OBS

The Open Broadcast Software Project or OBS is a free and open-source software that is used for video recording and live streaming. Since it is open source, there are a lot of available plugins to extend functionality and there is a very active modding community. Originally only available via a plugin, OBS now has integrated Virtual Camera functionality.  This allows you to take your OBS composition and turn it into a camera feed that can be used anywhere where a regular camera input would be taken (Zoom etc).  This function opens up a wide range of streaming and remote working possibilities without requiring expensive software or hardware.  OBS has a highly customizable interface but because of this can seem a little intimidating to new users. 

Chroma keying can be done directly in OBS and can be pretty clean when paired with quality lighting.  The combination of OBS, chroma-keying, and vdo.ninja can be quite powerful for long-distance collaboration where the desired outcome is for multiple feeds to exist in the same virtual space. 

OBS has plugins that add functionality for NDI and Spout

COST: Free

Projects that used OBS:

 


Snap Camera

Snap Camera is an application which allows users to add Snapchat lenses to any incoming video feed and then output as a webcam. Snap Camera is a quick and easy way to add Augmented Reality filters or effects to a video feed and there is a huge library of user created lenses to choose from. If a custom filter is needed, it can be created in the companion application Lens Studio. Snap Camera allows hotkeys to turn filters on and off but there is usually a small amount of lag so if you want to be able to “cue” filters a more custom solution is probably needed.

COST: Free


VDO.ninja

VDO.ninja (formally OBS.ninja) is a utility for transporting video feeds from a smartphone, tablet, or remote computer into programs like OBS Studio or any other browser-enabled software. It offers high-quality, low-latency video feeds and supports virtual backgrounds, basic avatars, and screen/media file sharing.

An excellent option for creating video work with remote collaborators or event streaming as it works pretty seamlessly with OBS.  

It needs to have one person in charge of the room (the director).  The director of the room has control over who can see each other, can see the audio and video settings of each participant, and can create scenes with specific users in them.  Video or Scene feeds can then be pulled directly into OBS or any other program that allows for browser feeds.

VDO.ninja is great for bringing guests into a stream in part because the user experience is fairly simple and web-based.  

COST: Free


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