It's unfortunate, but many people miss the funerals of people they knew and loved due to life circumstances, such as having to work or living a long distance away. One way you can overcome this problem at your loved one's funeral is to livestream the event. This process involves recording the event and posting the footage online in real time. Many funeral homes offer this service for an additional fee. If the funeral homes near you don't or you'd prefer to do it yourself, here's what you need to know to livestream the event.

Get the Right Equipment

The first step is to gather together the right equipment. You will need:

• A camera
• A microphone
• A powerful computer
• Internet service

For recording video, you can use a webcam built into the laptop. For better quality, though, you may want to use a digital camera specifically designed to be connected to a computer. It is possible to use a digital camcorder, but you'll need to also either download specialty software or obtain additional hardware that will convert recording into a format usable for livestreaming. Internal and external webcams are typically bundled with software needed to run them, making them much easier to use.

Most laptop computers also have built in microphones but, again, you may want to use a separate microphone of a higher caliber to capture better quality audio.

The computer must be powerful enough to capture and process the video and audio and send it to the host website. Most computers today are good enough for streaming. If you are working with an older model computer, however, it should at least have 4 GB RAM and an Intel i5 processing chip or equivalent.

Lastly, the internet service should provide a minimum connection speed of 700Kbps to ensure a smooth and reliable viewing.

Setting Up the Streaming Area

The camera (or laptop) should be placed on a stationary object such as a tripod or stand to avoid the shakiness that sometimes occurs when holding a recording device. Place the camera in an area where you can capture the service but that doesn't negatively impact people's ability to move around. For instance, you may want to place it in the back of the room or off to the side of the first row of chairs. The microphone can be placed on the podium at the front of the room to capture speeches and music.

Connect to the Internet

Once the video and audio stations are set up, you'll need to connect to a host website where people can view the service. There are several available online including:

• Ustream.tv
• Livestream.com
• Bambuser,com
• Justin.tv
• Vokle.com

You should create an account on your preferred service beforehand so you can obtain the web address to send to people, so they know where to log on to view the funeral.

Setting up a livestream for a funeral may seem intimidating at first, but it really is a simple process. For more information about this option or assistance with planning a funeral for your loved one, contact a funeral home like Foran Funeral Home.