We want to do it well, but I'm sure we'll have to make some (many) concessions.
Our objectives are:
- 10 PCs set up for competitors.
- Each PC has a big screen above, so that people nearby can see what is on the players screen
- The ability to change these big screens to show a bracket or other content, from a separate, designated machine in the "control area"
- A control area where we have an observing machine/streaming machine/mics/A video cam/etc. We would like to be able to control from here whether the stream is showing the camera, the observing PC or one of the competitor PCs "first person views" (to show mouse control etc).
- It would be great if we could change what was being displayed on the screens above the players (to brackets or sponsor messages) from the control area (i.e. what is on those screens is not dictated by the player at the PC)
- An HD projector, showing the content that we are streaming out, but in real time to the audience at the venue
It's clear to me that it will be hard to have a streaming machine that takes in 11 video capture sources (10 gaming machines and an observer machine), and that some kind of genuine A/V kit is required for this kind of event. It's also clear that I probably need some form of video capture from the competitor PCs that preferably has no impact on the machine (and Ideally can be taken away from the machines afterwards - it's not clear whether we will actually own or borrow/lease the PCs for the competitors). Other details are "obvious". We need (good) networking, spares, ridiculous numbers of cables, that sort of thing.
A few things:
We have plenty of time to plan, and have a reasonable chance of raising a decent amount of money to do this, particularly as any kit can be re-used for later events. Please don't simply tell me I can't do it. That's very boring
I'm also really looking for people who have clear experience in this area (my dream is that Carmac and TheGunRun fight it out to tell me everythig I need to know )
In any replies, please indicate what experience you've had - replies like "x might work" are nowhere near as valuable as "when we do this we use x and y and it seems to work very well together")
Here goes nothing....