How to Use Teams for tier 1 events in Microsoft Teams

There are two types of Tier 1-events: a high profile event or a town hall. In both cases, a crucial segment of the audience is able to watch the event online. A large number of people watch the event live, so it is considered a Tier 1 event. In general, these events are very well produced, with multiple sources of video and audio, a dedicated team of producers, in addition to a large number of viewers and multiple camera angles, as well as multiple screen sources, and they are usually broadcast to a large number of spectators, with multiple camera angles, as well as multiple screen sources.

In any event, Microsoft Teams can be an effective tool, as long as it has been planned and rehearsed properly, and any necessary hardware or software additions have been made.

If you’ve used Skype Meeting Broadcast

Organizers of events are likely already familiar with Skype Meeting Broadcast if they have used it before to provide live streaming services for conference and VIP events that have required them to broadcast in the past. Therefore, feel free to check out the Skype Meeting Broadcast website for more details. In this case, and if the information above is true, and if the information above is true, I think it would be helpful for you to review what has changed regarding live events on the Teams platform over the course of the last year.

There are certain features that Teams offers over Skype that allow you to broadcast live events just as you can broadcast a meeting by means of the same method as you can with Skype. However, the features that Teams offers over Skype are additional:

• Screen share
• It is possible to connect the encoder to a computer with the help of connectors that are directly connected to the encoder.
• The software includes Microsoft Stream, Yammer, Teams, and even the ability to live stream games and live events.
• It is possible to set up and create videos directly using the Teams app, so you don’t need to go anywhere else to accomplish this task

In the current version of MicroSite, a feature that allows users to add a poll to a live event or measure the sentiment of the audience is not available. The team is currently working on the development of a similar feature to this one.

This article will offer you some more information on how to set up a live event across Microsoft 365 in Yammer, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Stream (preview) that will explain how to put a live event together across Microsoft 365 in Yammer, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Stream (preview).

Live streaming basics

To start off, let’s take a look at what live streaming is, and how it relates to live events within Teams, as an initial step before we dive into the recommended practices. So that we can begin to dive into the recommended practices, we should gain a better understanding of what live streaming is and what it does in order for us to be able to go into the recommendations with a clear understanding of just what live streaming is, and how it does.

Start by creating content that you think would be useful and interesting to your audience if you have not done so already, if you haven’t done so already. This may be due to a number of factors, including the following:

• Live video
• A prerecorded video can also be used
• Sharing a screen with a colleague
• Presenters who present remotely

There are two different ways to use Teams, i.e., to mix and encode a broadcast, or to use it only as a control system, in which case the broadcast is produced using an external device or app, depending on what the additional hardware (if any) is that will be used to produce your broadcast.

Microsoft Stream also uses its own Azure Media Services backbone to ensure the live stream of your event is delivered in a smooth and seamless manner so that you can listen to the live stream of your event as it occurs.

You may want to consider sending your content via a content delivery network (CDN) when it is being sent to large sites to reduce the amount of bandwidth required to deliver it. In this case, Azure would be the best choice, as it will allow you to send your content through a third-party optimization tool in order to reduce the amount of bandwidth needed.

It is also important to keep in mind that your content will also be accessible to attendees on Teams.

Producing in Teams versus an external app or device

Using Teams, you have the ability to participate in the creation and mixing of content as a team member. In terms of how live events are produced and operated, as well as how they function and look from the point of view of a producer, on the other hand, from a point of view of how they look and function, on the other hand, they are similar to how they look and function from the point of view of how they look and function. The way the presentation looks and functions is similar to how a typical video meeting works, where the producer or presenter selects the source of the video and the content which will be shown on the live stream. A quick start event can be designed in order to allow attendees to be anonymous, or it can be designed so that they must identify themselves in order to attend.

The sound of a single input is sometimes pre-mixed during live events, when the sound is pre-mixed using a hardware or software encoder, or when the sound is pre-mixed using an external app or device, such as an external app or device that uses a single input to mix. In terms of external encoder events, there is no possibility of adding additional sources of content in the same way as additional sources of content could be added to an internal encoder event, if the latter would allow for additional sources of content to be added to the external encoder event. It should be noted, however, that producers will still have the option of mixing additional sources of content using all the mixing capabilities that are currently available to them in their existing system. In order to send the content directly to Teams, the encoder makes use of RTMP Ingest, an industry standard that is widely backed by industry experts. It is possible to connect your Teams account to your Microsoft Steam account via your Steam account, which allows attendees to connect their Teams account to their Steam account in order to participate in events organized outside of Teams. This means they have to create an account on the Teams platform, and if they access this content using Teams, they cannot remain anonymous and will be required to log in before they can access the content.

See Schedule a Teams live event if you’d like to learn more about the capabilities of both types of events.

The implementation of a hybrid approach, which is to use the input from the encoder located locally in case you wish to add it as a source for the video input in a Team event that is created out of the input coming from the encoder that is located externally, can be achieved. A HDMI capture device is necessary in order to implement the RTMP ingest process in order to implement the Teams ingest process, since RTMP ingest cannot be implemented through the Teams ingest process. Providing the main content stream through this method is one of the most advantageous ways to deliver the content stream because it allows the producer to add remote presenters via a web cam through Teams, even if the main content stream is created from a professional mixing desk, since it is the desk from which the main content is produced. Also, this means that anonymous data can be collected about the events that occur during the time of the event. A Microsoft Future Decoded Live event was produced using this process and the video below shows a video of how it was filmed, which was shown during the Microsoft Future Decoded Live event that was held in 2018.

Use studio-grade cameras with a hardware capture device or encoder

I am sure you are aware that when it comes to tier 1 events, webcams or a number of web cams can be used. Many producers are finding that the use of professional cameras in conjunction with a mixing desk or inputs from a mixing desk are more effective than allowing people to use a webcam or two at the same time to participate in a video call, as is done during a standard video call, in many cases.

Teams in Windows have webcams and audio sources that can be used for a live event, just as any webcam that is compatible with the Windows 10 operating system can be used for a live event, as can any audio source that is compatible with the Windows 10 operating system.

• The content can be ingested using a capture card or dongle, which can be converted into HDMI or SDI via a mixing desk if it is ingested using studio-quality cameras or a mixing desk that outputs content as HDMI or SDI. The customers can choose from a variety of manufacturers who offer hardware expansion cards that are compatible with desktop PCs that are used for broadcasting that are made by a wide variety of manufacturers. Several HDMI and SDI converters are also available that are able to accept an HDMI or SDI signal and convert it to a standard USB webcam, which is also known as a standard USB webcam in Windows, which appears as a standard USB webcam if it is plugged into a standard USB port. In the meeting settings, you have the option of selecting this capture source so that it is captured. As long as your device is capable of being used for teams live events, it can be used for the Teams video calls that are standard.
• It is important to note that in order to receive audio along with video via HDMI or SDI stream, you will need to select the same web cam driver as the microphone in the meeting settings, depending on whether you are receiving audio along with video.
• A hardware capture device can be installed on each computer that will be used to broadcast, if multiple computers will be used for the broadcast. Using this approach, it is possible to switch between each of the computers that is actively broadcasting video, and switch between them (Figure 1).
• As a matter of fact, if you ask your company’s production department or an internal department that manages your event, you may find that they already have a HDMI feed from a mixing desk or other equipment that mixes several different shots from various cameras and audio sources into one single shot. If you ask them, they might already be managing your event. As a result, Teams will be able to integrate a single source into an event which they produce; either using a capture card or dongle for the purposes of producing the event in Teams or directly via RTMP through an application or device outside Teams.

 

Figure 1 – Using Microsoft Teams to produce a live event

Figure 2 – Using external broadcasting devices for the production of a live event

Add screen share and pre-recorded video

If you have multiple video and audio sources in order to feed a live event, then you may find it easier to use a vision mixing desk to feed a pre-mixed feed into the event, so you can switch between the active video sources during the live event, this is an example of a scenario where multiple sources of video and audio are available. Taking advantage of this method also offers other advantages such as requiring fewer devices for recording and presentation of data.

Adding on-screen graphics for the speaker, also called lower thirds, is a common practice when it comes to high-quality productions for the purpose of informing the audience about the speaker. Besides adding value to your communication, this is also a good indication of the quality of those who are producing it.

An alpha-key feature (also known as chroma-key) is one of the most common features found on mixing desks that are a bit more expensive, and allows you to overlap two images by suppressing the color of one image in the other. It is also one of the most common features for these more expensive mixing desks. In this way, captions and graphics can be added to the text.

As mentioned above, you can accomplish this task in one of two ways. Using the alpha-key effect provided by the vision mixer, you can either embed the captions and graphics into a PowerPoint presentation that has a blue or green background (depending on what the vision mixer requires) or you can use a PowerPoint presentation with blue or green backgrounds. The PowerPoint presentation can be used to create animated graphics on the screen that move on and off when you need to.

Manage remote rooms and auditoria

There will be a delay of about 20 to 30 seconds depending on the location of the event, however, so attendees ought to be aware that they will be viewing the event with a delay of about 20 to 30 seconds. If you are streaming the broadcast to an auditorium that has remote presenters present, it does not necessarily pose a problem for people watching the broadcast on their own devices, but it does pose a problem if you are streaming the broadcast to a group of people.

A real-time feed of the meeting will be used for rooms with both attendees and remote presenters, and in the event a room contains both attendees and remote presenters, the real-time feed will be delivered through Teams, instead of viewers viewing the delayed broadcast of the meeting as an attendee. You should therefore become a presenter in the Teams rooms that contain remote presenters in order to be able to interact with them.

A remote room should, in the best case scenario, be added as a presenter and not as a producer in order to facilitate the best possible outcome. By using the Teams app, you can now easily maximize the broadcast content so that it can be displayed on a large screen and simplify the process of using the Teams app. With the exception of the Teams title bar – which cannot be removed – you can maximize the content according to your preferences after hiding the Windows taskbar so that it nearly fills the screen.  This means that in addition to seeing the selected video or content being broadcast in a regular Teams meeting, the presenters will also see all video sources – not just the video being broadcast that has been selected.  To ensure you understand what is going to appear on the screen for these presenters, it is recommended that you rehearse the remote room setup with the number of presenters and sources you will have during the event so that you are aware of what is going to appear.

Presenting in a Live Event in Teams discusses the differences between producers and presenters, and helping you to decide what role each member of your team should play in achieving success when implementing the event. This presentation will help you to determine the roles that each member of your team should play so that the project is completed successfully.

The remote auditorium should be practiced in a careful manner, especially to make sure that no unwanted echo is heard. The Teams app should be used wherever it is possible to play audio into a room as well as to record audio from that room if it is possible to do so. The default noise-cancelling will then be able to be used effectively in Teams, resulting in a “clean mix” of the audio coming from the room.

Make your broadcast resilient to networking or hardware failures

It is very important to check out the best practices guidelines regarding the use of multiple devices, in addition to checking out the fact that several staff members of the event team are capable of continuing to run the broadcast in the event that there is a device or network failure. It may be useful to take the following additional steps as well:

• Consider using a HDMI or SDI splitter with your video capture device to duplicate the outputs, then inputting the video into two separate computers, one for each device, via two capture devices. By doing this, multiple points of resilience are provided.
• You might consider using cellular networks, which are able to provide high-speed cellular connections, as an alternative to using your corporate network on your backup devices, in addition to using your corporate network, in addition to using a wired or wireless network.
• During the broadcast be sure to take advantage of the real-time monitoring options available from Hive Insights in order to keep track of how many people are attending and how the stream is performing.
• As a result of network issues at some of the locations that the attendees may be unable to watch the live broadcast, a recording of the broadcast will be made available for those who will be able to watch it on demand whenever they are at a place that has better connectivity in order for them to be able to watch it on demand whenever they find a better connection.

Final thoughts

Once a Skype Meeting has been broadcast, additional presenters are not currently able to be added to the broadcast once it has started. This is in contrast to a Teams Meeting, where additional presenters can be added at any time after the broadcast begins. Once a Skype Meeting has been broadcast, it will not be possible to add more presenters in the future. Therefore, before you start the broadcast, you must make sure that all the presenters have been added. In addition, you should keep in mind that if you plan to use remote presenters or backup machines in your presentation, you need to be sure to include them in your presentation.

In order to be sure that the broadcast is running correctly, it can be tempting to start it in advance. In Best Practices for Producing a Teams Live Event, we also recommend things such as this, as it is the kind of advice we give most often.  Unfortunately, if someone wishes to watch the recorded show, they will have to watch or skip over any bits of dead air during the broadcast, since there is no way to ‘trim’ the broadcast to avoid any dead air during the broadcast. Thus, this seems to be counter-productive to the image of a quality tier 1 event that has usually started and finished on time, no matter what time of day it was, which is sometimes contrary to the idea of a high-quality tier 1 event. Taking into consideration other guidance that has been followed – mainly about adequate preparation, rehearsal, and building resilience into your broadcast – you should feel confident in starting the broadcast on time without being early if other guidance has been followed.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How do Microsoft Teams use events?

1. Select Meetings from the drop-down menu in Teams if you would like to create a live event. …
2. To launch a new live event, select the New meeting option at the top of the dialog box.
3. The title of the meeting, the date, the time, and any other details relating to the meeting should be included.
4. Adding the names of the people who will be presenting and producing the event in the Invite people to your event group box, you will be able to share the event with them easily.