Live Broadcasting?

I just can't seem to dig any info up on my current dilemma.

Q: 1.What is the current cheapest and hassle-free way to broadcast a live stream onto the internet, without using the built-in computer cam?

Q: 2. How does one get a newer camera (Sony HDR-CX550V) into a computer (Mac, in this case) so that it is actually live, as if plugging it into a TV upon playback?

Seems there are a few things I dug up for free that will enable the iSight (Mac) camera to be used, but getting my $1,000 Sony into the same computer live is impossible. Even the newest Quicktime Pro (or was it Broadcast - same page), while bragging about being able to do live feeds, requires something that older cams had - a firewire output. Why are we going backwards in time?
Mikel Estes

We have recently experimented with live broadcasting at Videomaker and know how frustrating this can be. To answer your question, most live broadcasters out there work using FireWire since its data streams can sustain high data transfer rates. USB, on the other hand, has frequent data rate drop-outs which can greatly diminish the effectiveness of a live broadcast. FireWire is still a preferred medium to use for getting large data rates into a computer for internet broadcast.

Of course, technology is always changing. Wirecast recently released an upgrade to its online broadcasting software that lets users use the HDMI port on their computers for streaming. A word of warning though: most computers only have an HDMI out-port, not an HDMI in. However, you can purchase a PCI card with HDMI in-ports easily from a variety of manufacturers. This may be your best bet if your camera does not have FireWire. Also, if your camera doesn't output HDMI, but only a component signal, then something like the Black Magic Intensity or Intensity Shuttle will be the best way to get your video feed into your computer. On a Mac, the Matrox MXO2 device works very well. Good luck in your online broadcasting!
- The Editors

Long GOP Frustrations

I recently purchased a Sony consumer HD camcorder that records MPEG-2 (SDI) to the 64GB installed memory. I get very frustrated by this camera as it creates a new file every 1.67GB or about every 30 minutes or so. Interestingly, when dropped into either Sony's or Pinnacle's Studio timeline, the two segments did not combine smoothly and there was a visual and audio hiccup of about a 1-second loss. Not good when your ballerina is in the middle of an important "lift" by her male counterpart! I had to dump this $1,000 plus camera and go back to my reliable Canon GL2. I was using a brand new Windows 7 64-bit computer with all the bells and whistles and drivers needed. Would you investigate the reason this hiccup is present and what if anything can be done to extend the file size to unlimited as I'm sure the Microsoft NTSF file system can handle files larger than 1.67GB.
Wilson G.

Believe it or not, this is a fairly common occurrence in MPEG-2 file-based recording mediums. This is because MPEG-2 records to a long GOP (or group of pictures) format. The long GOP format is MPEG's way of compressing a clip so that it can keep file sizes low. Basically, the MPEG-2 codec will package together data for multiple frames into a group of pictures, or GOP. Many 1080i MPEG-2 formats will group 15 frames together in one GOP. This can make it difficult to view or edit individual frames because you may need information stored in nearby frames to complete the picture. This is also where your "missing" second of video lies.

When you import your footage into Sony Vegas or Pinnacle, the editing programs only read the first whole GOP of your video file. This means that if your Sony camera cut off a file mid-GOP and started the next file mid-GOP as well, you could potentially lose up to a second worth of video since both editing programs cannot read a partial GOP in the MPEG-2 format.

The good news is that there is an easy fix for this issue. With every camera that Sony manufactures, they include software for rejoining any partial GOPs in the files in such a way that any editing system can read the entire video. Usually it's called the re-utility. If you don't have this software, you can always download third-party software that does the same function such as Tsmuxer or Pixela. Lastly, if you have Sony Vegas 9 or above, you can automatically join these files by importing them through Vegas' "device manager." This would be your best solution if you have that version of the software. Try any one of these solutions and see if they work for you.
- The Editors