Tim Dougherty, a Senior Solutions Engineer, technology expert, for Wowza Media Systems, and author of this intriguing piece on Worship Tech Director

Media Server Software: Be the Streaming Hero

Such technology offers the ability to record, transcode for adaptive bit rate, transcode for Facebook Live video requirements, and can even provide a time-shift DVR service for your satellite campus and more.

Have you ever been distracted by video content, in a good way? Recently, I met a dear friend for lunch, in a popular sports-themed restaurant, where I was peculiarly impressed with the great number of LED displays and video walls showcasing some unbelievable content. As we sat together, commenting on various topics, I asked my friend, “Have you ever thought about where all this content comes from?” A multi-sensory media experience is more than simply tuning a DVB receiver to ESPN and setting the display input to HDMI 1. Video content serves a very specific purpose at a very specific time. In many ways, using video to convey important messaging and information is similar to the complex task of running a small television station. Considering the investment of content creation and acquisition, curation, and delivery, it is critical that audio and video media is delivered at the right time and place in order to maximize the message and return on overall media investment. As church production leaders, we deliver content across many different modes of technologies and formats. Quite often, the local church “video guy” is responsible for scheduling content delivery for social media, the church website, public displays, and “just in time” during weekend services. Without an organized approach, hitting these multiple delivery targets can result in a hodgepodge of overlapping technology and services. As the ministry grows and expands their skillset in content creation, the demand for accurate, timely media delivery will increase, to an extreme. What this means is that the “video guy” will need to get very creative in how media is delivered to different screens. Continue reading