My Zwift / Livestream setup, version 1.0

[@ZwiftyZwifter]

That’s superb. I think I may need to get rid of my children. Looking forward to the ride when the bin gets used!!

[@ericbarnettcycling]

Almost needed it yesterday

[@DyeProto1234]

All the production value is appreciated, enjoy the quality of your content

[@ericbarnettcycling]

Thanks Sean - good riding with you this morning! You’re probably still running and swimming today - that’s it for me!

[@DyeProto1234]

@@ericbarnettcycling hah, just an easy 4 miles on the treadmill to knock off my tour of wattopia running stage

[@MarkyMarkZwifts]

Very interesting video Eric and I love all the electric guitars and that Vox amp! I'm now subscribed!

[@ericbarnettcycling]

Thanks Mark! I’ve subscribed back - excited to check out your race vids!

[@ItsBugsy]

Looks great Eric - also have a taxc neo bike!

[@ericbarnettcycling]

Thanks Mike! I love mine, it has helped improve my fitness a ton.

[@ImGlossy63]

That’s an awesome setup Eric. Since we can’t see all the “stuff” it looks like a sweet setup for viewers. I’m jealous you have the knowledge to do all the electronics for that setup.

[@ericbarnettcycling]

Thanks Chris! Learning how to do the green screen thing was necessitated by not having dedicated space to paint and have a good looking KZbin-ready room. I learned most everything by watching KZbin tutorials!

[@Evermeersch]

Nice Setup Eric!

[@ericbarnettcycling]

Thanks!

[@jeffcreed2539]

That Awesome!!!..Eric got any Chili Peppers down? Been a couple of years but have the Flea section pretty good....Peace buddy!

[@ericbarnettcycling]

I remember a bit of Under the Bridge - Frusciante can play! I mean, obviously he’s not Flea…

[@mrmadmogli7]

Hi Eric 🤚whats the size of your Zwift TV ?

[@ericbarnettcycling]

It's a 40". I already had it on the stand before Zwifting (we'd move it room to room instead of having a TV in every bedroom). Once it was added to the Zwifting setup, it hasn't moved!

[@JMower]

Very cool! Why do you use the webcam for the streams rather than the big camera on the right side? Also weird question about the garmin bike.. how does the gearing work? From what I've read online it just simulates a real drive chain right? So for example you could have 2 front rings and then 10 at the back. What I wanted to ask is can you set it up in a way that isn't at all realistic, but would be better for zwift racing, for example could you have a 1x at the front then like 16 gears at the back or something really ridiculous?

[@ericbarnettcycling]

I could use the better Sony camera for the stream, but it takes some messing around to make it work. I use the Sony for other things, so I’d have to hook it back up every time, make sure it’s pointed at the green screen exactly the same way and make sure it has a fresh battery every time. The webcam is always hooked up & ready to go. The Garmin bike is very adjustable with the gearing. It is all virtual, so you can do some unrealistic combos. I do still like the two rings in the front in case there’s a very steep climb and I want to do a big jump in gears. There’s no fear of a chain dropping, so I can shift under load, unlike real life. You can even do a triple on the front. I’ve found the standard compact gear ratios have done the trick for the most part.

[@JMower]

@@ericbarnettcycling I guess while streaming the quality of the camera doesn't matter that much either, as the face cam is so tiny... How is setting up obs with the greenscreen, does it take a lot of tinkering to get it to work well? That's actually quite cool! I've been thinking about getting one, either the garmin or wahoo. But currently I tend to move apartments every year or so, and the hassle of moving something so big seems a bit much. I'll definitely take the plunge once I'm in a place I see myself staying at longer term!

[@ericbarnettcycling]

@@JMower I would like to upgrade the webcam one day - it's all about not having to switch things around every time I want to stream vs. make videos, etc. That's largely the same reason I got the smart bike. The weather here changes so much, I didn't want to have to keep taking my bike on & off a trainer. Weighing the cost of a smart trainer & a second bike to leave on it made me take the plunge. Definitely will be a pain to move, though. So heavy! The green screen thing isn't that tough, provided you learn OBS. The hard part is actually more the lighting - you have to light the green screen or your shadow on it will do some weird stuff. It would be better if both my room and the screen were bigger, as it's easier to light the farther away you are. Also, were it bigger, I could show more of the bike in the stream. This all works for version 1.0 - I have so many ideas to streamline it more and make it more KZbin friendly for version 2.0, but I'd probably have to move to a bigger house for that.

[@JMower]

@@ericbarnettcycling I definitely agree with the whole not wanting to switch things around.. Many times I've been ready to zwift and then having to setup the camera, put the bike on the trainer... it's just a drag really.... What made you choose the garmin over the wahoo one? I saw the wahoo tips up and down depending on zwift's elevation, seems like a game changer to me. I'd definitely love to give the green screen a try, it looks very cool to not have the background on the video!

[@ericbarnettcycling]

@@JMower I mainly stick with one brand when it comes to technology. I already had a Garmin watch and bike computer that work well together, so I went with the bike. Didn't want to have to get yet another companion app, account, password, another thing to sync to, etc. The elevation change does look pretty cool, though.

[@tedbiggs3301]

How do you change camera angles during the steam? Through OBS, or some Bluetooth control?

[@ericbarnettcycling]

This video was edited from multiple sources in Final Cut. Haven’t done multiple angles in the livestreams, yet. It’s possible in OBS, but I have too much going on in the moment to think about switching live.

[@JMower]

Also how's the fan? Been thinking of upgrading to the wahoo headwind but that's very expensive for what it is

[@jordanbillaud9182]

For what it's worth, I do have a Headwind and I just love the Heart rate control: I don't need to think of it and it keeps me cool regardless of intensity. It's way too expensive but I love it.

[@ericbarnettcycling]

For the price, the fan I have is great. The remote I have is a workaround, it’s not otherwise controllable. There are three speeds and I actually only use the lowest speed. The bike also has two smaller fans that can run off of HR or watts, so they all work together.

[@70dkarras]

What laptop/specs are you using to get crisp graphics?

[@ericbarnettcycling]

Its a 2019 MacBook Pro. Didn't change any of the defaults in Zwift. OBS outputs the stream to 1080 30 fps, and I've been tweaking the stream settings to try and maximize graphics without having dropouts. Someday, I need to upgrade my internet to have more bandwidth - that would help the streaming.

[@CyclingPrecision]

you're certainly not claustrophobic at all 😨

[@ericbarnettcycling]

I don't know what that means... thanks? 😅