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Read more →How this church streaming setup works
Three PTZ cameras cover the room: a wide shot from the back wall, a close-up on the pulpit and a shot of the worship band. Each sends SDI to the video switcher, because SDI runs comfortably over the 30 to 40 metres between a rear wall and a booth. The lyrics computer plugs into one of the switcher's HDMI inputs, so the online congregation sees the same words as the room. If your switcher is SDI only, add a small HDMI to SDI converter next to the computer.
Audio is the part that makes or breaks a church stream. Instead of a room mic, the audio console sends a dedicated stream mix from two spare aux outputs over XLR into a USB audio interface on the stream computer. The switcher's program output goes to the same computer through an SDI capture card, and the encoder software combines picture and sound and sends them over Ethernet to YouTube, Facebook or your church streaming platform.
The PTZ controller sits on the same network as the cameras so one volunteer can recall presets for all three. Camera control runs over Ethernet too; add those runs to your own plan once you know where your network points are. A multiview monitor on the switcher shows every source at once for the director.
Church AV patch list
Every cable in the diagram with its label, length and ports. V is video, A is audio, D is data and N is network. Print this and tape it inside the rack door so a volunteer can find a fault without calling the tech lead.
| Cable type | Cable label | Cable length | From item | Output | To item | Input |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDI | V01 | 40m | PTZ camera 1 | SDI Out | Video switcher | SDI 1 |
| SDI | V02 | 30m | PTZ camera 2 | SDI Out | Video switcher | SDI 2 |
| SDI | V03 | 30m | PTZ camera 3 | SDI Out | Video switcher | SDI 3 |
| HDMI | V04 | 3m | Lyrics computer | HDMI Out | Video switcher | HDMI 1 |
| XLR | A01 | 5m | Audio console | Aux 7 (Stream L) | Audio interface | Input 1 |
| XLR | A02 | 5m | Audio console | Aux 8 (Stream R) | Audio interface | Input 2 |
| USB | D01 | 2m | Audio interface | USB | Stream computer | USB-C |
| HDMI | V05 | 2m | Video switcher | Multiview Out | Multiview monitor | HDMI In |
| SDI | V06 | 2m | Video switcher | Program Out | Stream computer | SDI capture In |
| Ethernet | N01 | 10m | Stream computer | Ethernet | Network switch | Port 1 |
| Ethernet | N02 | 3m | PTZ controller | Ethernet | Network switch | Port 2 |
Church live stream packlist
If your church meets in a school or a rented hall, this is your load-in list. If the system is permanently installed, use it as an asset record so you know what should be in the booth.
| Packed | Amount | Item | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | PTZ camera with SDI out | Camera | |
| 3 | PTZ wall or ceiling mount | Camera | |
| 1 | PTZ controller (IP joystick) | Controller | |
| 1 | Video switcher with SDI and HDMI inputs | Switcher | |
| 1 | Multiview monitor | Monitor | |
| 1 | Lyrics and slides computer | Computer | |
| 1 | Stream computer with SDI capture card | Computer | |
| 1 | USB audio interface (2 XLR inputs) | Audio | |
| 1 | Network switch | Network | |
| 4 | SDI cable (various lengths) | Cable | |
| 2 | HDMI cable | Cable | |
| 2 | XLR cable | Cable | |
| 1 | USB-C cable | Cable | |
| 5 | Ethernet cable (incl. camera control) | Cable | |
| 1 | Headphones for stream audio check | Audio | |
| 2 | Power strip | Power |
Volunteer-friendly tips for Sunday morning
- Save camera presets and name them. "Pulpit", "Band wide", "Baptism" and "Communion table" are easier to remember than preset 4. Write the list next to the controller.
- Check the stream mix on headphones. A mix that sounds right in the room is often too quiet on vocals for people at home. The audio volunteer should spend part of the service listening to the stream feed, not the PA.
- Label both ends of every cable. Use the labels from the patch list. When V02 goes black, anyone can follow it from the camera to SDI 2 on the switcher. Our cable label generator prints them.
- Match the frame rate everywhere. Set the cameras, the lyrics computer and the switcher to the same format (for example 1080p30 or 1080p25). A source that does not match usually shows black.
- Start the stream early. Go live with a holding slide 10 to 15 minutes before the service. It gives you time to spot problems before the first song.
- Keep a one-page run sheet. Power-on order, where the stream key lives, who to call. New volunteers will thank you.
- Check your upload speed. Test on a Sunday morning, not a Tuesday. The streaming bitrate calculator shows how much upload a 1080p stream needs.
Smaller church? Scale it down
Not every church needs three PTZ cameras. A chapel or a portable church can use two cameras with clean HDMI outputs into an ATEM Mini Pro, with the console stream mix going into a small mixer and then the ATEM's mic input. The ATEM Mini setup diagram shows that shape. For more on gear choices, budgets and running the stream each week, read our guide to live streaming a church service.
Build your church AV diagram in H2R Gear
This template is a starting point. In H2R Gear you place your actual cameras, switcher and console from the community library (or build them with the gear builder), then drag cables between their real inputs and outputs. Label each cable, add its length, and the packlist builds itself, including a tick-off view for portable churches that set up every week. That is all on the free Starter plan.
On Personal you can share a read-only link with volunteers who do not have accounts, and export the diagram as a PDF for the booth. On Pro, zones separate the stage, the booth and the rack, and the patch list exports to CSV just like the one above. See the churches use case for how worship teams use it.