Church service live streaming project overview
The plan is to install a high-quality camera on the wall above the west door. This camera will allow us to stream the normal service when we are back in church. We have gained new worshippers through our Zoom services, while the church has been unavailable, and those who need to stay at home will be able to join the service over Zoom. The budget for this project, which will also improve the sound system, is around £12,500 including VAT.
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The upgrading of the church sound system, to accommodate the features of the zoom camera, will replace much of the old sound processing equipment (installed circa 2005) with a digital processor which will allow:
- Improved sound processing in the church (using the same speakers & microphones)
- The ability to create a separate sound mix to improve the sound on the induction loop for the hard of hearing
- The ability to route the sound directly from the celebrant’s microphone(s) and pulpit, etc to the Zoom service to allow a full hybrid service delivery
- The ability to send the picture from the camera mounted in the church to the Zoom stream with the matching audio channel
The result will enable us to worship in the church building at All Saints as a congregation but to share our service with our new (and growing) remote congregation - who may be distanced from Ascot, unable to travel or unwilling to share public space for medical reasons.
The camera at the rear of the church will be able to take in the celebrant at the front to the church, chancel steps, choir, pulpit, and altar areas.
To maintain some privacy the camera points only from the rear of the church to the Altar - taking in the back of heads of the congregation during worship. At times when the congregation may move (start, end, sending out, christening, peace or communion) the motorised camera will pan upwards to view the stained glass or ceiling paintings and avoid putting faces on the camera feed to zoom.
Once set up the system will be operated from a simple touch screen that will allow operators to select from pre-programmed camera positions. The sound will happen automatically although there may be a short learning curve as we set levels for the audio to the stream over the first 2-3 services. Sound will be significantly improved from the zoom services as the sound will come directly from the contributors’ microphones so there will be no boom or echo (as experienced with preachers from home or using a laptop microphone in the church body). This will also be a one-way link as there will be no noise from online participants coming back into the church (dog barks, doorbells, etc)
The system will allow the church sound & camera infrastructure to be connected to other systems for streaming should local choirs, groups or events wish to use the church and this facility to stream or create hybrid events.