If you have family members that live out of town and cannot attend the funeral of a loved one, a live webcast can be used to stream the funeral live on the Internet. Below is information on how this works if this is something you are planning to use in a funeral of your loved one.
The Technology
The goal of a funeral webcast is to capture what is heard and seen at the funeral service. This is done using a video camera, and audio with a microphone. The images and sounds are then sent to a software application on the computer, and then over the Internet using a live feed.
Most providers offer a live broadcast that family members can access from a website that is password protected. In most cases, family members can view the video after the funeral service is over for a certain amount of time. The length of time available for the video depends on the provider you choose.
Different providers use different types of software for webcasting. Some may use a desktop application, while others will use web-based applications. No matter which one is used, software is used to capture the video and audio, and then it is encoded to be able to view on the web. The type of encoder that is used depends on the provider.
The Equipment
There are two types of equipment a provider can use for a funeral webcast: portable or stationary.
Stationary webcasting equipment is hard wired, and installed in the funeral home. Equipment used with this type of webcasting includes:
- Computer with Internet connection
- At least one camera that is mounted on a wall or ceiling
- Feed from the sound system
- Camera controller that has the ability to zoom, tilt, and pan
- Card connected to the computer that captures video and audio
The equipment used with a portable webcast includes:
- Laptop computer
- Tripod
- Capture device
- Video camera that has the ability to record to the laptop's hard drive or SD card
- Wireless microphone
The end result will be the same no matter which type of equipment is used by the provider.
Talk with your family, and ask if there are any friends or family members that are not able to attend the funeral. You can then tell them you are using a live web casting of the funeral for those family members.
Talk to a funeral home such as to Pineview Funeral Service to find out how they can help with setting up a webcast for your loved one's funeral.
