
The other options are generic brand capture cards that are common on Amazon. The capture card I tested is the Elgato Camlink 4k, retailing for $129.99. Elgato is the typical go-to brand, which caters its products primarily to online streamers. There are two options most people gravitate to when it comes to capture cards.

The Camlink is a bit larger than the generic brand capture card and has an on/off light to show when it’s in use. The generic brand capture card and Elgato Camlink shown side by side.

Examining the options The generic brand capture card and Elgato Camlink shown side by side.
CAPTURE CARDS SOFTWARE
Though it is possible to do this without a capture card (via free programs, such as provided by Sony and Fuji, provided by camera companies to convert your DSLR or mirrorless cameras into web cameras), the simplicity, overall higher image resolution and framerate options, as well as reliability of capture cards make it an enticing choice.Ĭapture cards can be paired with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS Studio), which effectively mirrors a news production presentation in digital form, allowing agencies to replicate their television news broadcast on YouTube, Twitter, or any other social media platform.Ĭapture cards are a feasible financial solution for doing coverage from your own home or in the field when you may not have access to the advanced workarounds of a professional TV studio or advanced video equipment. With the use of a capture card, journalists can use their professional equipment for interviewing subjects for smoother, higher quality video streaming. Journalists are often reduced to web cameras, earbuds, and smartphones to produce their live work. Once inserted into a USB port (or USB dongle), you can then broadcast your camera video footage live like you would from a web camera. What is a capture card?Ī capture card is a device that tricks your computer into thinking that your camera or camcorder is a web camera, which allows you to use more mobile devices as your primary video source for platforms like Zoom, YouTube Live and Twitter Live. So what are the tools and methods available to journalists to elevate streaming and live video, without overinvesting into a market that’s prone to technological depreciation? One potential solution is a capture card. Though in-person interviews and news correspondence will remain a top priority for journalists, journalists must also know their way around streaming technology, since it is built into most social platforms where readers interact with and discover news content. Today, the general public often discovers breaking news through social media rather than news platforms. News reporting has largely shifted towards smaller, more mobile teams who’ve become accustomed to utilizing platforms like Zoom or Twitter in aid of newsgathering.

Improve image quality for live video journalism in the field or in remote locations The age of social media
