Capture Card, Graphics Card, Network Card: What Each Part of a Church Streaming Computer Does

Why this matters

When something breaks in the booth, the first question is always “what plugs into what?” You don’t need to be an engineer to answer it. A church streaming computer has a handful of parts, and each one has one job.

The easiest way to follow along is with our wiring diagram, which shows every input, every part inside the computer, and every output, color-coded by cable type.

What plugs in

• SDI or HDMI cameras plug into the capture card. SDI runs long distances reliably; HDMI is common on smaller cameras. (See SDI generations explained.)
• The ProPresenter (lyrics and slides) computer plugs into the capture card by HDMI, or sends its output over the network by NDI. (See lyrics and slides on your livestream.)
• Network PTZ cameras plug into a PoE network switch, which powers them and carries their video and control on one cable each.
• The camera joystick plugs into the same switch.
• The sound board sends your stream mix by USB, by Dante over the network, or inside the SDI signal.
• A Stream Deck plugs into a USB port.
• A UPS battery backup powers the whole system through power blips.

What’s inside the computer

Capture card. Brings camera and slide video in. Professional cards like Magewell Pro Capture handle the processing on the card, are built for 24/7 operation, and work with nearly every streaming app.

Network card. Handles NDI cameras, Dante audio and the internet connection. Large systems use dual 10GbE.

USB ports. Audio from the sound board and Stream Deck buttons.

Processor and memory. Run the production software. More cameras, replay and 4K need more of both.

Production software. OBS or vMix: switching, graphics, lyrics, instant replay and recording. (See the OBS and vMix church guides.)

WorshipMetrics Tech Manager. Watches temperatures, dropped frames and stream status, and alerts your team. Tech Manager is free.

Graphics card. Encodes the livestream on its own hardware and drives your monitors and the screens in the room.

Recording drives. Keep a full-quality copy of every service, separate from the system drive.

Remote management (on larger systems). Lets a support team restart or repair the computer without a site visit.

Where it goes

• The livestream goes out over the internet to YouTube, Facebook and your website. (See stream to Facebook and your website at once.)
• Operator monitors, projectors, IMAG screens and confidence monitors come from the graphics card.
• Lobby TVs and overflow rooms can get video over the network through an NDI decoder. (See how to put your livestream on lobby and overflow TVs.)
• Health reports and alerts go to the WorshipMetrics cloud and your phone.
• Recordings stay on the recording drive to archive or edit.

Use this to map your own system

Go through the same list for your booth: what plugs in, what does the work, and where it goes. Write down what you have, what you need, and what you’re not sure about. Our map-your-system checklist does exactly this, and attaches your answers to a free consultation request. It’s the best way to get the best price, because we can see what to reuse and only quote what’s missing.

For a permanent record, the Signal Map documents every device and cable and prints a wiring diagram for the booth wall.