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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the system requirements for Wirecast?

Wirecast is both a video mixer and a live video & audio encoding application. As such, the system requirements are higher than "off-line" media tools such as video editing and traditional encoding applications.

Wirecast will benefit from having as fast a CPU as possible, and automatically makes use of multiple processors or cores if available. You will require a graphics card with certain capabilities. On Mac OS X, if your system supports "Quartz Extreme", then Wirecast will be able to run on your machine. On the Windows side, if your graphics card was made in the last four years, you should have no problem running the application. If in doubt, simply download the application and it will notify you if your system meets the minimum specifications for a video card. We always recommend testing out the evaluation version of Wirecast in your environment.

For more information, please see the Wirecast Tech Specs.

What Video Capture devices are recommended for Wirecast?

Generally, this depends on both your budget and your broadcast requirements. An overview of common cameras and components follows.

Webcam:
If you are new to live broadcast, or just looking for an inexpensive option, take a look at USB devices, or webcams. These typically cost significantly less than either a camcorder or DV camera, and many now offer HD resolution (though the quality will not match that of a DV or HDV camera).  In general, webcams need to be connected to your computer to operate.

DV Camera:
For a better-quality broadcast you'll want to consider a DV camera. Since most DV cameras connect to the computer via Firewire (though a small number do utilize USB), check first that  you have a Firewire port on your machine.  The features and functions of these cameras vary, so determine what your requirements are first, then go and find the best camera to meet your needs and budget. You'll find that many DV cams start as low as $200, and capture video in standard definition, SD.

HDV Camera:
For best quality, you'll want to get an HDV camera. HDV cameras connect to your computer via Firewire, and are capable of capturing HD video in full 1080i. Many of these cameras include a 3-chip design for capturing better-quality video. Features such as manual focus may also be included. You can find HDV cameras anywhere from $200 to more than $2000.

ADVC (Analog to digital video converters):
If you're using a Composite, Component, HDMI, or other cable-type device to send video, you may need an ADVC to convert the signal into a DV or HDV signal that will work with Wirecast. The ADVC has an input for your analog video device and a firewire output that you can connect to your computer. With the ADVC connected, your analog device is now compatible with Wirecast.

Higher Quality Cameras and Capture Cards:
Currently Video Capture Cards that use HDMI, RCA, BNC Composite, Component SD, HD-SDI, and other non-firewire capture are not yet supported.

Though not supported, please note that many of the above devices will work with Wirecast.  The diversity of cards, drivers, OS versions, and hardware configurations require extensive testing to insure compatibility.  Without the standard DV/HDV interfaces commonly built into computers, thorough testing of these devices is much more involved and time consuming.  For more information, please see the forum for feedback and tips from Wirecasters on recommended high-quality cameras and capture cards.  You'll find a link to the Wirecast forum at the end of this document.

What does"not yet supported" mean?
We endeavor to provide the best possible support for all of our products, and are working to confirm compatibility of various video input devices. If a device has not yet been thoroughly tested, or if we have found a compatibility issue with a particular configuration, we are not able to insure the quality of the user experience.  In these situations, our staff will not be able to provide troubleshooting assistance. Once a device has been confirmed by our staff, support will be expanded to include it. 

In the interim, many Wirecast users have tested various video input cards in their specific configurations and found them to work quite well in professionally demanding environments.  In our user forums (links below) you can search to see who is using a specific input device and get details on their configuration. Utilizing the forum community, you may also be able to get user-to-user assistance. Additionally, our support staff may have specific experience and/or advice they would be happy to share with you.

With variables in each configuration, as well as ongoing updates to OS's, drivers, potentially conflicting software, Wirecast itself, etc., unanticipated conflicts are a possibility. With that in mind, if you're considering purchasing input cards that are not yet supported, please make sure they can be returned if they are found to be incompatible.
Both the Wirecast forum and Twitter offer opportunities to connect to the Wirecast community.  Links to the forum follow. 

Telestream Forum: http://forum.telestream.net/forum/
Wirecast for Windows Forum: http://forum.telestream.net/forum/categories.aspx?catid=44&entercat=y
Wirecast for Mac Forum: http://forum.telestream.net/forum/categories.aspx?catid=45&entercat=y

Twitter logo Follow Wirecast on Twitter

What would a single camera setup versus a multiple camera setup with Wirecast typically look like?

For a single camera scenario your computer will need an available Firewire or USB port. You will need a camera that is able to send video live via Firewire or USB. Like with most other video productions the quality of your broadcast will be dependent on the quality of the cameras you use as well as other things like lighting and sound.

For a multi-camera scenario your computer will need the ability to connect multiple firewire or USB cameras. If you have a desktop machine with available PCI slots, then you can have as many cameras as you have card slots free for. We recommend using a separate FireWire PCI card per camera for compatibility reasons. You may find that multiple cameras of newer model will work fine when connected to the same card (bus), but this is not a configuration we currently support.

If you want to use multiple devices on a PC laptop, you can add an additional FireWire PC card (PCMCIA).

Can I use Wirecast on my laptop for my live field productions?

Yes, remote live broadcasting from the field is an excellent example of what Wirecast can help you accomplish very easily, by just bringing a laptop and a camera.

The system requirements for a laptop are very similar to those of a desktop, see our general system requirements for Wirecast. Additional parameters to consider when deciding what laptop to purchase are the following:

CPU
The CPU that are installed in most laptops have lowered wattage than their desktop counterparts. This helps the laptop use less power and be more mobile. In Wirecast this can potentially cause performance issues. If you for example plan to broadcast multiple streams or to simultaneously broadcast and record to disk a low wattage processor may not provide the needed power. If you are running a low wattage CPU you should download and test the Wirecast trial. Test the complete work flow that you intend to use to make sure the CPU provides sufficient power for your specific workflow.

Video Card
Many of the features and effects in Wirecast utilize the GPU of your video card. Many of the video cards that come installed on laptops are lacking the 3D features and power needed to run Wirecast. If you are uncertain about the ability of your video card it is recommended that you download the Wirecast trial to test. It is recommended that you test all of the features that you intend to use.

Mac:
128MB Video RAM
A Quartz Extreme capable graphics card
A supported GPU is required for Core Image and GPU video compression acceleration

Windows:
128MB Video RAM
Direct3D 9.0 or better
Shader Model v2.0 or better (to support Chroma Keying and GPU Acceleration)

*For ATI Radeon Mobility cards it is recommended that you download the Wirecast trial and test before purchasing.

Firewire Camera/Device connectivity
You can connect up to two DV camcorders per Firewire bus. Most laptops even if they may have two or more firewire ports they are likely sharing one single Firewire bus. (The bus is where the Firewire connectors attach to the motherboard). The same applies to if you connect a Firewire hub with more ports - they would all be sharing one single bus. If you plan to add a 3rd or 4th DV camera you need to plug in an Express Card that has DV input. To facilitate this your laptop must have an available card slot.

Please keep these Firewire/DV bus considerations in mind if you are selecting an external hard drive. If you are planning to use Firewire/DV video devices it is recommended that you look for a USB2 or other external hard drive connection type.

Hard Drive Speed
If you plan to record to hard drive while you broadcast you will want to make sure that you have a hard drive that can keep up with the quality you are expecting. Most laptops come with a 5400rpm drive by default which should be sufficient for lower quality and lower performance requirements on your broadcast. For higher quality and performance a hard drive with 7200rpm is suggested.

How do I use Desktop Presenter?

You can use the small Desktop Presenter application to transmit the desktop of another computer into Wirecast for use during your webcasts. Desktop Presenter is perfect for broadcasting PowerPoint or Keynote presentations, training webcasts and software demonstrations. Desktop Presenter is a video only solution and works over your local network.

You need to download and install Desktop Presenter onto the machine that you want to capture. The download link to the installer can be found by clicking "Help" and then "Download Desktop Presenter". You can also download the installer from the Wirecast download page.

If you are working on Windows, it is recommended that you install Bonjour for Windows (available for free from the Apple). Bonjour simplifies the network set up required for Wirecast to see Desktop Presenter over your network.

If you install everything and Wirecast still does not see the Desktop Presenter from another machine, try re-starting Wirecast.

What kind of graphics card do I need?

For Mac OS X, we require a Quartz Extreme capable graphics card. If you are unsure if your graphics card is supported, please download our evaluation versions; the application itself will notify you if it can be run. You can expect most Mac hardware made in the last five years to fully support Quartz Extreme.

For Windows, we need a video card with at least 16MB of video memory and certain Direct3D features supported. We recommend an AGP card (or better still, a PCI Express card), but Wirecast will run on some of the older PCI models. You can also download our evaluation version for information on whether the application will run on your hardware. Again, most PC hardware made in the last few years should be fully compatible.

Will using a SLI dual graphics card increase the performance of Wirecast?

No, a dual graphics card setup is not recommended for Wirecast. Wirecast is not designed to work with dual graphics cards and you could see a decrease in the performance if you are using more than one.

Note: Wirecast does support the use of some video “capture” cards with multiple cards in one machine.

I am new to live broadcast and want the easiest way to get started - what do I do?

1. Setup an account with Ustream, www.ustream.tv, or Livestream, www.livestream.com
2. Open Wirecast application. In the broadcast settings menu, select one of the Flash encoder settings.
3. In the destination drop down menu, select Livestream or Ustream and enter your account information from your      sign up in step 1.

You are now ready to start your live broadcast!

What are the streaming options I have with Wirecast?

There are a range of services depending on your needs:

Wirecast's internal server
Wirecast has a built in server. It's good for basic testing and reaching a handful of viewers. You can email a QuickTime pointer or embed a link on a web page that might serve a few people in an office or a few friends simultaneously viewing. The number depends on your data rate, upload speed, computer's capacity but it's generally a very small number.

Can I stream for free to a larger audience?
There are several streaming service providers/CDNs with a range of services.
http://www.ustream.tv/
http://www.livestream.com/
http://www.justin.tv/

I'd like to stream but want an ad free professional provider
http://www.livestream.com/
https://watershed.ustream.tv/

I'd like to setup my own server. What are my options?
Darwin Streaming Server (DSS) is a free open source server which can run on Mac, Windows, Linux. It’s support is provided by a community of volunteers, http://dss.macosforge.org/

Apple QuickTime Streaming Server is part of Apple's OSX Server:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/streamingserver/
http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/

Wowza has Mac, Windows and Linux server software:
http://www.wowzamedia.com/index.html
Read the Whitepaper

Microsoft Windows Media Services as part of Windows Server:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/serve/prodinfo2008.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/default.aspx

I have custom needs and would like professional CDN support.
Limelight Networks provide professional broadcast and corporate distribution network services. Limelight services is accessible directly from within the Wirecast user interface.

Another CDN that provides similar services is Akamai.

Contact them to discuss your specific needs

http://www.limelightnetworks.com/
http://www.akamai.com/

How much bandwidth do I need?

Your upload speed must be faster than the data rate you choose to broadcast at.  You can test at http://www.speedtest.net/index.php.  Your server needs to sustain your projected number of simultaneous viewers at your streamed bandwidth (viewers x data rate = total bandwidth needed at a given moment in time). Your viewers need to have a connection speed and computer capable of receiving and decoding the stream in real time. Use the above link to test speed.

The viewer is seeing a blocky image or intermittent motion (dropped frames), what should I do?

  • Test your upload speed (see above link)
  • Check your IT/CDN to make sure it's not exceeding capacity (see above formula)
  • Have the viewer test their download speed (see above link).
  • View the stream in a controlled environment at your location
  • If all the above seems within data rate and capacity there may be an issue with the viewer's ability to decode the video. This can happen with a slower CPU or graphics card.
  • If you are exceeding your upload speed capacity, IT/CDN's bandwidth capacity, viewer's download speed then you must lower the data rate and possibly the frame rate and frame size as well.

How do I mute the audio on a camera source?

  • Double click the shot containing the camera.
  • Select 'Channel A'.
  • Pick the 'Playback' tab, then reduce the audio meter all the way to the bottom (or click the mute button).

Who needs the HDV plug-in?

Anyone who is using an HDV video camera or video capture device with HDV mode enabled. The plug-in allows Wirecast to receive the signal from your HDV device. You can get a better picture quality when using an HDV camera. However the plug-in does not unlock any HD broadcast settings. Wirecast is already capable of sending and recording HD broadcasts assuming that the computer can handle it.

What do I need to use HDV cameras?

To use HDV sources with Wirecast, you'll need to buy a Wirecast 3 license and an HDV Pack. HDV cameras will not work with older versions of Wirecast, nor the Videocue application.

Please make sure you have selected the same operating system version as your existing Wirecast license when purchasing HDV. This means the Mac OS X HDV Pack will not work with the Windows version of Wirecast for example.

We encourage you to test out your HDV camera with Wirecast before purchasing. You can evaluate HDV camera performance in Wirecast without purchasing the HDV upgrade, the output will just be watermarked.

Please be aware that HDV decoding requires significant system resources. As such we recommend that, on the Mac, you use at least a dual processor G5 system or dual core Intel CPU. On the Windows side, we recommend a modern graphics card and a dual processor (or core) system.

If you find that HDV is consuming too many system resources, here are some ways to reduce the load:

  • Try switching the 'Aspect Ratio' from '1080 HDV' to '720 HDV'. This will reduce the burden on the graphics card, and may make transitions and other effects smoother. You can switch to this regardless of whether your camera supports 720p mode, since it will just reduce the processing resolution.
  • Switch the 'Capture Device Size' to 'Reduced'. This will halve the amount of data being processed in exchange for slightly lower quality. We recommend experimenting with this settings to determine if the final results are acceptable.
  • Using both of the above methods will bring down the processing requirements significantly. As always, we recommend experimenting with your own setup to find the best results.

When working with HDV sources, you may find there is up to two seconds of delay from the video first being captured by the camera, to it showing up in Wirecast. This is a hardware limitation on some of the first generation of HDV cameras and cannot be corrected by Wirecast. You can compensate for this by only trusting the video and audio you are seeing in Wirecast, and using the Wirecast Preview as the source for all your live cues.

What is the maximum number of DV cameras I can have connected to my machine?

If you have a desktop machine with available PCI slots, then you can have as many cameras as you have card slots free for. We recommend using a separate FireWire PCI card per camera for compatibility reasons. You may find that multiple cameras will work fine when connected to the same card (bus), but this is not a configuration we support. Generally speaking, it's older cameras that have problems working together on the same bus.

If you want to use multiple devices on a laptop, you can add an additional FireWire PC card (PCMCIA). On Mac hardware, please be aware that the FireWire 800 and 400 buses are actually connected together and so can't offer the additional camera support that multiple buses afford.

What is the best way to bring an analog signal in?

There is a large variety of hardware options to import an analogue signal into Wirecast. On the Windows side, if you wish to import a S-Video signal, you will be able to find a number of USB and PCI card solutions. If you are looking to go the USB route, we recommend choosing a USB-2 device (assuming your computer is also USB-2 capable) because of the improved bandwidth supported, yielding higher quality video. Analogue to DV FireWire converters are supported on both Mac OS X and Windows.

Are USB Webcams supported?

All USB webcams with current, correct drivers should be supported. If you run into problems, please check that you have the most recent versions of the drivers installed on your system. Your webcam maker's website should have details.

You will need to check that there is a "DirectShow" driver when using the camera on Windows, and a "VDIG" driver when using on Mac OS X. Very few webcam makers actually create a Mac OS X driver, so please check carefully before purchasing.

Can I use a remote network camera as an input?

This isn't a feature we currently support in Wirecast. We are investigating what it would take to allow you to import network cameras and other streaming feeds into Wirecast.

How do I get the best Chroma Key possible?

First you need a Green Screen. There are many variations of this to select from. Wirecast Chroma Key also supports Blue Screen. To get the optimal Chroma Key you want to have the best lighting setup. Here is one way to light a Chroma Key scene:

  • The background screen should be lit as evenly as possible and independently of the talent.
  • Your talent should cast no shadows on the screen.
  • Your talent should have 3 light sources on them:

1. The main light (place just to the side of the camera - brightest light). This is what you generally think of as      "lighting".
2. The fill light - so talent has no dark areas/shadows (place on other side of camera - dimmer). This is what      keeps your talent from having drop-out areas on them.
3. The back light - to light the edges of the talent (place behind talent). This is what cleanly separates the talent      from the background.

Can I create my own title templates?

Currently Wirecast does not support the creation of custom title templates. We recommend using your preferred graphic creation tool for making your titles, and then simply importing them as regular image files. Wirecast and Videocue will automatically recognize and use any alpha channel in the image.

Can I script Wirecast to automate actions?

Currently we support scripting on Mac OS X through AppleScript, and on Windows through the OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) layer. We include example scripts with Wirecast for Mac OS X, and an SDK for Windows containing examples written in Perl, Visual Basic and C#. We encourage you to experiment with our example code.

How do I stream to Influxis?

To stream to Influxis, select "RTMP FlashServer" and enter your details as you would with FME. However, you must change the User Agent to "FME/2.5".

What are the differences between Wirecast, Ustream Producer and Ustream Producer Pro?

Telestream's partnership with Ustream, announced in January 2010, puts Wirecast technology in the hands of Ustream subscribers. Ustream provides two products, based on Wirecast technology, that offer their subscribers a choice of free and low-cost video production software tools for use on the Ustream platform.

Here is a breakdown of some of the main features available in each product:

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