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On today’s Tech, No Babel:

Live-streaming: Review of the Boxcaster by Boxcast

A lot of churches think that the only way to encode video is by using a computer with capture card(s). That’s not the case. There are stand-alone devices that do the job quite well.

One such device is the Boxcaster. Selling for $499 through Boxcast.com, the Boxcaster makes streaming easy. You plug your video source into the unit, set up the stream on their website and you’re done.

The Boxcaster makes streaming easy. Plug in your video source and start. Nothing is perfect though.Click To Tweet

If you have a composite or HDMI connection, the unit makes connection simple. For systems that run SDI, simply convert your signal to HDMI using an inexpensive converter and you’re good.

There is a limitation, though. The Boxcaster only works with the Boxcast service. As long as you’re using their service, this isn’t an issue.

Should you decide to switch service, though, the Boxcaster becomes useless to you.

With that said, the price is good for such a product and you won’t run into an issue where someone tries to use the Boxcaster to play a new game during the week or updates the OS and renders it useless.

It’s reliable and encodes the video beautifully. That’s what you want.

For more about the Boxcaster and a look at all its connections, watch the video above.

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

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* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

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For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

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More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif).

On today’s Tech, No Babel: Our 10-year anniversary

Ten years ago, I released the first episode of Tech, No Babel. Hear clips from the oldest, still produced church tech podcast here:Click To Tweet

Ten years ago, I started my first podcast. Now, I do four a week. In the mean time, I’ve written several books, started a company, and started live-streaming.

In this episode, we visit some of the past milestones and see where the show has grown over the years. Take a look:

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

http://TrinityDigitalMedia.com/church-tech

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif)

On today’s Tech, No Babel:

Setting up a presentation computer

It matters how you set up your presentation computer. Why? Because simple changes can eliminate many common distractions.

Consider black or your church’s logo for the wallpaper on the presentation computer.

Also, look at the power saving and screensaver settings. Set those times for the duration of your normal service. So, if church lasts (on average) 60 minutes, set these features to start after an hour, so if you don’t touch the computer for 15 or 20 minutes during the sermon (for example), the screensaver doesn’t start.

New computer? Here’s how to set it up presentation computer to avoid causing distractions:Click To Tweet

Another thing to consider is what type of computer to get. Presentation computers need to be pretty beefy. You don’t want a donated computer, a 10 year-old box, or something like that.

If possible, make it dedicated to presentation and remove unnecessary software from it, especially the crapware that comes preinstalled on most Windows machines.

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif)

This show is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

On today’s Tech, No Babel:

Tips for setting up your projector

Is your projector set up right or did you just get a new one? Try these tips to get the most from it.

First off, make sure your projector is focussed, fills the screen, and has been keystone corrected. Make sure you do what you can to prevent error messages.

Is your projector set up right or did you just get a new one? Try these tips to get the most from it:Click To Tweet

Now, to do this, I’d use these features available in many projectors. Leave the blue screen on. That will help you fill the screen. To do that, I’d start by zooming and then look for the corner pinning option on the projector (if it has it). If you don’t have it, keystone correction is the next place I’d look. Also make sure you use “lens” shift if you can.

When you’re setting up a mounted projector, motorized lenses are your friend. So are wired remotes and network control

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate: http://patreon.com/paulalanclif

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif)

This show is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

On today’s Tech, No Babel:

Quick tips for taping down cables

1. Tape in straight lines as much as possible and then use 90 turns when it’s not.

2. Use the right tape. Duct tape is fine. Painters tape isn’t. Gaffe tape is the best, though.

Taping down cables is essential if you want to keep your AV safe. Here are some tips:Click To Tweet

3. Remove tape and then cables, not both at the same time.

4. If tape wraps around the cables, cut the excess before removing the remaining tape.

5. Use Goo gone to remove adhesive it the tape was on the cable too long.

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

http://TrinityDigitalMedia.com/church-tech

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif)

This show is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

On today’s Tech, No Babel: What’s a compressor / limiter / gate?

Ever wanted a robot slave to run audio, raising, lowering, and muting for you? Wait no more, you might already have one:Click To Tweet

Wish you had a robot that could mute audio until you wanted to hear it, raise quiet sounds, and limit loud ones? Wouldn’t it be great if this robot could do it so fast that you didn’t even know it was doing it? Science fiction? Nope. I talk about this real piece of gear.

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate: http://patreon.com/paulalanclif

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif)

This show is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

On today’s Tech, No Babel:

What is a multiviewer?

In the old days, the only option to monitor sources and the buses on the switcher (Preview, Program, M/E, etc.) was with multiple monitors. Now, we have multiviewers that enable us to do the same thing with one large monitor.

There are some things to be aware of though. First, make sure you have a large enough monitor. A small monitor really doesn’t work for this application unless you’re portable and you have to make do.

Second, realize that since 720 is 2/3 1080, you’re not going to get full resolution unless one of the spots on the multiviewer is 2/3 the size of the whole monitor (assuming 1080p monitor and a 720p video signal). Since you really need source monitors AND preview and program, it’s hard to pull off with a single monitor.

Finally, make sure you use an LCD monitor because the plasma style video monitors that you might pick up used are susceptible to burn in and while the video itself may be moving (except for computer feeds), the boxes containing it aren’t so it will burn in.

If you’re looking at getting a multiviewer, here are some things to consider:Click To Tweet

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif)

On today’s Tech, No Babel: Review of the Point Source Audio CM i3 Headset

Looking for more comfort? Check out my review of this new concept in communications headsets:Click To Tweet

If you need to wear a comm headset for multiple hours (at church on the weekend, I normally wear a headset for 3-5 hours), you need a comfortable headset.

Traditionally, headsets were either a circumaural or supra-aural design. The first, went around the ear, blocking the most noise, but at the expense of comfort, especially if you wear glasses (as I do). The second was much more comfortable, but didn’t block out external sound well, so in loud environments, you’d need to turn up the headset volume.

Now, it seems obvious to replace both designs with the intra-aural (earbud) type. That’s what the people over at Point Source have done. They’ve added another feature that takes it to the next level, though. You don’t have to use their earbuds. You can use your own, from custom molded multi-driver in-ears on one end of the spectrum to cheap earbuds on the other.

I don’t know if they designed it this way, but I found a lot of freedom and comfort in flipping the headset upside-down, around my neck. This way, I could point the microphone at my mouth while putting the earbuds in normally.

If your church is looking for a comm headset, try this one out. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate: http://patreon.com/paulalanclif

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-4 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif)

On today’s Tech, No Babel:

9 Simple steps for starting a video ministry from nothing

1. Create the vision.

2. Define Success.

3. Celebrate milestone successes.

4. Define failure.

5. Start a “minimum viable ministry” and iterate.

6. Look for assets and assemble them.

7. Fill in the gaps.

8. Do Trial runs.

9. Experiment.

If you’re creating a video ministry from scratch, these are the 9 simple steps to take:Click To Tweet

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-5 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page

Listen to the audio:

Join the conversation; call 1-877-763-3246, leave a comment below the video, or hit me up on Twitter (@PaulAlanClif)

This show is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-5 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

On today’s Tech, No Babel: Comparing three really cheap microphones — A Lavalier, a stick mic, and a shotgun

Of the three microphones I tested, I actually like the cheapest the best. See which that is here:Click To Tweet

Today, I tested three fairly cheap microphones. Two are condensers and one is a dynamic. In order, I tested a stick mic, a shotgun, and a lav. More specifically, they are the BEHRINGER XM8500, the Nady SGM-12 Shotgun Mic, and the Audio-Technica PRO70 Lavalier Mic.

Listen to hear which is best. My favorite is the XM8500. Tell me what you think below in the comments section.

—

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

Tech, No Babel is a weekly podcast premiering every Thursday at 11a eastern (-5 UTC), 8a pacific on http://churchtechcast.com. Watch it and join the chat then.

But, if you miss the live show, I’ll put up the edited show later (usually on the same day) right here.

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

* Subscribe on YouTube

* RSS feed

* iTunes one-click subscription and don’t forget to rate the show there as well.

*

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:

Facebook or Twitter

More video can be found on YouTube.com

Also check out my Google+ page