usability to a new level.
Software
MyShowroom is a broadcasting software. We don’t support video editing functions and sophisticated video effects. We like to recommend some softwares what raise the broadcasting option to another level.
WebCamMax: effect for webcam
http://www.webcammax.com/
Split Cam: multiply your device between different streaming applications like Skype, MSN Messenger
http://splitcam.biz/
Multi Camera VH Studio: tool which allows mixing, synchronizing, splitting and sharing any media or screening content
http://www.brothersoft.com/vh-multi-camera-studio-117373.html
Important: These products are not part of the MyShowroom Studio. We don’t guarantee that these will work well in any case.
Communications Tools
MyShowroom supports the Twitter message update feature. Anytime when you create a new show then the website can post automatically content to your Twitter.
Live Alert function is very usable tool if you like to share your MyShowroom activity with your audience. Live Alert use RSS what the MyShowroom generates for you and your listeners will get an update into their MSN Messanger application without open any browser.
Search Tool
If you are using Windows 7 then you can integrate the MyShowroom site into your desktop search.
Just click here and you can install our Federated Search Provider to your desktop and easily find any content on the MyShowroom.
Home Cinema Tool
If you like to enjoy your recorded shows in your living room then click here and download the Online Living Room Add-in for the Windows Media Center.
Integration Tools
If you like to reuse your activity and content on your website or application then we provide you a integration tools what allow you to get information from our system.
RSS – this is a simple way to get basic information about the shows.
API – thru SOAP API your developers can build custom website.
File formats
MyShowroom Studio is able to broadcast video and/or audio files. We have limitation in the source file usage prospective because we don’t support all kind of video files.
Our favorite video format is the Windows Media Video (WMV). On the audio level we can play WMA, WAV and MP3.
DivX, xVid, MKV,Quicktime or Flash is not supported in current version.
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