Below are hardware recommendations for running Livestream Studio, including where to purchase, remote guest-specific information, and sample workflows that certain systems can handle.
What computer should I buy?
Our partners at NextComputing offer hardware solutions built specifically for Livestream Studio. You can either purchase a system from them or review the tech specs of the offered systems to guide you with finding a comparable system, especially if your events require a more advanced and resource-heavy setup (e.g. five connected cameras, all graphics overlay tracks in use, multiple remote inputs).
They also offer some additional tips for optimizing your PC’s performance in their help center.
Generally speaking, we strongly recommend a system that supports hardware encoding and decoding to reduce stress on your CPU. When considering a processor, at minimum we'd recommend an Intel Core i5 for simpler projects, whereas more complex setups (e.g. more than five remote guests) would require Intel Core i7, Intel Core i9, or Apple M1.
Livestream Studio requires either a PC running Windows 64-bit version 7 or later or macOS High Sierra or later.
Recommendations for using Remote Guests
Studio’s remote guest feature allows you to bring in guests via their browser and webcams from anywhere with an internet connection. Learn more about our bandwidth and hardware recommendations for using remote guests and how to use the remote guests feature.
Sample hardware setups for basic workflows
Below is a non-exhaustive list of some basic workflows we’ve tested with Livestream Studio in the past. Be mindful of the listed supported workflow for each and consider a system with higher benchmarks if your events require more equipment, bandwidth, or internal resources such as multiple running media bins or complex graphics (picture-in-picture, animations).
Please note that many of these scenarios involve using Livestream Studio's hardware encoding and decoding features. This is when the encoding and decoding are done either by a supported graphics card or in a processor that has integrated graphics, thus reducing stress on the CPU.
Desktop Computer with Hardware Encoding Enabled
Hardware Component |
Recommended Minimum Desktop (with Hardware Encoding) |
---|---|
Processor with Integrated Graphics |
Quad Core Intel® i5 (6th Generation) or i7 (4th Generation) Processor or better |
Graphics |
Quick Sync-enabled CPU or NVIDIA NVENC-enabled GPU |
Memory |
8 GB or better |
Storage |
128GB SSD + 512GB HDD or better |
Motherboard |
Intel compatible motherboard |
Example of a supported workflow |
|
Desktop Computer without Hardware Encoding
Hardware Component |
Recommended Specifications (no hardware encoding) |
---|---|
Processor |
6 (Hexa) Core Intel® i7 5th Generation Extreme Edition or better |
Graphics |
NVIDIA GeForce 600 Series or better |
Memory |
16GB or better |
Storage |
2TB SSD |
Motherboard |
Intel compatible motherboard |
Example of a supported workflow |
|
Advanced Desktop Computer with Hardware Encoding
Hardware Component |
Recommended Desktop Specification |
---|---|
Processor |
6 (Hexa) Core Intel i7 6th Generation Extreme Edition or better |
Graphics |
NVENC enabled NVIDIA GPU (Such as Nvidia Geforce GT 730) |
Memory |
32-64GB DDR4 Memory |
Storage |
2TB SSD |
Motherboard |
Intel compatible motherboard |
Example of a supported workflow |
|
Minimal Laptop with Hardware Encoding
Hardware Component |
Minimal Laptop Specification (with Hardware Encoding) |
---|---|
Processor with integrated graphics |
4 (Quad) Core Intel i5 - 6th Generation or better |
Memory |
8GB or better |
Graphics |
Quick Sync enabled CPU or NVIDIA NVENC enabled GPU |
Storage |
500GB HDD (SSD preferred) or better |
Example of a supported workflow |
|
Laptop with Hardware Encoding
Hardware Component |
Laptop specification (with hardware encoding) |
---|---|
Processor with integrated graphics |
4 (Quad) Core Intel i7 - 6th Generation or better |
Graphics |
Quick Sync enabled CPU or NVIDIA NVENC enabled GPU |
Memory |
16 GB DDR4 Memory or better |
Storage |
500 GB SSD or better |
Example of a supported workflow |
|
Additional Notes
- Livestream Studio is not compatible with Windows 32-bit systems.
- macOS must be on High Sierra or later in order to run Studio.
- If you intend to use USB 3.0 capture devices for any video input or output, we recommend your motherboard have an Intel X99 chipset, as X79 chipsets do not support these USB 3.0 devices. Please see Blackmagic's notice regarding USB 3.0 device support.