Funeral home webcasting has been one of the hottest topics in the industry for the past several years. During that time there have been several different webcast providers that have all come up with similar product offerings. The purpose of this article is to explain the technology, equipment, costs, and design of the different options available.
First, let’s look at the tech piece.
The technology is quite simple in today’s world. The goal is to capture what is seen and heard at the funeral and broadcast it LIVE over the Internet. This is done by capturing the video with a camera and the audio with a microphone, funneling those signals to a computer and to the web. Some of the basic features that almost all webcasting providers offer are a LIVE broadcast, password-protected viewer pages, and an on-demand recording of the webcast, making the video available for viewing even after the webcast ends. service. The length of time that is available varies depending on the company you choose to go with. Different providers in this industry have slightly different software mechanisms for webcasting. Some use a desktop application that is installed on your computer, while others have completely web-based applications. Either way, the piece of software is used to capture the audio and video, and then encode it, which compresses the video and makes it more web-friendly. The way the video is encoded will have an impact on the number of people who can view the stream. For example, you can work with a provider that is using Windows Media Encoder, which works fine if most of your viewers use Windows computers. The fact is, Apple is the largest company in the world at the moment and owns a very significant share of the personal computer market. Now, there are plugins that allow Mac users to view Windows Media files, but this is a third-party application that not all users have installed. The other options used in the industry are Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Flash. Rather than breaking down all the details of each of these technologies, let’s look at the facts.
Penetration in the global market of each video transmission technology. In simple terms, the percentage of your audience that will be able to view your webcast without any problem.
Adobe Flash: 95.95%
Windows Media: 65.28%
Quicktime Player – 58.96%
Microsoft Silverlight – 60.32%
The clear winner at the moment is Adobe Flash. There is nothing to say that these statistics will not change in the next 5 years being replaced by newer technologies such as HTML5, but currently the most supported option is Flash and this has been the case since funeral home webcasting has been a topic of conversation. So you may wonder why any vendor would opt for any of these other technologies. Is it the quality of the video stream? No, Flash has the ability to transmit in high definition. Is it easier to use? No, the simplicity of the user experience relies on software written to control these technologies. Is it the cost? Flash is possibly a more expensive infrastructure on the server side.
Now the team
With a webcast there are two high-level options when selecting which equipment you will need, fixed or portable. Stationary equipment is wired and installed inside your funeral home.
* At least one camera mounted on the ceiling or wall of your chapel
* Controller for the camera (if you have the ability to pan / tilt / zoom)
* Computer with internet connection
* Power from your sound system
* Capture the device / card connected to your computer to receive the audio and video
Pros: You don’t have to set up your equipment before each funeral service. The camera is mounted so that it does not fall onto the tripod. The audio feed is direct, so there is no interference from a wireless signal. The camera can be controlled remotely.
Cons: a bit more expensive to set things up. You can only stream funerals from your funeral home. It requires installation which can sometimes be a bit pricey depending on how easy it is to run wires through your funeral home.
Portable equipment basically consists of the same elements, you just guessed it, portable.
* Camcorder (ability to record to SD card or hard drive is preferred)
* Tripod
* Wireless microphone
* Capture device
* Laptop
Advantages: You can stream your funeral services from anywhere there is an Internet connection. If there is no internet connection, you can simply record the funeral on camera and upload it later. It costs a little less.
Cons: Requires setup before each funeral service. The camera can only be controlled by moving closer to it and moving it on the tripod. Wireless microphones have a limited range (usually around 150 feet) and can occasionally pick up interference from cell phones or other devices.
Costs
You can spend almost any amount of money you want on a funeral webcast. There are unlimited monthly streaming plans ranging from $ 99 to $ 1500. Equipment can be purchased or rented. A good stationary computer setup can cost a few thousand dollars, while a portable setup costs around $ 1,500 or less. Equipment leasing options provide a bit of security, should any of your equipment fail, most internet streaming companies will replace it for you.
Effective implementation
Once the webcast is offered at your funeral home, the sales process is simple. When meeting with a family during the arrangement conference, simply ask the question “Are there any members of your family or friends who cannot attend the funeral service?” The answer to this question in most cases will be yes. This opens the door for you to explain that you offer LIVE webcasting for those who cannot attend the service. This should not be a threatening sales pitch in any way. If the client wants it, he will pay for it, but he will not come to request this type of service if he does not know that you offer them. As with any type of memorial technology, all you need to do is inform the family that it is available so they have the option to purchase it.
No Comment