Central Baptist Implements IPTV April 1, 2008 When it comes to gaining mindshare of their less active members or the unchurched population churches are competing with traditional broadcast, social media, the web, movie theaters, sports, and a host of other information and entertainment options. To grow churches of all sizes are considering web streaming, local access television, and even in-venue broadcast to get their message out. Grass Valley's MEDIAEDGE available through the Influence Media Network of dealers can serve as the hub through which all digital media flows. Central Baptist Church runs Channel 15 on local cable. The programming includes Family Net content like Happy Days and the 700 club. Central also has a local outreach ministry where their remote truck covers local sporting events and puts the games on channel 15. Their Sunday sermons run at various times throughout the week and they do a variety of other ads promoting upcoming events and the numerous ministries they offer. Scheduling all of this content was a manual and time consuming process involving capturing, editing, outputting to tape, inserting tape in decks, starting deck playback, etc. In addition to the TV channel they also had in-house displays to keep content running on which the accomplished by editing content then burning to DVD and inserting into DVD players. Finally, the growing church with an average weekly attendance of around 2,000 also needed to provide video and audio in two large overflow venues for Sundays when everyone could not fit in the main sanctuary. MEDIAEDGE was selected to run their entire media ministry. The system captures the live stream from Family Net 24x7 and sends it back out as the "default" content. MEDIAEDGE server time is synchronized with Family Net's programming so Central can break in with their own content without cutting off normal programing before shows end. The system is also set to capture and record the Sunday service from the switcher output and from three of the cameras individually. The files are archived to hard disc and later edited to produce the program that airs throughout the week on Channel 15. Capturing the mixed version as well as three other views gives the editor the ability to use additional views not selected by the producer during the service. Once the service has been edited MEDIAEDGE uses the file to insert into Channel 15 programming on a scheduled basis. The system also provides video and audio to the overflow rooms during services and runs the screens throughout the church for messaging to members and visitors. Having a single system that can handle HD or SD, 16x9 or 4x3, live or prerecorded, capture or output, and schedule everything from a single system has added capability to the ministry while also reducing workload on staff. Eventually the system will also schedule and provide the stream for live web streaming. To learn more about how MEDIAEDGE can support your ministry, contact Influence Media Network today.  |
