With 270 million users and counting, Microsoft Teams has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of modern workplace communication and collaboration. Beyond its role in everyday work and learning, MS Teams is increasingly being utilized by virtual and hybrid event producers. The platform’s widespread use means that many guests are already familiar with it, which helps boost their confidence before going live.
Producers are now leveraging Microsoft Teams to host their productions due to the app’s accessibility and familiarity. Here are three ways you can produce live events using MS Teams to enhance your hybrid and virtual events: isolating participants and screen shares, NDI broadcasting, and using Epiphan Connect.
Quick-Look Comparison
| Method | Isolated Speaker Screen-Capture | Microsoft Teams NDI | Epiphan Connect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Participants | Unlimited, but requires a dedicated computer for each participant | 3* (more possible but with quality drop) | 9* (can add more with more instances) |
| Max Resolution | 720p | 720p | 1080p |
| Remote Access | No | No | Yes |
| Requires Additional Hardware | Yes | Yes | No |
Isolated Speaker Screen-Capture
Effort Level: Triathlon
Feasibility: How much gear you got?
Results: Decent, with a high risk of failure
To set up an isolated full screens:
- Start your Microsoft Teams call.
- On separate computers, pin and fullscreen individual speakers.
- Capture the separate feeds using a hardware encoder or streaming software.
- Crop, mix, and switch between sources, add lower thirds or graphics in your production tool of choice.
This method requires a separate device for each speaker and any shared content. For example, if you have five speakers and a slide deck, you’ll need six laptops acting as sources. The event’s producer must also join the call from these devices, making it a crowded virtual studio. While functional, it can be problematic for events with more than two speakers due to the sheer number of devices involved and the risk of layout disruptions if guests share their screens unexpectedly.
Microsoft Teams NDI
Effort Level: A steep hike
Feasibility: Very doable with admin access and available hardware
Results: High quality in controlled environments
How to enable NDI in Microsoft Teams:
- Start your Microsoft Teams call.
- Ensure NDI broadcasting is enabled. Contact your MS Teams admin if it’s not available.
- Click the “Broadcast with NDI” button.
- Connect your hardware or software encoder to the local network.
- Add the speakers’ NDI feeds to the encoder.
- Crop, mix, and switch between sources, add lower thirds or graphics in your production tool of choice.
NDI-out broadcasting is a more streamlined solution than isolated speaker screen capture. It removes the need for multiple devices and connects the meeting directly to the streaming software or hardware encoder digitally over the local network
Epiphan Connect and MS Teams
Effort Level: A walk in the park
Feasibility: Cloud efficiency for greater flexibility
Results: Highest quality and vastly simplified setup
How to use Epiphan Connect:
- Create an Epiphan Connect account and pair it with your Microsoft Teams account.
- Paste the MS Teams meeting URL into Epiphan Connect.
- The Epiphan Connect bot joins the meeting.
- Epiphan Connect isolates each participant and screen share into separate feeds.
- Pull the isolated feeds into your production tool of choice.
Epiphan Connect simplifies the production process by eliminating the need for local hardware, creating a true
Epiphan Connect simplifies the production workflow, eliminating the need for local hardware, creating a true, cloud-based virtual event. Producers, like the participants, can be anywhere in the world. Once the participants’ are isolated into separate feeds, they can be added into any production where the output is unparalleled: full HD video, isolated audio, and the power to go wherever your creativity takes you.
This tool is the long-awaited marriage between convenience and power. It makes producing live events with MS Teams easier for all producers. No more complex wires-webs or worrying about who else might be connected to the network. Start a meeting and let the cloud handle the packet transfers with full, real-time diagnostics.
It’s been amazing to see the leaps and bounds we’ve made in such a short period of time. Not long ago, the only option to produce professional content through Microsoft Teams was isolated speaker screen capture. And while complicated for producers, it has always delighted guests with its simplicity. Now, with the emergence of Epiphan Connect, we’ve already found a way to convenience both speaker and producer.