Beginner’s guide: adding a stream to your local tournament

September 5th, 2021 Author: Enthos

“TacoWaffle” (Above) provides commentary for regional Smash Ultimate event in Tucson, Arizona

“FuXie” (Above) TOs the regional event in Tucson, Arizona. Photos courtesy of @JulesJulesPhoto

Introduction

Earlier this year, approval of vaccines to combat the pandemic has allowed more laxed social distancing guidelines. With that, local video game tournaments got the green light to finally start to their return. Unfortunately, some tournaments had wrenches thrown in their planning since the pandemic caused damage to the local tournament scene in various ways. Venues have closed down, larger community members are no longer part of the scene and tribal knowledge of events has been lost.

With the broken pieces left to be picked up, the next generation starts to rebuild a community stronger and more unified than ever before. The purpose of this guide is to help tournament organizers with aspects of running a event they may not be familiar with. Whether you are a new TO looking for advice or a veteran TO looking to fill in gaps of knowledge, these guide may help you up the quality of your local tournaments. This guide will be a single part to a series of beginner’s guides.

DaJuice (Above) on commentary for Smash: Reach

Table of Contents

• Determine what you want to stream

• Examining the venue where you want to stream

• Player experience

• Basic resources needed for any tournament

• What equipment is needed and what may already available to you

• Example of a setups

Determining what content you want to stream

The first starting point is figuring out what exactly you want to stream. This is not limited to just what video game you want to stream. There’s tons of different content you can add in a stream including:

• Live video feed of the players

• Live audio commentary

• Live video feed of the commentators

• Live video feed of the venue

You will want at least one camera for each aspect you want a video feed for, depending on the layout of your venue. It’s pretty common to see small tournaments use 1080p webcams for live feed setups. The only variable you may run into is the video feed of players. If you have a setup where both players are on the opposite side of the table you are going to want a camera can capture a wide enough aspect of both players or you can use 2 cameras, one for each player. Keep in to consideration you will need to mount these webcams on something. You can buy cheap tripod camera stands from pawn shops, don’t waste the extra money on brand new ones as they are not cheap. You can buy a cheap webcam arm (to mount the camera on the tripod) for like $15-$20 off amazon. Keep in mind you will probably also need a USB extension cord for each of these cameras to make sure they reach your computer setup.

As for adding adding audio commentary, it can be quite complex since the quality of the audio is necessary to get right for live streams as post processing is typically skipped over. Post processing is good for VODs, however the bulk of your audience is going to be watching live typically. There will be a separate guide going over audio for commentary and it’s equipment since it can be fairly complex.

Whatever you decide to add to your stream will determine what equipment you will need. If you just want a plain stream setup with no live feed or audio commentary, that’s completely fine too! Sometimes the most simple setups are the most enjoyable for viewers.

Examining the venue where you want to stream

Probably the most important step in this guide. You will want to confirm a few things with the venue:

• Speed and quality of the Internet

• Accessibility to a physical connection for the internet

• Distance of accessibility of a physical connection to the streaming setup

• Space in the venue to setup a stream and/or commentary

• Venue provided amenities such as a projector, TV, speakers, etc.

First and foremost, does the venue provide internet and is it good enough to stream for several hours? You will want to look for Internet that can handle at least 2Mbps Upload for a stream You can check out the internet speed by connecting to their network and using https://speedtest.net preferably on a physical connection. You will want to try avoiding streaming over wi-fi as a physical connection is more reliable for less packet drops and potential disconnects. For a physical connection you will need to connect to the venue’s router.

Depending on the venue, there may be ethernet wall drops that connect to their network (such as schools and hotels) which is very convenient! However most venues don’t have an easy way to connect physically to their router which can be tricky to connect to if it’s far away. If you are connecting physically you will want to measure out the distance from the router to where the stream setup is going to be. Also make sure you are measuring the path of where the ethernet cable is going to be since most venues don’t want a long piece of ethernet cable being in the way of the employees and causing a potential accident. Routing the ethernet cable at the base of walls is preferable if you can.

Making sure you have enough space for a stream setup is also key. A stream layout typically comprises of a computer setup and table. You can have the stream setup on the same table as the station where the players are playing their sets, however it’s not as preferred since you want to be as non-intrusive to the players as possible. If you choose to setup the stream station on a separate table/area then you will have to keep in mind to have cables long enough to reach from the stream station to the game station. For example if you are using a external Elgato capture card then you will need to have a USB extender to reach the card on the game station to the stream station.

If the venue has a TV or projector where you can stream the game being played that is 10000% recommended. You will need a HDMI splitter depending on what you are streaming. I would go with a 4-port HDMI since you will probably use all 4 ports in the future. Here is a diagram on what the splitter can look like:

Do note that although the external Elgato capture cards do have a HDMI “Out” port where it can run to a display, however I do not recommend using it. The capture card needs power running to it from the USB cable and can interrupt a player’s match if the computer turns off for any reason. It will also cut out the display if your capture program restarts for any reason. The last thing that a player wants to happen in a middle of a set is a accidental death happening due to OBS crashing. The HDMI splitter remedies this.

Also the commentators can piggy-back off the stream setup for watching matches. I only included the HDMI splitted to the commentary if the streaming program you are using doesn’t allow more than 1 “output” for viewing the matches.

Player experience

Player experience is a important factor on how your layout will be affected and time slots your players will be put into for sets on stream. Here are a few things to consider:

• Properly distance commentary setup from game station

• Making sure that there is a mixture of players on stream

Setting up your commentary station a decent distance from the players is HUGE. The last thing players want to hear in the middle of their sets is commentators shouting at every mistake that they make. Last thing you want is players having a fight with commentators because of their poor performance. Setting up a commentator station a far distance can be tricky with audio equipment needed. You could opt to have headphone splitters for the game station so players can bring their own over-the-ear headphones (or you can provide cheap ones) or a combination of both. This will be covered in another guide if you do end up setting up a commentator section a further distance.

The very moment you announce you are going to have a stream for the venue EVERYONE is going to ask you to have their set on stream. You may have a PR player at the local who you want to spotlight as well. My advice is finding a happy medium if a mixture of players. Having a few sets with PR players is crucial for showing your strength of a region and having the people who constantly show up to locals on stream is equally as important, even if they are a 0-2er. Also try to plan ahead what matches you want to stream. Do keep in mind it is ok to wait a few minutes for a player to be done with their previous set so you can get them on stream. Just don’t hold up one side of the bracket for an hour just so you can get a PR player on stream. Everyone will get upset if you have long gaps of time in-between sets.

Basic resources needed for any tournament

Resources are not limited to equipment. Resources like time and staff are also crucial to setting up a stream. Here are a few things to consider:

• Time needed to setup and teardown a stream

• Who will be running the stream for the span of the tournament (important)

• Power sources

Time is always something to consider in setting up stream. Plan for at least an additional hour for setting up a stream, 2 to be on the safe side. Teardown of the stream setup doesn’t take as much time, maybe an additional 20 minutes. If you have a hard cutoff time for your venue you don’t want to cut a tournament short due to poor planning.

Who is running the stream is super important. If you have TOs or volunteers who are also in the tournament playing then there will be gaps where there is no-one attending the stream station. If there is no one attending it then there is no one to update names of players, scores and keeping an eye on the stream if it’s up or not. Make sure to communicate with the people who are running the stream to coordinate who is running it. Twitch chat will scream at you if nameplates are not updating and players who are re-watching the stream to get clips will be upset to know that the nameplate wasn’t updated for their match.

Power sources are important to factor in as well. If you are going to run a stream setup that is going to mean you will need additional power sockets to power your computer and any other accessories. I would personally invest into a multi-plug power strip and extension cord. I would aim for buying 2 of each if you can.

What equipment is needed and what may already available to you

For your first stream you will want to get a feel of what might be needed to fit the stream setup you envisioned. If there is another weekly that streams exactly what you want to stream you may want to ask the TO what they are using and to show you a example of what they have to give you a better idea. If they are even willing to lend you equipment that you don’t currently have for your weekly that’s always a plus. In general here is a list of what is needed for a very basic stream setup:

• Capture card

• Computer with minimum specs needed to run the capture card (the capture card should have a list of these requirements)

• HDMI cables. One going from the game console and another going to the video game monitor. Keep in mind if you are doing a head-to-head setup you will need another HDMI cable and a splitter

• Program to capture the video game display (OBS, Streamlabs, etc.)

• Account for the platform you are streaming to, so a Twitch/Youtube/Facebook account

I ALWAYS recommend setting a test stream up before any tournament. You can set a test stream up at home and see what may be missing. It’s way better to find something you need to make a minor adjustment at home then at the tournament. The minor adjustments always pile up at the last moment.

Give yourself plenty of time to get familiar with your capture program as it can be typically complex. You can add scene transitions, overlays for stream, audio gain and much much much more. Overlays can be tricky to get down at first so I would recommend using free to use ones first . If you are streaming Smash Ultimate you can use https://streameta.com/ for an overlay during matches and if you want a cool intro to characters you can check out https://github.com/LieutenantL/Ultimate-Stream-Tool

Example of setups

Let’s be real, this is probably the reason you clicked on the article. I have a list of items and a map link you can click to get more of a visual on what a stream setup may look like. To view the layout you may need to download a extension diagrams.net or any program that can open a visio. Here are a couple of examples I have personally used:

Bare minimum stream setup (no commentary, no cameras)

Description:

Absolute bare minimum needed to run a Smash Ultimate Stream

Game streamed:

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

Console:

Nintendo Switch with OEM docking station

Capture card:

Elgato capture card HD60 S

Computer:

MSI gaming laptop

Monitor for gaming station:

BenQ monitor

Miscellaneous:

-HDMI cable 6 feet length x2 (purchased from Amazon)

-USB 3.0 Male to Female extender 10 feet (purchased from Amazon)

-HDMI switch (optional but HIGHLY recommended to avoid causing potential issues for players)

Capture program:

Streamlabs

Streaming platform:

Twitch

Layout map:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IR4KgH0yZ433AtuAevGcAod_05SJQaix/view?usp=sharing

Stream setup with commentary (no cameras)

Description:

Basic stream setup with commentary. If you are on a budget, you can always swap the Xenyx board and headphones with a USB mic/headset, however do keep in mind that commentators will probably run into the issue of their voices having a delay with their voice playback through the streaming program. The only issue with this setup is that commentators with this setup will not be able to hear video game audio. This is a preferable setup as video game audio is not as important to hear as commentators hearing each other or having delayed voice playback.

Game streamed:

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

Console:

Nintendo Switch with OEM docking station

Capture card:

Elgato capture card HD60 S

Computer:

MSI gaming laptop

Monitor for gaming and commentary stations:

BenQ monitor x2

Audio:

-Audio-Technica BPHS1 headset x2

-Audio-Technica M50x headphones

-Behringer Xenyx Q1202USB (note that this is the USB model and not just the Q1202 model)

-1/4 to 1/4 interconnect balanced cable (5 feet)

-4 channel stereo headphone amplifier

Miscellaneous:

-HDMI cable 6 feet length x3 (purchased from Amazon)

-HDMI cable 10 feet length (purchased from Amazon)

-USB 3.0 Male to Female extender 10 feet x2 (purchased from Amazon)

-HDMI switch (optional but HIGHLY recommended to avoid causing potential issues for players)

Capture program:

Streamlabs

Streaming platform:

Twitch

Layout map:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t3Y8UwLg7n0fCIiNq9_jIM_rTGXqsSJ1/view?usp=sharing

Stream setup with commentary and cameras

Description:

Same setup as above just with cameras for commentators and players. You will probably need a USB hub if you don’t have enough USB ports.

Game streamed:

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

Console:

Nintendo Switch with OEM docking station

Capture card:

Elgato capture card HD60 S

Computer:

MSI gaming laptop

Monitor for gaming and commentary stations:

BenQ monitor x2

Audio:

-Audio-Technica BPHS1 headset x2

-Audio-Technica M50x headphones

-Behringer Xenyx Q1202USB (note that this is the USB model and not just the Q1202 model)

-1/4 to 1/4 interconnect balanced cable (5 feet)

-4 channel stereo headphone amplifier

Miscellaneous:

-USB 3.0 hub

-USB 3.0 Male to Female extender 10 feet x4 (purchased from Amazon)

-HDMI cable 6 feet length x3 (purchased from Amazon)

-HDMI cable 10 feet length (purchased from Amazon)

-HDMI switch (optional but HIGHLY recommended to avoid causing potential issues for players)

Capture program:

Streamlabs

Streaming platform:

Twitch

Layout map:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1blbmo-Buvx5JTbCbL5HPLp0jWHlawYSQ/view?usp=sharing

And that’s it! The world of streaming is gigantic and you can do so much to improve the quality of it. Hopefully this guide gets you through the basics needed. I will be making more guides when I have the free time. If you have any questions about what I personally use feel free to send me an email! You can send an email to thomas@glhf.win

Also would love to continue making content like this, if you want to support me you can always buy a coffee for me at Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/enthos