Introduction
I found a possible way to use my Android smartphone as a streaming PC. Many people use their Primary PC as a gaming PC. If its powerful enough to run a game also stream to Youtube or Twitch Its awesome, but we all know all PC’s are not as powerful for gaming and streaming at the same time.
If you are a gamer and a want to stream or already a streamer, Just thinking to get a PC for streaming alone but you don’t to, at least for now.
We can use our Android/Iphone as a streaming PC.
- Modern phones are 100% capable to stream using H264 / H265 / HVEC codecs.
- You already have a Phone give it a try.
- Complete free and open source software apps available for Phones to stream.
Hardware requirements
-
Modern Android phone Too old phones can’t pull this off.,
-
Capture card
The only reasons to use a capture card it to get the best quality of the video from Gaming PC to smart phone.
With out a capture card we have to you a network based video feed transfer which will have extra load on Gaming PC as well as the Smart Phone causing lags and frame drops.
which looses the purpose of using a smartphone as a streaming PC. cheap USB capture cards are available for a few dollars / rupees anything would work.
- Suggested capture cards
- Capture card 1 India.
- Capture card 2 Best USA.
- Suggested capture cards
-
HDMI cable
This is going to be used to transfer the visuals from One device to an other.
-
USB Dock
- For type-C to box typed USB port to connect capture card.
- provide power to the phone as well as Capture card.
- Suggested capture cards
- Anker Can get anything cheaper but must support usb 3.0 and Power delivery starting from 65watt. I highly suggest getting one as the streaming phones battery will be draining fast then we notice, A usb duck will help your device to charge while also transferring HDMI data
Steps to Follow
Here is the plan, We project our OBS screen to the captured card and will be connected to phone via USB cable
Configuration of Gaming PC
I would assume everyone reading this might be using OBS or Streamlabs OBS. Any of them there is an option to project the entire OBS to the capture card.
Fire up your OBS application as an Administrator, in the preview window right click and scroll to the option named ‘Fullscreen Projector (Preview)’
In the section of your-capture-card, one should be seeing there capture card name most likely it will be ‘USB CAPTURE 3.0’ or something like that. By clicking it the projection will be enabled.
Setting up Android phone
Connect capture card to Phone using USB. I personal use an app called CameraFi Live which has a lot more features and options but for this post will stick to using capture card for streaming.
- install the app, Don’t open it.
- connect the capture card to your Phone ( This is where a USB dock can be used if its Type C or USB A).
- open CameraFi app and there should be a popups.
Accept this to give cameraFi permission to fetch the data from the USB3.0 cature card.
Accept this to make OBS scene as main camera source.
Accept this to make OBS audio as primary source.
Final output will be your desktop / What ever scene which is currently active in OBS.
Thats it!!. Press the live / camera button below to stream to your favoriate streaming platform using you Smartphone.