How To Broadcast Outside: Live Streaming On The Go

Going live with a professional setup from the comfort of a studio or home is one thing, but attempting to live stream whilst out and about is a completely different ball game. Unless you can afford to have a studio truck follow you around whilst you stream, you lose all the luxury of having a strong internet connection and back up equipment. 

Fortunately, there are things that can be done nowadays to optimise and make the most of the little equipment that you can take around with you. Where outdoor broadcasting was once limited to large corporations hosting huge events, in recent years it has become far more accessible. Live streaming technology is constantly developing, allowing practically anyone with a decent camera and mobile hotspot connection to share an effective and reliable stream whilst outdoors. 

What do you need to live stream outdoors?

• Video camera 
• Microphone and audio equipment
• Encoding software and a laptop e.g. wirecast, vidblaster, OBS
• A cloud-based and secure video streaming platform (like Zidivo!)
• Reliable internet connection ready to handle the demand of your broadcast

How to gain a reliable internet connection:

One of the most pressing issues involved in broadcasting outdoors is internet. When indoors, you can position yourself right next to your internet router or, even better, benefit from a reliable ethernet connection to share streams. When outdoors, the options are far more limited. Depending on where businesses or individuals are planning on streaming from, they will have to compete in potentially saturated bandwidths. Highly populated or urban areas can be a nightmare for outdoor broadcasting, as there may be thousands of others trying to gain a cellular connection simultaneously. For this reason, professional live streams cannot rely on cellular networks for a reliable and secure connection.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways for broadcasters to gain connections that are reliable enough for live streaming. 

Mobile hotspots

Using mobile hotspots is one way to go about it. While this may not be the most reliable option, a strong 5G connection can still be used for live streaming. Mobile hotspots may not be suitable for longer streams as connections tend to fluctuate in strength due to changes in mobile battery and signal speeds in the area. If you plan to stream a short update or announcement for your audience though, a 4G or 5G hotspot connection can be all that’s needed to successfully go live on your site or on social media. 

The Zidivo platform is designed to suit businesses of all sizes, whether you’re an individual looking to stream using one camera or directly from a webcam, or you have a large filming team to follow you around. Our live streaming features are completely adaptable with pricing packages to match, so you can decide exactly what features you require and how much of your budget to invest. 

Extended ethernet cables 

Another option for going live outside is to invest in longer ethernet cables or have extenders fitted. These repeaters simply fit to your existing ethernet cables allowing you to have a completely reliable and consistent internet connection. Of course, this places some restrictions on where you can stream from, but if you can find an area in proximity to an internet router, you can stream at top resolution whilst still offering viewers a more interesting setting. 

Cellular network bonding

Cellular bonding is another option for those looking to stream outdoors, where multiple mobile network connections are combined to form one highly reliable and powerful connection for live streaming. This is arguably the only suitable way to stream from remote locations or to stream large scale events reliably. You will need to purchase and set up a separate hardware device to transform singular cell, WiFi, ethernet or USB connections into one stable and strong connection, perfect for professional live streaming. 

Cellular bonding technology may require an initial investment, but find the right one for you, and you could be live streaming from any location you desire without having to worry about your connection dropping off and letting your audience down. In instances where your audience may be paying for access to your live streams, cellular bonding is really the only way to guarantee a steady and high-quality stream.

The Zidivo platform is designed to work with any device, whether you are broadcasting outdoors directly from your camera or using an IP webcam. We provide the user-friendly platform with a wide range of features to suit and leave you to focus on what really matters, creating unique content.