Can I live stream a sports game from my phone?
Yes, with a laptop: the phone is the camera and SplitCam on the laptop does the streaming. Add a Phone Camera source, scan the QR code, and the phone's picture and sound arrive in your scene. Nothing is installed on the phone. SplitCam's iOS and Android apps (in beta) are not covered on this page.
What do I need to live stream a match?
A camera (a phone, a webcam or, on Windows, an HDMI camcorder with a capture card), a tripod, a laptop with SplitCam, a stable internet connection with enough upload speed and an account or channel on YouTube, Facebook or another platform. A headset microphone for commentary and a second person for the score make the stream better, but you can start without them.
How do I put the score on screen?
Add a text layer with the team names and the score and change it by hand, or show a web scoreboard in a Browser layer. SplitCam does not keep score or fetch it by itself.
Does SplitCam do instant replays?
On Windows, yes: add a Replay source to a scene, assign it a hotkey in Settings and press the key to replay the last 5 to 10 seconds of the scene. The Replay source is available on Windows only.
Can SplitCam follow the ball or switch cameras by itself?
No. SplitCam does not follow the ball, move a camera or switch to the action by itself: you switch scenes yourself, with a click, a hotkey or the SplitCam Remote app. On Windows, a Timer layer can switch to another scene when its countdown ends, but that is a timed switch you set up. A camera that follows play on its own is a separate product; SplitCam can show its picture only if it works as one of the supported camera sources.
Do I need permission to stream a match?
It depends. Rules differ by sport, country, competition and venue, so ask your club, school, league or the venue before you stream. Do not rebroadcast a league's TV feed or another person's stream: YouTube and Facebook check for it, and a rights holder can send a takedown notice. This is general information, not legal advice.
How fast does my internet need to be?
Upload speed is what counts, not download speed. The bitrate of your stream, all platforms together, must stay below your measured upload speed, and YouTube advises leaving about 20% of it spare. Test it where the laptop will sit, at the time of the match.
Can I stream to YouTube and Facebook at the same time?
Yes. Add each platform in Stream Settings and, by default, the video goes straight from your computer to each one, with its own settings. Add every platform before you go live: on Windows you cannot add one during a broadcast.
Can I go live on YouTube this weekend if my channel has never streamed?
Maybe not. YouTube says that switching live streaming on for the first time can take up to 24 hours, and the channel must be verified. Do it a few days before the match.
Can I stream so that only the parents can watch?
Partly. Who can watch is a setting of the platform's broadcast. On YouTube a private stream can be seen only by the people you invite, an unlisted stream by anyone who has the link (and they can pass it on), and a public one by everyone. Choose one and check it before you go live. Other platforms have their own options.
Can I record the match while I stream it?
Yes. SplitCam records the finished picture to a file while it streams: one file with the same picture and sound as the stream, not a separate file for each camera.
What works on a Mac?
Scenes, the Phone Camera, text and image layers, the Browser layer, hotkeys, recording and streaming to several platforms work on both Windows and macOS. The Replay source, the Timer layer's countdown and its end actions, scene transitions, capture-card support, the setup wizard with the upload-speed test and the option to lower other sources while you speak are described for Windows only in SplitCam's release notes.
Does SplitCam work for other sports too?
Yes. Nothing in SplitCam depends on the sport, and volleyball, basketball, football and handball are only examples. The same setup suits baseball, softball, hockey, rugby, tennis, wrestling, swimming, athletics, gymnastics, martial arts and dance or cheer competitions. For any sport, a high, wide shot from the middle of the side of the court or pitch, with the sun or bright windows behind the camera, is a good start.
Can I live stream my child's game or a school competition?
Often yes, but ask first. A school, club or league can have its own rules about filming and streaming children, so ask before the match, and tell the other team's parents if the rules ask for it. The setup is the same as for any match: a phone on a tripod as the camera and SplitCam on a laptop. If only the family should watch, set the stream to unlisted on YouTube and send them the link, or set it to private and invite them by email; Facebook and other platforms have their own options.
How do I live stream a tournament or a whole sporting event?
Treat each match as its own stream with the same setup: a camera, SplitCam on a laptop and your platforms. Before the day, ask the organiser for permission and for the schedule, and test the internet at the venue once it is full of people, because a shared connection can slow down. On YouTube you can schedule each stream in advance and share its link, so families and fans know where to find every match.
