Your Internet connection is the first and most important thing you need to be a successful Internet personality.<\/p>\n
A high-speed connection is a must \u2013 but other things factor in.<\/p>\n
Things to consider when choosing the right connection include:<\/p>\n
Downstream Bandwidth<\/strong> – This is the amount of Internet bandwidth coming from your computer. This is not important when broadcasting on your webcam.<\/p>\n Upstream Bandwidth<\/strong> – This is the amount of bandwidth you have going from your computer to the Internet. You should always test your current upload speed before broadcasting.<\/p>\n Test your speeds here:\u00a0www.speedtest.net<\/a><\/p>\n –\u00a0A low quality stream can be done on as little as 600 – 800kbps upload speed. We recommend not using more than 50% of your bandwidth to broadcast.<\/em><\/p>\n This means that you should use a webcam that is compatible with your available bandwidth and \u00a0computer if you have a limited amount of bandwidth.<\/p>\n Follow these steps to find the right combination:<\/p>\n 1. Check your computer hardware (RAM, hard drive space, Ghz, operating system) Latency<\/strong> –\u00a0This is the amount of time it takes for your broadcast to reach its destination. Latency problems are often caused by network congestion; if you experience problems with lagging, try to fix the problem by clearing up your connection:<\/p>\n –\u00a0Clear your browser and flash player history, and clear your cookies. If you are using your laptop to broadcast<\/strong>, it is likely there are multiple Wi-Fi modems or cordless home phones around that can interrupt your connection. It is best to hardwire your computer<\/b> (the thing that looks like a phone cord that you plug into your modem and laptop) to your modem or router. This will give you the best connection and prevent your video from being slow or dropping all the time.<\/p>\n Changing the password to your connection<\/strong> is another option; this prevents others who live around you from piggybacking on your Wi-Fi and slowing your connection. Even if no one is using your signal, changing the password almost acts as a refresh for your connection.<\/p>\n Check that your anti-virus software<\/strong> is not actively scanning your hard drive and taking computer memory and resources away from your video; this is also true of streaming music from sites like Pandora and YouTube.<\/p>\n As a performer you will be confronted with a lot of new equipment and terms, some of which may be new to you. Whether you are using your Built-in Camera, I.P. Camera, or USB Camera, these are some terms you will become familiar with.<\/p>\n Webcam Driver <\/b>is the software that lets your computer \u201ctalk\u201d to your USB webcam.<\/p>\n Frame Rate<\/b> (fps)<\/b> is the frames per second that your webcam broadcasts in \u2013 the more frames per second the more fluid your broadcast. You may find that cams with 1080p have a lower quality video quality than 720p at 30fps because your webcam and computer have more information to process per second at the higher aspect ratio and frame rate.<\/p>\n Aspect Ratio of Webcams<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Resolution\u00a0<\/strong>– The image quality of webcams is determined by the amount of pixels per frame. 720p and 1080p HD cams are high quality because of their \u201cp\u201d (progressive scanning), they progressively scan a high number of pixels on screen every 1\/60 of a second. Webcams that have this aspect ratio are widescreen view. 720p = 1Mp<\/b><\/p>\n Megapixels (Mp)<\/strong> \u2013 While the Mp count is still associated with image quality, webcams that are described in Mp\u2019s have a more standard frame aspect ratio. This means the picture is as tall as it is wide. Webcams with high Mp may not be necessary, as pixels tend to be wasted after 2Mp when broadcasting.<\/p>\n You can use a Digital Camera or Video Camera as a Webcam<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n A little known fact is that you can use a video camera, and some digital cameras, as a webcam. The high FPS and dynamic color pixel sensors in these cameras will make you look incredibly smooth and clear, and most of these cams have a remote that you can control the zoom feature while you are broadcasting.<\/p>\n You will have to do a speed test and a little research about your camera to determine whether your computer meets the requirements it needs to be used as a webcam.<\/p>\n Lighting for your Webcam<\/b><\/p>\n Lighting can dramatically affect the resolution, clarity, color, and frame rate of your broadcast stream. Most issues with your webcam come from poor lighting and are easily fixed.<\/p>\n Poor lighting may cause the following problems:<\/b><\/p>\n –\u00a0Dim Image<\/b> \u2013 having a bright light positioned behind you, such as a lamp or a window, causes your image to be dimmed. Position your camera so that all the light is behind the camera lens. You should never see the source of your light in your broadcast image.<\/p>\n –\u00a0Skewed Color <\/b>\u2013 webcams use a low number of color pixels per frame, so they need to be white balanced to produce a color corrected image. Using white in your room d\u00e9cor lets your camera do this properly \u2013 you can also hold up a piece of white paper and let it focus to calibrate the color.<\/p>\n –\u00a0Dark Background <\/b>\u2013 having your computer monitor brightness set high adds light pollution to your image and causes your background to appear dark. Simply turning down the brightness of your monitor will correct this and improve color quality.<\/p>\n –\u00a0Grainy Video<\/b> \u2013 this is usually due to insufficient light in your room; webcams compensate for a lack of light by adjusting their sensitivity, which creates more grain or \u201cnoise\u201d in the image. Adding more light will quickly fix this problem.<\/p>\n – \u00a0Choppy Video<\/b> \u2013 pixels in your webcam capture light through the lens and send that information to your computer in the form of an image \u2013 the amount of light can affect the amount of information sent. If your light results in having too little information (low light) or too much information (bright light) or inconsistent information (fluctuating light) then it will change the frames per second resulting in a choppy feed.<\/p>\n – Overexposed Image <\/b>\u2013 directional lighting will cause you to look very pale and washed out. It can also create large dark shadows in your image. A good rule to follow is no bare bulbs on bare skin<\/em>. Turn your lights around so they reflect off a wall then onto you, or use something to \u201csoft box\u201d your light.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for more information on Getting Started, be sure to read the lessons on Setting and Reaching Your Tip Goal\u00a0or the Settings In My Account<\/a>.<\/p>\n ~That\u2019s all for this lesson!<\/strong><\/p>\n Happy Camming! \u00a0<\/p>\n
\n – For a medium quality stream, a 1.5Mbps upload speed is required
\n –\u00a0For higher quality HD streams, you’ll want upload speeds of 4Mbps or higher.<\/p>\n
\n 2. Check your upload bandwidth on www.speedtest.net
\n 3. Look for webcams with basic requirements that are just below your computer and bandwidth capability.
\n 4. Install the appropriate driver for your webcam (most come with a disk included).
\n 5. Broadcast!<\/em><\/p>\n
\n –\u00a0Clear all your pending friend requests on CAM4.<\/b>
\n –\u00a0Shut down all unnecessary running programs.
\n –\u00a0Refreshing your screen or start a new broadcast.
\n -Restart your router if you’re still experiencing issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nConnection Troubleshooting<\/h2>\n
\nWebcam Fundamentals<\/h2>\n
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\n Love, Your Coaching Team!<\/p>\n