2019 StreamGeeks Summit: Esports Tournament Overview

During the 2019 StreamGeeks Summit, a three-versus-three RocketLeague esports tournament took place. The event was live-streamed by a student-run team from New York City’s S.A.R High School and broadcast to Twitch. The student-run broadcast team used a Wirecast Gear video production system, which was connected to three PTZOptics cameras via SDI and seven gaming computers using NDI. The main PTZOptics camera was a 12X ZCam connected via SDI. This camera captured the play-by-play announcer team from Hofstra University. Students from S.A.R High School also had access to two PTZOptics 20X-SDI cameras they could remotely control using Wirecast and Xbox controllers to capture various views throughout the esports tournament.

Play by play announcer

OBS LIVE STREAM

The gaming computers were provided by Helix Esports, and each computer ran OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) to capture the RocketLeague gameplay. OBS created a picture-in-picture output with a webcam source from PTZOptics webcams plugged into each computer via USB. OBS can output an NDI IP video feed for each computer, which is then pulled into Wirecast as additional sources over the LAN. The observer PC, used to view gameplay from each player in the RocketLeague tournament, was captured via NDI and OBS. The observer PC was used by the play-by-play announcer and the student-run broadcast as a source for viewing the gameplay at large. The production system allowed the S.A.R High School students to create a dynamic esports video production using a mix of gameplay screens, player webcams, and PTZOptics cameras in the space.

Esports Live Tournament

LIVEU 600 ESPORTS

The StreamGeeks Summit happened on November 8th, 2020 in New York City. The tournament featured a 3 on 3 Rocket League setup with seven computers and a production PC connected to one LAN (Local Area Network). There was a stage area with two students as play-by-play announcers on camera with microphones for audio pickup. The production crew had multiple PTZOptics NDI cameras to zoom into the play-by-play announcers and capture angles showing each of the gaming stations. Students from the S.A.R High School broadcast club produced a 100% student-run live stream with the available video and audio sources across the local area network. The entire student-run production was live-streamed to Twitch.

Setup Planning

Let’s start with capturing the gameplay of each player and including a webcam video feed. With 6 players spread out hundreds of feet from each other, using more than two capture cards with a single computer is not recommended due to USB bandwidth constraints. Instead of using expensive capture cards and video extensions, IP video can leverage the ethernet cabling connecting every computer.

Each of the RocketLeague computers should be connected to a local area network as a prerequisite to hosting the tournament. A local area network or LAN connects each computer for gameplay with ethernet cabling using networking equipment. This same infrastructure connects each gaming computer to the production PC.

In the planning stages of your Esports tournament, know how many computers and devices you have on your LAN. Most networks can handle 254 connected devices, all communicating with unique IP addresses. The brain behind your LAN is generally a router used to manage all computers and devices. All devices will need unique IP addresses to communicate, typically assigned automatically using DHCP.

The modem providing the internet to your router is optional. If you plug a modem with internet access into your router, it will allow all devices on your network internet connectivity, which is crucial for Esports tournaments to update game software and live stream.

Connected to the router is a network switch used to connect devices with ethernet cabling. As you can see, there are six “Esports Computers” connected to the network switch. The router assigns each computer an IP address using DHCP. Once connected to the same local area network, RocketLeague software will see each computer running the game and allow students to play together in the tournament. Also connected to your network are the Observer and Production PCs, used to send and receive video over IP as well on the local area network. Your production PC will receive video from all 7 computers.

The video production computer runs Wirecast, a software for video production used by S.A.R High School students for traditional sports like basketball. Each Esports computer installs OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), which combines gameplay and webcam sources together. OBS can output an NDI video stream with a plugin, allowing it to transport video from each computer into your production computer over the LAN.

Another important part of the production connected to your LAN is the Observer PC. The Observer PC captures gameplay with OBS and outputs video via IP using NDI. The Observer feature is important for play-by-play announcers to provide a good overview of the field as gameplay develops. Transitioning to individual gamer screens is reserved for special occasions.

Your play-by-play announcers will have microphones for capturing their performances, generally used with XLR connections connected to a USB audio interface. A standard USB audio interface can mix multiple XLR microphones and connect to your production PC with a USB cable. The play-by-play announcers will also be captured via video using a camera connected to your system. The setup includes multiple NDI-capable PTZOptics cameras and an audio system for the announcers. NDI cameras output video directly to your computer without capture cards and feature PoE (Power over Ethernet) capabilities.

An IP joystick, such as a PTZOptics joystick, connected to the network can operate pan, tilt, and zoom operations of PTZOptics 20X NDI cameras. Both the joystick and the camera can be powered over Ethernet. While you can control PTZOptics cameras in software like Wirecast or OBS, a dedicated joystick controller simplifies production management for the student producer, allowing focus on the production.

This overview provides the basics of a simple 3 on 3 Esports tournament local area network with a broadcast setup for two play-by-play announcers.