Forevergreen Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 1 hour ago, Newseditor44 said: Everyone take a deep breath. A few things to think about: 1. We've only had live streaming at DCI events for a few years now, and this is Flo's first season, but they're a very accomplished company. Let them figure this out, we have a lot of time in the season left to go. 2. I watched last night using my Apple TV and 98% of the broadcast looked great from my standpoint. Audio was good, video quality was excellent. In live streaming, a lot of the quality issues have less to do with the source signal and more to do with the internet connection you're using and the equipment you're using to watch the broadcast. I will admit my iPhone has been less than idea, but since I purchased my AppleTV the broadcasts have been much better. And if you are connected to your home wifi and multiple people are using the internet, that will definitely affect things. I had to kick my kids off the internet at least twice last night. 3. I worked on several of the Tom Blair broadcasts as an AP and know Tom (and know he occasionally reads these forums - Hi Tom!) and am sure he would be the first to tell you the Flo folks are doing a great job. 4. With regards to the equipment - I love that someone characterized the gear as "Walmart level equipment". The fact is, in 2017, you don't need high professional quality gear to produce a high quality online experience. In fact, I've shot several professional videos with nothing more than an iPhone 7. And, there are prosumer cameras and audio equipment available that are smaller and look like "Walmart level equipment" but are actually quite powerful. 5. Streaming video services, while much more reliable than they were 3 or 4 years ago, still have some hiccups. There are so many factors that go into a broadcast that is doesn't take much to overload a stream. DCI hired these folks because of their experience in the space, let them work out the hiccups. Give it time. 6. I had issues initially logging in last night and got frustrated. Sent an email in to customer service, and they responded in less than 10 minutes. Thats a fantastic customer-care response time, problem fixed, back to the broadcast. If they are well established, then this should be a no brainer for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRapp Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 1 hour ago, Newseditor44 said: Everyone take a deep breath. A few things to think about: 1. We've only had live streaming at DCI events for a few years now, and this is Flo's first season, but they're a very accomplished company. Let them figure this out, we have a lot of time in the season left to go. 2. I watched last night using my Apple TV and 98% of the broadcast looked great from my standpoint. Audio was good, video quality was excellent. In live streaming, a lot of the quality issues have less to do with the source signal and more to do with the internet connection you're using and the equipment you're using to watch the broadcast. I will admit my iPhone has been less than idea, but since I purchased my AppleTV the broadcasts have been much better. And if you are connected to your home wifi and multiple people are using the internet, that will definitely affect things. I had to kick my kids off the internet at least twice last night. 3. I worked on several of the Tom Blair broadcasts as an AP and know Tom (and know he occasionally reads these forums - Hi Tom!) and am sure he would be the first to tell you the Flo folks are doing a great job. 4. With regards to the equipment - I love that someone characterized the gear as "Walmart level equipment". The fact is, in 2017, you don't need high professional quality gear to produce a high quality online experience. In fact, I've shot several professional videos with nothing more than an iPhone 7. And, there are prosumer cameras and audio equipment available that are smaller and look like "Walmart level equipment" but are actually quite powerful. 5. Streaming video services, while much more reliable than they were 3 or 4 years ago, still have some hiccups. There are so many factors that go into a broadcast that is doesn't take much to overload a stream. DCI hired these folks because of their experience in the space, let them work out the hiccups. Give it time. 6. I had issues initially logging in last night and got frustrated. Sent an email in to customer service, and they responded in less than 10 minutes. Thats a fantastic customer-care response time, problem fixed, back to the broadcast. Thank you for your feedback. But with all due respect, you cannot create a "high quality online experience" with an iPhone7. And the audio quality of last nights show was a total farce. Completely unacceptable by virtually any standard. You literally could not hear half of the audio. And that says nothing to the fact that we missed the first third of Blue Devils and SCV entirely. I was streaming from a high speed connection last night, through the latest AppleTV. There isn't a higher quality streaming option on the planet. I do video production for a living, and it was very clear that they were not using professional gear. You cannot, and should not even try, to shoot live production in a high school football stadium with anything less than true professional level gear. There is not and never will be enough light candles to power the video in a high school stadium. An organization like DCI, which is wholly a live performance company, should never contract with a company that could or would ever put something like last night on the air. These are things you work out long before you commit to a broadcast schedule. Ive scrolled through the other live events Flo produces. None of these events are performing arts. They are wrestling, or softball, or rodeo. That is a totally different animal than live music production on a football field. If Flo can't do this, they should not have agreed to do it at all. If they want to keep the contract, they need to commit to a level of professionalism that the corps themselves are committed to. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTNK Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Marching Music's Major League Dorseyville Middle School's 7th Grade Video Team 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRapp Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 I am aware that DCI is not the SEC. But being able to hear the actual performances, without hearing girls coughing and answering their iPhone in the first three rows, is sort of a non-starter in my book. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 6 minutes ago, MikeRapp said: I was streaming from a high speed connection last night, through the latest AppleTV. There isn't a higher quality streaming option on the planet. I do video production for a living, and it was very clear that they were not using professional gear. You cannot, and should not even try, to shoot live production in a high school football stadium with anything less than true professional level gear. There is not and never will be enough light candles to power the video in a high school stadium. Thank you! More expensive equipment has better lens quality, greater data processing ability, more accurate lighting adjustment, smoother zoom ability, more accurate zoomed information from greater distances . . . . and the list goes on. I've done quite a bit of this type work myself, beyond just a public school setting. As you can also confirm, the converse, a $100,000 unit in the hands of a high school kid rarely works as planned, either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTNK Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Remember NeuLion? idk I thought their name was amusing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lameisrob Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 The volume drops because their using an audio compressor, which is why TV station audio sounds terrible. The process minimizes highs and maximizes lows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRapp Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 San Antonio is a professional athletics arena. So, they are required to have enough light candles to power high def video. The quality of the video itself should be much better as a result. But the audio issues ###### well better change. There is jo excuse for having the level of audio equipment the corps bring to these shows, and having the production company stick three cheap mics on sideline stands and walk away. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 1 hour ago, Newseditor44 said: 3. I worked on several of the Tom Blair broadcasts as an AP and know Tom (and know he occasionally reads these forums - Hi Tom!) and am sure he would be the first to tell you the Flo folks are doing a great job. Quoting this so that after you retract it, you cannot pretend you never said it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HouserCD Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 If you have not done so already, please contact DCI regarding Flo. The situation last night at Broken Arrow was not an isolated incident but a pattern of audio/visual issues that are occuring at every live event they have aired. If Flo is going to broadcast Finals there are some serious concerns here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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