[Nuttyman54]

The PNW district events will be using a Matrox Monarch HD hardware encoder to send the stream out (yes it's pricey). We haven't used it at an event yet, but we've spent a lot of time playing with it and are very happy with the results. All it needs is an HDMI feed in and an internet connection, and it gives you the RMTP server to input on the streaming website.

We originally tried streaming using software encoding, and found the results to be subpar and very laggy for anything of watchable quality (read: above 360p)

Check with the district organizers to see what their video feed output will be. At regionals, the video has all been handled by ShowReady events, but this is usually not the case at districts. You may need a video signal converter to get the proper format to the encoder.