Solutions for Poor Cell Signal When Livestreaming?

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Feb 10, 2018
496
93
NoVA
Have run into a few problems lately with poor cell signal at ballfields causing issues with our livestreams through GameChanger Team Manager.

Am running a Mevo Plus camera connected to a dedicated iPad with Verizon LTE service+unlimited data plan.

Am thinking about getting a mobile hotspot, but my (limited) understanding is that the Jetpack still depends on strength of cell signal to establish WiFi hotspot. Do the Jetpacks double as a cell signal booster as well? Should I focus on a cell signal booster antenna (if that exists for this sort of purpose) rather than a hot spot?

Anyone out there have any solutions that have worked for them? Thanks.
 
Aug 21, 2020
115
28
Have run into a few problems lately with poor cell signal at ballfields causing issues with our livestreams through GameChanger Team Manager.

Am running a Mevo Plus camera connected to a dedicated iPad with Verizon LTE service+unlimited data plan.

Am thinking about getting a mobile hotspot, but my (limited) understanding is that the Jetpack still depends on strength of cell signal to establish WiFi hotspot. Do the Jetpacks double as a cell signal booster as well? Should I focus on a cell signal booster antenna (if that exists for this sort of purpose) rather than a hot spot?

Anyone out there have any solutions that have worked for them? Thanks.

Is anyone else on the team with another cell service / unlimited plan willing to help out? Where one service is bad another usually shines. For me in the northeast if Verizon stinks - we have a T-mobile back up.

Next - hotspot data is usually lower in priority at a tower compared to a phone or tablet. I tried hotspots for a while, but ended up worse off than just using another phone.

I noticed you’re using a Mevo Plus - I really liked mine, but as the older unit with older hardware it might be showing its age. How is it connected to the iPad? Wireless or Ethernet with a Boost?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Feb 10, 2018
496
93
NoVA
Is anyone else on the team with another cell service / unlimited plan willing to help out? Where one service is bad another usually shines. For me in the northeast if Verizon stinks - we have a T-mobile back up.

Next - hotspot data is usually lower in priority at a tower compared to a phone or tablet. I tried hotspots for a while, but ended up worse off than just using another phone.

I noticed you’re using a Mevo Plus - I really liked mine, but as the older unit with older hardware it might be showing its age. How is it connected to the iPad? Wireless or Ethernet with a Boost?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Wireless connection from the Mevo Plus to the iPad. I bought the camera in spring/summer 2020, I think just as Mevo was phasing or had phased it out for the Mevo Start. Bought one from a reseller. Have had no issues with the camera, but have noticed over past several weeks that poor cell signals have interrupted the live stream or forced broadcasting in much lower resolution (360 or 480 vs. 720 or 1080).
 
Aug 6, 2013
392
63
I would love to know some solutions as well. I have AT&T and run a Go Pro 9 Black (which I absolutely HATE) but I made a bad decision buying it so I'm stuck for now, lol. Daughter played at a complex this weekend and one side of the complex I got an awesome fantastic signal and on the other side (a different fourplex right next door) I got the worst signal on the face of the earth. Now how is this possible?? I had another parent who has Verizon - we tried his older X and he also had a not so good signal. We moved to his daughter's newer phone running 5G and we were able to at least get the stream to run 480 without constant buffering. We use SidelineHD and stream to Facebook.

Another thing I noticed with the GoPro streaming is - I have to use one phone to control the camera and then another to run the hotspot. If I try to do both on one phone I have terrible results and end up losing game footage because the stream constantly drops. Like I said - can't stand the GoPro - want a Mevo again but after paying the $$$ for the 9 Black I just can't convince hubby I should drop $$$$ on the Mevo Start. 😢
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
I would love to know some solutions as well. I have AT&T and run a Go Pro 9 Black (which I absolutely HATE) but I made a bad decision buying it so I'm stuck for now, lol. Daughter played at a complex this weekend and one side of the complex I got an awesome fantastic signal and on the other side (a different fourplex right next door) I got the worst signal on the face of the earth. Now how is this possible?? I had another parent who has Verizon - we tried his older X and he also had a not so good signal. We moved to his daughter's newer phone running 5G and we were able to at least get the stream to run 480 without constant buffering. We use SidelineHD and stream to Facebook.

Another thing I noticed with the GoPro streaming is - I have to use one phone to control the camera and then another to run the hotspot. If I try to do both on one phone I have terrible results and end up losing game footage because the stream constantly drops. Like I said - can't stand the GoPro - want a Mevo again but after paying the $$$ for the 9 Black I just can't convince hubby I should drop $$$$ on the Mevo Start. 😢
Josh from Lynk Spyder will say streaming with a GoPro is less than ideal for a variety of reasons. I bought the Hero 9 and use it for recording, not streaming. When I want to stream, I use my Note 8.

The hotspot will solve the problem of needing two phones. Also, buying the remote for the GoPro was a big plus.
 
Aug 21, 2020
115
28
Sorry, I am not familiar with this. How would this be different than what I am doing now?

The Mevo Boost was an accessory that has a gigantic battery pack ( I could do an entire pool play day off this without recharging) and some addition capability for 4K recording in wide mode, and made the Plus water resistant.

The best part were the ports - a USB for a microphone and an Ethernet port to connect to hotspots and tablets. It took nearly all the connection issues away from the Plus.

I still have mine and since I transitioned completely to the Start it could use a new home.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Aug 6, 2013
392
63
Josh from Lynk Spyder will say streaming with a GoPro is less than ideal for a variety of reasons. I bought the Hero 9 and use it for recording, not streaming. When I want to stream, I use my Note 8.

The hotspot will solve the problem of needing two phones. Also, buying the remote for the GoPro was a big plus.
Well I have been slowly working on DH and probably will just buy a new Mevo. I did use my phone to stream last fall when the GoPro wouldn't cooperate and of course a foul ball hit the fence and knocked my phone off the mount and broke the whole back glass of my IPhone 12 Plus as well as the protective plastic around the cameras. The phone was in an Otterbox :( - so needless to say I'm not super excited about putting my phone up again (I haven't fixed the back glass - that is soooo expensive). I mean - that's how my original Mevo Plus broke - a foul ball hit the fence right at the camera and it popped off it's base (it was locked in also) and hit the ground.....I couldn't get anything but a green screen after that. Since it was a plus Mevo won't fix it - even if I pay. I was so freaking sad.
 
May 11, 2014
275
43
Check to see if where your sitting makes a difference. Last year my son in law noticed he had to adjust where he sat depending on fences, bleachers, etc.
 
Feb 7, 2016
117
28
I have streamed hundreds of games over the last 3+ years. I've used Gopros, tablets, phones and Mevos. After much trial and error and even more $$, here's what I use with greater than 95% success.

- Verizon Mifi 8800L hotspot
- Verizon prepaid 100GB plan for $55/month
- Mevo Start
- Netgear external antenna with TS-9 ports

The external antenna made all the difference with maintaining a solid signal to consistently stream at 720p without any issues. On the Mevo there is a meter that allows you to see your throughput/connection strength.

I've tested it multiple times and I've seen that when I connect the antenna, my throughput increases to the optimal 3.4mbps. When disconnected, the throughput drops. Even with 1-2 bars on the hotspot, I'm still able to maintain 3.4mbps allowing me to maintain a solid 720p stream.

Be careful with those unlimited plans. The fine print will tell you it's unlimited until a certain threshold. Once you cross that threshold, they'll start throttling you which will make your stream choppy/unusable, which to a lot of people will look like a poor connectivity issue.
 

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