How Social Media Platforms & Live Streaming Are Impacting Today’s Audiovisual Market

Social Media and YouTube are making a significant impact on today’s Audio/Visual market. An important reason is these social marketing platforms provide the means to incorporate live and captured video streams to display products, activities, music, locations, and events. Essentially, live streaming brings things to life in the personal space, whether it be home, at work, or on a mobile device while traveling.  

There are many businesses and non-profit organizations already taking advantage of this technology — streaming videos on Social Media assists in promoting their name, product sales, promotions, and services. Recent stats back up these platforms as the best methods when it comes to stimulating and retaining existing and potential new customers.

Just take a look at YouTube alone; you’ll notice the statistics are staggering when it comes to how many folks view videos daily. YouTube comes in 2nd place to Google Search page when it comes to the number of visits. YouTube currently exceeds 1.9 billion users logging in every month, with an average visit time of 40 minutes. This stat is an astronomical figure and is a strong indication that people prefer to watch while listening. YouTube offers a more pleasant and entertaining experience as well as a more time-effective way to gather information. If you have a Business, House of Worship or event you want to promote, this is by far the best method to do it! 

Live Streaming Essentials

So how does one take advantage of this marketing platform? Well, depending on your goals and application, you will need some hardware to start. An excellent Web Camera that’s capable of live streaming with high-resolution, preferably a PTZ camera is a good start. Also, we recommend adding a PTZ Controller for the camera. Next, you will want some a high-quality microphone and possibly an Audio Mixer depending on your application and overall intentions. 

Below is a basic example of AV Gear for Live Streaming. This system includes a PTZ Camera, Camera Controller, Media Streamer, and Audio Mixer. 

 

DataVideo PTC-140T (PTZ Camera) $1249

 

Datavideo RMC-180 (PTZ Controller) $950

AJA HELO H.264 (Recording and streaming stand-alone appliance) $1295

PreSonus StudioLive AR8 (8-Channel Hybrid Digital/Analog Performance Mixer) $499

 

Now there are a ton of product options out there, as well as other equipment you may require for proper Video, Sound and Control distribution. For example, if you have additional local monitors you wish to stream to, you may want a Video Matrix Switcher. On the subject of distance to the Displays, an HDBaseT Matrix Switcher that sends signals long distances over Cat5/6 may be an option. Alternatively, you can purchase HDMI Extenders to distribute the signals to remote Displays over 50 foot and up to 330ft. 

Although relatively simple to understand, it’s always a good idea to check with the AV Professionals for the best setup for your application. Every application varies from one to another in some aspect. We advise doing some research and make sure to analyze all concerns before purchasing a system. Our experts at bzbexpress.com are ready to answer any questions via online chat or telephone. Our vast array of PTZ camera and streaming hardware brands can retrofit any application and budget.