Streaming - but not through internet - please help

[tobyoneknobi]

I have a less than a rudimentary knowledge of streaming but am trying to accomplish something. I really don't even know what to ask for so I will describe what I am looking to do, then I hope someone here can tell me what to use. This is for work where we do training and I have an idea.

I want to play a pre-recorded video on a television in a room and have folks watch it. From time to time the audience may ask a question. We have mis in the room so someone in our control room can hear the question. Someone in the control room will then type back a response and that response will be shown on the screen. It could be overplayed on the video, replace the video momentarily, or maybe even a picture in picture swap for a moment so folks can read the response then have it switch back to the video which has continuously been playing the whole time. The response could be type onto a powerpoint slide for instance and then that slide broadcast for 30 secs. The switching between video and response can be manual since we'll have a human answering the questions anyway.

I asked in the newbie forum and it was suggested I use streaming software. Sounds good. However, I'd like to avoid streaming to the internet. I assume I could stream to the internet and then have my tv pick it up, but I am trying to keep this simple so that operational, it is simpler to run. If we stream over the internet, and my router goes down, or my internet service bugs out, I have issues. To keep it simple, I would rather stream via a cable directly to my tv. I am such a moron about this, I don't even know if it is referred to as streaming if you go direct to the tv.

I looked at a product called vMix and it does way more than I need but I think would work. I have looked at others but haven't found one that seems jus right. It's probably there, I just don't know enough to know that it is the right one.

So, if anyone has a recommendation, I am all ears.

[smrpix]

Never used vMix but it appears to be a competitor to the more established Tricaster which would be my intitial recommendation. This is a not-inexpensive hardware/software system so you should really go to a reputable dealer/system integrator and work out your needs in very specific detail.