As streaming and live IP broadcasts gain popularity there’s an increasing desire to make a better and better quality broadcast. Unfortunately most of the time that means you have to invest in bigger better more expensive equipment.  You’ll see professional broadcasters like twit.tv and many of the events captured on twitch.tv being recorded and broadcast with large multi-thousand dollar rigs just to get a good quality broadcast. Well, what if you could shoot 720P, stream it, and record at the same time plus a plethora of connectivity options? What if you could do that with equipment less than $1000 and that you might actually all ready own? I’m about to tell you how to do it.

Things you’ll need:

• A laptop or netbook
• An Android phone or Sony PSP
• An HD webcam
• If you’re using a PSP – PSP diag battery
• If you’re using a PSP – PSP custom firmware
• If you’re using an Android device – Android Sideshow software
• A backpack or laptop bag.

You can use any number of devices to get this working so I’m not going to go in to details. This is the gist, you need storage, view finder and lens. You see where this is going? The laptop functions as storage and communication, the PSP or Android device as the view finder and the webcam as the lens. Microsoft Windows Sideshow allows you to use the sideshow device(psp or android) as a second monitor. Connect the PSP or Android device to the laptop via either wireless or USB. Set Windows on the laptop to sleep the monitor but not the rest of the laptop. Open the monitor application for your camera and then put the monitor video on the sideshow device. Connect your connectivity of choice, wifi, 3g or what ever. Run your streaming management app and connect to your live stream. Now close the laptop and throw it in a backpack or laptop bag. Be sure to leave the bag cracked to ensure heat can escape. Now strap the camera to the back of your PSP or Android device and shoot till your hearts content, your drive gets full or your devices run out of juice.

An additional and interesting thing is that a producer or buddy or whom ever can then use remote management software to manage whats going on on the laptop in the bag if it’s wirelessly connected. In addition if your laptop or netbook can handle it you can also record and stream at the same time. Having processing power closer to the subject matter opens up plenty of interesting possibilities.

If you find this article and idea useful please do share your live stream URL or link to your awesome HD youtube links so we can all check out the outcome!