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While more and more churches are exploring the multisite model, it seems there are constantly new innovations hitting the market that help to do multisite church effectively.
For many churches, having a secondary venue has become an important step to simply having enough seats available [to handle constant] attendance challenges. For other churches, additional campuses are evangelism opportunities to reach different communities across their regions.
Regardless of the vision behind launching additional campuses, one principle holds firm: in order for a church’s multisite model to be effective, the quality of the experience has to be high enough that the congregation doesn’t see the technology as a barrier.
So, it’s our job as church techs to ensure that our church’s multisite setup is not only high quality, but engaging as well.
Since the idea of multisite primarily hinges on the video quality of the remote experience, there are a few key ideas to consider at each step of the process to ensure that the end product is as effective as it can be.
1-Video ingest issues
In essence, this is all about how the sermon is being captured, recorded, or transmitted from the primary (broadcast) location.
But even before it gets broadcast, it has to be pulled through a camera and lens of some sort.
While there is no right or wrong when it comes to camera selection per se, one universal principle is that video will never look better on-camera than the quality of the stage lighting allows it to be.
... one universal principle is that video will never look better on-camera than the quality of the stage lighting allows it to be.
In essence, if a subject is poorly or ineffectively lit on the broadcast stage, the chain it moves through (camera, broadcast system, playback projector, etc.) will never make that subject look any better, only worse.
Having a well-lit broadcast stage is a must. Nobody wants to stare for 40 minutes at an image they can’t see clearly or [that] is overexposed.
Once lighting is managed, the camera selection process is critical. Some churches may have no choice but to go with robotic or PTZ cameras, due to a small broadcast auditorium, small tech team (not large enough to staff manned cameras each week), or a limited budget. While PTZs can be fine to capture a speaker, they can sometimes be difficult to use during a worship set or when subjects on stage are constantly moving.
But if there’s space and budget for manned cameras, using them can bring a high level of return on the quality front. Those lenses tend to be better, allowing for a crisper image and better low-light quality for the capture image.
Additionally, some manufacturers (like Sony, Canon, and BlackMagic) now make DSLR cameras that are great targets for different segments of the church market. These multi-purpose cameras can be used by a creative/post-production team during the week and by a broadcast team on the weekend, allowing for a cost-effective way to get more bang for the buck. And by having a more “cinematic” feel, that affords churches to consider a broadcast or capture that may have a more artistic capture style on camera than a traditional broadcast or ENG camera would.
2-Transmission considerations
Once a sermon is captured, it now has to get from Point A to Point B.
The most cost-effective way is to simply record the file at the broadcast location (perhaps even with an H.264 hardware recorder or a computer) and then transmit it over the Internet to the other site, so it can be downloaded from Dropbox or an ftp server and then payed back locally through software.
However, if file transfer limitations won’t allow that to happen, many churches still record files on hard media and drive it to another location. This could be anything from a computer file on a thumb drive to a file captured by an AJA Ki-Pro or BlackMagic HyperDeck hard drive and then played back off of those cartridges at another campus.
The cost and complexity increases once churches commit to the vision of having some sort of live delivery mechanism in place.
The cost and complexity increases once churches commit to the vision of having some sort of live delivery mechanism in place.
While dark fiber is probably the best option, it’s also the least viable for most churches due to cost and local infrastructure. In addition, satellite could be an option for some, but there are parts of the country where weather could be restrictive for this, and it could also be unfeasible in portable campus environments.
Internet (or IP-based) solutions are currently the most common and cost-effective for most churches. Numerous companies provide hardware or software solutions to encode a broadcast signal and transmit it across the Internet (whether public or private) to a receiving campus.
Internet (or IP-based) solutions are currently the most common and cost-effective for most churches.
The audio and video quality of the feed can often be manipulated based on available bandwidth, as can the resolution (720p/1080i/1080p) of the video itself. These options can also allow for multiple channels of embedded audio (4, 8, or 16) and some will allow for intercom to be embedded as well.
In addition to Internet, some companies are now starting to hit the market with products that aggregate or bond cell phone signal (3G, LTE, etc.) from local towers and combine that bandwidth to create enough of a base to broadcast or receive a signal. This can be an option in areas with limited wired Internet service or in portable campus locations where the host facility may not allow access to their in-house Internet or don’t permit the church to install its own.
3-Video playback options
At the receiving campus, the incoming signal now has to go through a path to hit its final destination of the output screen.
If the signal is being delivered live, it will need to be decoded before it is tied in with the video system, and this typically happens with equipment paired to whatever is handling the original broadcast transmission.
If the signal is being delivered live, it will need to be decoded before it is tied in with the video system....
What happens next can be a wild card.
Some churches choose to just take a feed live (say, at 18 minutes into the service) and will have that feed go live, regardless of whatever else is happening on stage at the receiving campus. To combat that, a campus may need a campus host on stage during those moments to help manage the clock and the transition, or they could choose to have the band play some background music during a meet-and-greet segment that fills time until the broadcast begins.
However, if there’s a greater desire for a more managed transition, implementing a DVR (or TiVo-type) solution is an effective option.
Using hardware or software, the receiving campus can create a local recording of the incoming video signal, allowing it to be paused and building up until they are ready to play it locally. This can create a smoother local transition by giving the local team more control of that moment.
These live broadcast options can allow a church’s pastor or communicator the ability to have a more personal message to the congregation and communicate his or her content in a “real-time” atmosphere, when compared to services that were recorded on a previous week (or even recorded earlier in the week for a Sunday playback).
But, when cost or geography are factors, playing back prerecorded services is definitely an option, and is both logistically simpler and cheaper.
But, when cost or geography are factors, playing back prerecorded services is definitely an option, and is both logistically simpler and cheaper.
By eliminating the live transmission system (or DVR function), a campus now just has to have a playback device for the file, either to play back the hard drive (like the HyperDeck or Ki-Pro mentioned earlier) or the computer file.
If it’s a hard drive playback, a small switcher may be necessary in the video system, so there can be a managed transition between the worship part of the service (a computer sending song lyrics and/or graphics to the screen) and the message (played off of the hard drive device).
However, if the message itself will just be a computer file, it is then possible for the campus to run all of its content out of one computer, loading the message as a video file to get played back when it’s appropriate.
While this can be complicated when using presentation software like PowerPoint or Keynote, many churches now use event software like ProPresenter or Media Shout to not only handle graphics, but also video playback.
There is no shortage of varieties and options for doing multisite church, and just about anything can be effective if it fits the vision of the church.
However, with the constant introduction of new technology to the market, any church tech would be wise to consistently be researching new trends and options for how to make his or her church’s system more efficient and reliable.
Being in the church tech world means that we are consistently at the tip of the spear when it comes to our churches introducing new ministries, and we bear the weight of making sure we’re always ready to help the church carry out its vision.
Having a solid grasp of the technology available in a multisite system is a great way to ensure that we’re prepared to help our church take its next steps of growth.
