Multicam stream setup and multicam end user switch option

[SBJ]

Hey everyone, hope this question in not outside the scope of this forum...
We're holding Small charity event for a martial arts tournament with 4 different Mats (fight rings)
We want to stream it live online with this option:

One camera per ring (4 cameras total)
We want the viewer at home to have a choice of which camera (mats) to view and the ability to switch between cameras (mats).

Is this possible and what equipment would we need to make this happen?
Sorry if it's a dumb question. Any help would be appreciated!

Cheers

[Cornucopia]

While this is THEORETICALLY possible (using multi-stream mp4, or mp4 with mvc=multi-view video coding codec), there are no reasonable & economic solutions for consumers.
For a live event, you would need a real-time capable encoder, and there are NO real-time mvc software encoders. Plus most mvc encoders are geared toward 2-view (for stereoscopic material), so an encoder that worked out-of-the-box with more than 2 source streams/feeds would be even rarer. This translates to MORE EXPENSIVE.
You would need to have a higher guaranteed bandwidth as well = costlier.
Then you would need a multi-stream capable stream-reading player. There are only a few, and again they are mainly geared toward S3D, and there is no simple GUI for switching between streams (at best it might pause/glitch and you would have a menu option of "Stream 1", "Stream 2", etc.). Also $$.

No, you can go the traditional route of:
1. Sticking with a pre-mixed composite stream (where you have done the deciding of which is the most important viewpoint/s), and using standard encoding, streaming & playback tools.
or
2. Creating 4 separate & independent stream feeds, where (possibly with the assistance of thumbnails) the user picks at the start of the feed which viewpoint they want to stick with.
or
3. Do a live feed of #1, but then create a separate buy-in to a suplemental Multi-angle DVD or Multi-angle Blu-ray.

You could conceivably do #2 and have all 4 players start & run in sync (through specially-coded player plugins = $$), and then have the option of Full-screening only 1 of the 4 streams, but then the other 3 streams will still be playing in the background, and there is the issue of reasonable bandwidth & cpu constraints, along with the WHICH-audio-stream-to-listen-to issue (multiples=phasing/sync problems).

Or you could go low-tech and create a single, simple Quad-split PIP stream and just let the user focus on the portion of the screen that they are interested in.

Scott

[SBJ]

This is awesome Scott!
Lots to think about and research

Thanks so much, your time is greatly appreciated!
Cheers