Three days. Thirty presenters. Slides, speakers and questions arriving from the US, Europe and Armenia. For a conference livestream like that, the audience notices every dropped frame and every lip-sync slip.
That was the job David Medzorian of Daval Video Productions took on at Columbia University’s School of Social Work. He ran it on a YoloBox Ultra, with a broadcast camera, a camcorder and a direct feed from the room’s presentation system.
His setup won the Biggest Production category of the YoloBox Setup Showdown (#PushItToTheExtreme). Here’s how he built a conference stream with rock-solid sync and a backup for everything.
Meet David Medzorian
David Medzorian of Daval Video Productions is based in Arlington, Massachusetts. He spent many years as a broadcaster before moving into event livestreaming. His work covers corporate conferences and presentations, international conferences, choral and orchestral performances, and graduations for universities, high schools, middle schools and trade schools.
If his name sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve told part of his story before: how he livestreamed nearly 50 graduations solo in a single spring season. This time, the venue is an Ivy League conference room.
From an ATEM Mini Pro and a Laptop to YoloBox
Before YoloBox, a typical stream meant a laptop, an audio mixer and a separate monitor, plus his ATEM Mini Pro switcher. Getting all of that to work together took more gear, more setup and, often, more people.
What impressed him about the YoloBox was its simplicity. He could stream directly from the device without a computer, with graphics and audio mixing built into the stream. In his words, that lets him handle streaming tasks “that before would have required multiple people.”
He started on a YoloBox Pro and now works with a YoloBox Ultra, using network bonding for streams that need it, like an annual outdoor event in Times Square with three cameras and a worldwide audience.
“I enjoy using my Ultra, and it has substantially increased my income in the time I have been using it.” — David Medzorian
The Event: “Making Armenian America” at Columbia
The three-day conference, titled “Making Armenian America,” brought 30 presenters to New York City to describe Armenian diaspora contributions to the United States. Most presentations included PowerPoint slides and other visuals.
The audience was worldwide. Questions and comments came in from the US, Europe and Armenia itself. Columbia wanted a professional production, and the organizer had already seen David’s work on livestreamed events in Boston.
By his account, setup wasn’t difficult, and the response to the livestream was very enthusiastic.
David’s Conference Livestream Setup
Three video sources fed the YoloBox Ultra:
| Source | Gear | Path into the YoloBox Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast G2 with a Fujinon 30x 4K lens | 12G-SDI → Blackmagic 12G-SDI to HDMI converter → HDMI Input 1 |
| Second camera | JVC GY-HM550 4K camcorder | HDMI Input 2 |
| Presentations | Direct computer feed from the room’s AV system | Fiber-optic HDMI cable |
The rest of the kit:
| Role | Gear |
|---|---|
| Lower thirds | Built in NewBlue Titler Pro 8, imported to the YoloBox Ultra from an SSD |
| Audio | Feed from Columbia’s AV department, via XLR into the URSA Broadcast G2 |
| Primary internet | CAT6 Ethernet |
| Backup internet | Verizon 5G hotspot and USB dongle, on standby |
| Stream monitoring | 16-inch laptop watching the live YouTube stream |
Two Details That Made It Bulletproof
Audio embedded in the camera feed
The smartest choice in David’s setup is how the audio travels. Instead of running Columbia’s sound feed into a separate input, he sent it by XLR into the URSA Broadcast G2. The camera embedded that audio into its HDMI signal, so sound and picture arrived at the YoloBox Ultra together on HDMI Input 1.
The result, in David’s words: no latency issues, and audio and video were “synched perfectly.” For a three-day event built on talking heads, that matters more than anything else.
A backup for the internet
The YoloBox Ultra ran on a CAT6 Ethernet connection for a solid, wired link. But David also brought a Verizon 5G hotspot and a USB dongle, ready to take over if the university’s network had problems. It never did, but the backup was there all three days.
Tips for a Professional Conference Livestream
- Embed audio at the camera. Feeding the venue’s audio into your main camera and sending it over HDMI keeps sound and picture locked together.
- Take slides straight from the source. A direct HDMI feed from the room’s presentation computer looks far sharper than pointing a camera at a projector screen.
- Use a long lens for the stage. A broadcast zoom like a 30x lets one camera cover the podium tightly from the back of the room.
- Prepare lower thirds before you arrive. Building speaker titles in advance and loading them from an SSD saves time on the day.
- Wire first, wireless as backup. Ethernet is the most stable option when the venue offers it; a hotspot on standby covers you if it fails.
- Watch what your viewers see. A laptop on the live stream catches problems the switcher’s preview can’t, like platform-side issues.
One Device, Broadcast Standards
“To be able to stream directly from the YoloBox without a computer, and include graphics and audio mixing in the stream, is a major advantage.” — David Medzorian, Daval Video Productions
Watch the “Making Armenian America” conference livestreams on YouTube, and follow David on Facebook.
FAQ
What equipment do you need to livestream a conference?
David’s Columbia setup is a strong example: a YoloBox Ultra, a broadcast camera with a long zoom lens for the podium, a second camcorder, a direct HDMI feed from the presentation computer, a wired internet connection with a hotspot as backup, and a way to bring in the venue’s audio.
How do you keep audio in sync on a conference livestream?
Embed the audio in your main camera’s video signal. David fed the venue’s audio by XLR into his URSA Broadcast G2, which sent sound and picture together over HDMI, so there were no latency issues.
How do you show PowerPoint slides in a livestream?
Take a direct feed from the presentation computer. David used a fiber-optic HDMI cable from the conference room’s AV system straight into his YoloBox Ultra.
Can you use an SDI camera with YoloBox Ultra?
Yes, with a converter. David’s Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 outputs 12G-SDI, which he converts to HDMI with a Blackmagic 12G-SDI to HDMI converter before it reaches the YoloBox Ultra.
Learn more about YoloBox Ultra.
Missed the big reveal? Catch the moment the Biggest Production winners were announced in our live replay below.
David is one of 14 winners. See all 14 winning YoloBox setups, from a concert livestream kept alive by network bonding to a crane, gimbal and cable cam at every wedding, in our Setup Showdown recap.
76 total views, 76 views today
a Marketing Specialist at YoloLiv，passionate about creating content that helps users explore the full potential of live streaming.
