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How To Use The Panasonic HC-V770 For Live Streaming 

You can use your Panasonic HC-V770 as a webcam to live stream, but it’s not as easy as just downloading one piece of software. 

This method lets you use your Panasonic HC-V770 camcorder as a HDMI webcam to live stream with a clean HDMI output.

To summarise, the set-up we recommend is as follows:

  1. Connect your Panasonic HC-V770 camcorder to a capture card using a ‘Micro HDMI to HDMI’ cable.
  2. Plug the capture card into your computer. 
  3. Use a suitable webcam software (e.g OBS) and use the feed from the capture card for high quality video for video calls or live streaming.
  4. Enable clean HDMI for the best results.

This post will guide you through the above steps in further detail and provide you with helpful tips to make sure you get the most out of this setup. 

Can I use the Lumix Webcam Software for the Panasonic HC-V770?

You may see online that you can use the LUMIX Webcam Software (Beta) to use some Panasonic cameras as webcams…

However, this is not true for the HC-V770 as the LUMIX Webcam Software is only compatible with the following models.

  • DC-S1H
  • DC-S1R
  • DC-S1
  • DC-S5
  • DC-GH5S
  • DC-GH5
  • DC-G9
  • DC-G100/G110

As you can see the Panasonic HC-V770 is NOT on the list of compatible models above, this is why we use a capture card instead. 

What Accessories Do I Need to Use My Panasonic HC-V770 as a HDMI Webcam?

To use your Panasonic HC-V770 as a HDMI webcam you will need a few accessories for different things.

Essential Accessories

1. Micro HDMI to HDMI cable

You will need this to connect your Panasonic HC-V770 to your capture card.

Normally this comes with the camcorder so you should already have this.

If you need a replacement I’ve linked one below.

The small side is the Micro HDMI (HDMI Type D) and the larger side is the standard HDMI (HDMI Type A).

2. Capture Card (we recommend the Elgato Cam Link 4K)

The capture card will be outputting the footage straight from your Panasonic HC-V770 to your video calls or streams via HDMI.

We recommend the Elgato Cam Link 4K as Elgato is a highly reputable company and they have a compatibility checker.

You can see a screenshot below from Elgato’s website showing that the HC-V770 is compatible.

Elgato Camera Compatibility check for Panasonic HC-V770

The Elgato Cam Link 4K is also a recommended product because it uses a UVC driver.

This basically means it is universally compatible with any conference software that is able to use webcams e.g. Zoom, Skype or OBS Studio.

The CamLink 4K is able to output 4K resolution video which is perfect since the HC-V770 has a max resolution of Full HD 1080p.

You can check the current price and availability for the Cam Link 4K on Amazon at the link below.

3. Webcam software e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, OBS Studio

It is up to you what you use, but you will need a webcam/streaming software.

The Elgato Cam Link 4K should work with most popular webcam or streaming software.

For extra information you can check out Elgato’s page for ‘Supported Software for the Cam Link 4K’.

Optional Accessories

1. HDMI Extension cable

This is only necessary if you need a long cable length from your camera to the capture card.

Most people should be fine with just the Micro HDMI to HDMI that we linked earlier.

If you think the Micro HDMI to HDMI cable you have is too short for your setup, then you will want to get a HDMI male to female extension cable.

It will allow you to basically extend the length of cable between your camera and the capture card.

E.g. A Micro HDMI to HDMI cable fits into the female side of the HDMI extension cable and the male side fits into the capture card.

Tip: To reduce the need for this, get a Micro HDMI to HDMI cable that is already long enough on its own. 

2. Recommended* – AC Power Adapter

Having constant power is quite important if you are streaming or using the HC-V770 for a long period of time.

If you plan to live stream for a prolonged period of time then your battery may run out. 

The AC power adapter can be plugged into the wall allowing your camera to have continuous power.

This will ensure that you will not run out of power when streaming on the Panasonic HC-V770.

Luckily the Panasonic HC-V770 comes with a power adapter in the box when you buy it.

You can find the charging port for the camera on the side of the camera under the ‘DC IN’ flap.

The Panasonic HC-V770 uses the VW-VBT190 battery pack as standard and can also use the higher capacity VW-VBT380.

The Panasonic HC-V770 uses the VSK0815K AC power adapter.

Other similar Panasonic cameras also use these batteries and adapters.

If you need a spare or replacement battery then I have linked some third party replacements below for you.

3. Tripod 

If you are going to be streaming or using your camera as a webcam you need somewhere stable for it to be positioned.

If you don’t already have a tripod then you may want to invest in one as they can provide more flexibility to your set up.

  • GorillaPod 5K – if you need a lot of flexibility you can attach this to pretty much anything.
  • SmallRig Tripod – if you have more space and don’t mind having a larger tripod.

What Software Do I Need to Use My Panasonic HC-V770 as a HDMI Webcam?

To use the Panasonic HC-V770 as a webcam or for live streaming you will need software that is compatible with the capture card that you decide to use. 

The Elgato Cam Link 4K is universally compatible with any conference software that is able to use webcams, like Zoom or Skype.

You can also use it with popular streaming software like OBS Studio. 

To read more about compatibility with the Cam Link 4K check out the following link ‘Supported Software for the Cam Link 4K’.

If you decide to use a different capture card then please check the compatibility for that specific capture card with the webcam/streaming software that you intend to use.

Set up the Panasonic HC-V770 with a Capture Card

  1. Make sure your camera has enough battery or set up the AC power adapter so that your camera can receive constant power. 
  1. Adjust your camera settings to suit your preference.
  1. Use your Micro HDMI cable to connect your camera to the capture card. The small side of your Micro HDMI cable should go into the Micro HDMI port on your Panasonic HC-V770. The larger side can go straight into the Elgato Cam Link 4K. 
  1. Plug the Elgato Cam Link 4K into a USB 3.0 port on your computer (a USB 3.0 port is a standard USB port which has a blue colour).
  1. Open your webcam software on your computer and make sure your camera is turned on. 
  1. Select the appropriate setting so that the Elgato Cam Link 4K is your chosen video feed. (This will depend on the software you decide to use but you can use the Elgato help website for assistance).
  1. Now you should see a direct feed from your Panasonic HC-V770 on your webcam/streaming software. 
  1. If you can see lots of icons on your video feed then that means you need to set your camera up to have a clean HDMI feed.

Clean HDMI basically means that the camera can output what it is recording without having all of the icons from the user interface.

Luckily the Panasonic HC-V770 does have Clean HDMI. 

This is actually one of the major benefits for the Panasonic HC-V770 compared to some other older Panasonic cameras and camcorders which do not have ‘Clean HDMI’.

How to Enable Clean HDMI on the Panasonic HC-V770

To enable a clean HDMI feed on the Panasonic HC-V770 you need to do the following on the camera:

  1. Go to your ‘Menu’
  1. Navigate to ‘Setup Menu’ (this is the wrench icon)
  1. Under the ‘Setup Menu’ go to page 2 and find ‘Date/Time’. Set this to ‘OFF’ to stop the date showing on the corner of the screen.
  1. Still under the ‘Setup Menu’ go to page 3, find ‘EXT. DISPLAY’ and set this to ‘OFF’.
  1. Now your Panasonic HC-V770 should output a clean HDMI feed.

There’s also a few more things you may want to do…

Some Extra Tips

Demo Mode

Demo mode means that the camera will show a demonstration of the product.

This is mainly used for when the camera is on display in shops.

If you leave the camera idle for 10 minutes without doing anything and there is no SD card (typical behaviour when live streaming), then the demo mode starts. We don’t want this during video calls or live streams.

To turn this off do the following.

Under the ‘Setup Menu‘ go to page 7, find ‘DEMO MODE‘ and set this to ‘OFF’.

Video Light

If the video light comes on and you find it annoying then you can turn this off.

Press the arrows on your screen until you find the sideways bulb icon. It should be underneath the ‘PRE-REC’ setting.

Press this bulb icon until it is toggled off.

Stabilization Message

Do note that if you have the image stabilization turned on and you move the camera really quick then you may have a warning show up on the screen briefly saying ‘camera is panning too fast’.

This shouldn’t be a problem if the camera is stationary or if you are panning slow enough.

You can always turn the stabilization off if it becomes an issue.

To turn this off first go to your ‘Record Setup’ menu (not the ‘setup’ menu).

Then find ‘Shooting Guide’ and set this to ‘OFF’.

Conclusion

You should now be ready to use your Panasonic HC-V770 as a high quality webcam or live streaming device using a clean HDMI output.

As a quick reminder all you need is:

You might also be interested in knowing what the recording limits are on the Panasonic HC-V770.

Further Resources

Below are some links that may be of extra assistance.

Related Reading: