In the fast-paced world of live streaming, captivating your audience with a professional-looking image is quite beneficial. That's why whether you're a seasoned streamer or just starting your endeavor, having a high-quality green screen can take your content creation possibilities to new heights.
This article will guide you through the top green screen options available today - we'll explore their features, functionalities, and how they can enhance your streaming experience.
How do Green Screens Actually Work?
A green screen is a special type of background used in video production and live streaming. It is typically a large piece of synthetic fabric colored green, which is the best choice, as it doesn't match any natural skin tone and hair color, meaning no part of you will be accidentally edited out.
The primary purpose of a green screen is to enable the process of "chroma keying." Chroma keying is a visual effects technique that separates and removes a particular range of colors from the footage, leaving a transparent background behind. In turn, this transparent background can be replaced with another video, image, or digital content in post-production.
Why do You Need a Green Screen for Streaming
Green screens are commonly used in various fields where there's a prevailing need to provide a flexible and cost-effective way to create dynamic and immersive visuals, allowing content creators to transport their viewers to different settings without the need for elaborate production setups.
The most common use cases for green screens for streaming include the following:
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Seamless Background Replacement: Green screens allow streamers to remove their real-life backgrounds and replace them with virtual ones, creating a professional and distraction-free setting.
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Gameplay immersion: Gamers can use green screens to put themselves onto their gameplay footage
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Consistency in personal branding: Creators can display their branding elements and calls to action in the background or use the same virtual room during their streams to create a sense of familiarity
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Video tutorials: Many streamers use green screens to deliver full-screencasting tutorials with a professional-looking background, enhancing the visual quality of their content.
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Dynamic Visual Effects: Floating text, animations, or scene transitions, as a rule, make the watching experience more amusing
How to Choose a Green Screen
Price: Set a budget that aligns with your needs and level of professionalism. Green screens come in various price ranges, and while higher-end options may offer better quality, budget-friendly choices can also yield satisfactory results.
Material: Typically, green screens are made from synthetic stretchable nylon spandex, although any bright green non-reflective fabric has the potential to be a green screen. Muslin is a decent choice too, but it wrinkles and creases, so it can be challenging to store or replace.
Size: Contemplate your camera position and angle of view because that's the main factor your green screen size depends on. Ensure the green screen fits well within your filming space without causing any obstructions.
Portability: If you plan to use the green screen in different locations or for travel, consider lightweight and easy-to-transport options.
Mounting: Determine how you want to mount the green screen. Some come with stands, while others require wall mounting. Choose the option that suits your setup and filming preferences.
6 Best Green Screens for Live Streaming
EMART Collapsible Green Screen
Try the EMART Collapsible Green Screen if you are searching for a decent portable option for streaming. The Wrinkle-resistant fabric, solid stand, supporting legs, hard case, and pneumatic X-frame – EMART is fully made of high-quality materials, and it shows.
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Size: 61.02 x 72.44 in / 154.99 x 184 cm
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Material: Muslin
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Weight: 20 lbs / 9.07 kg
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Price: $103
Pros:
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Collapses straight into the storage case
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Wrinkle-resistant
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Easy and fast to set up
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Non-reflective material
Cons:
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The frame isn't quite sturdy
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A bit narrow
Elgato Collapsible Chroma Key Panel
The Elgato Collapsible Chroma Key Panel is a reliable option if you want a large portable green screen that you can store in a matter of seconds. The pneumatic X-frame firmly locks your canvas and lets you adjust it to your preferences to accomplish the look you need.
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Size: 58.27 x 70.87 in / 148 x 180 cm
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Material: Polyester
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Weight: 20,5 lbs / 9.3 kg
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Price: $159
Pros:
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Easy to set up
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Portable
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Rollable design to prevent wrinkles
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Non-reflective
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Built-in X-frame
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No tripod needed
Cons:
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May be too narrow for some camera setups
Fancierstudio Green Screen Muslin Background
Fancierstudio Green Screen Background is an excellent alternative for those who need a simple and affordable solution. While its material isn't wrinkle-resistant, the setup is designed not to be frequently packed away or transferred, making dealing with creases less of a concern. With a generous length of nine feet, the screen allows you to adjust it to suit your needs. Overall, this budget-friendly option is ideal for beginner streamers, and the adjustable height and good canvas size offer flexibility for various use cases.
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Size: minimum 42 x 54 in / 106.68 x 137.16 cm, maximum 72 x 108 in / 182.88 x 274.32 cm
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Material: Muslin
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Weight: 11.3 lbs / 5.13 kg
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Price: $55
Pros:
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Portable
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Easy to set up
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Affordable
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Large
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Adjustable stand in the kit
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Covers the floor
Cons:
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Not wrinkle-resistant
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The frame is a bit flimsy
Neewer Chromakey Double-Sided Backdrop
Get the versatile Chromakey Blue-Green Collapsible Backdrop to discover the advantages of green and blue chromakeying techniques. The green screen is easy to store and carry because it's incredibly lightweight, especially for a double backdrop. The steel frame is sewn into the fabric so tightly that you'll see no wrinkles in a lifetime!
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Size: 60 x 79.2 in / 150 x 200 cm
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Material: Muslin
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Weight: 17.31 oz / 490.73 g
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Price: $48
Pros:
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Blue and green screen options
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Cheap
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Flexible and durable steel frame
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No wrinkles
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Lightweight
Cons:
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No tripod included
LimoStudio Green Backdrop
Limo Studio provided the ultimately low-budget Green Backdrop Screen, which's excellent as a first pick and by far the best product for its money. It doesn't come with a stand, so you get the soft muslin screen and 5 clips. The material isn't wrinkle-resistant, but you can deal with them just by using a fabric steamer!
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Size: 72 x 108 in / 182.88 x 274.32 cm
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Material: Polyester
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Weight: 1.25 lbs / 0.57 kg
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Price: $28
Pros:
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Non-gloss surface
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Lightweight
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Extremely affordable
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Machine washable and safely dry-cleaned
Cons:
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Crossbar isn't included
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Not wrinkle-resistant
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A bit heavy
Webaround Big Shot Office Chair Green Screen
The eccentric Webaround Office Chair Screen attaches to the back of almost any chair or around your waist immediately. Invented for anyone used to sitting right in front of their camera, it has an integrated stabilizer that ensures overall coverage. Moreover, it's collapsible and folds into the included bag in seconds!
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Size: 56 in / 142.24 cm in diameter
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Material: Polyester
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Weight: 1.8 lbs / 816 g
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Price: $48
Pros:
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Lightweight
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Portable
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Setup and takedown in 10 seconds
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Wrinkle-resistant
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Fits almost any chair
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Green, Blue, and Grey color choices
Cons:
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A little heavy
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If you swivel too much, the green screen moves too
General Green Screen Tips
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Ensure even and consistent lighting on the green screen and avoid harsh shadows, as they can disrupt the chroma key effect.
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Invest in a good-quality camera with sufficient resolution for streaming to provide a more refined chroma key effect.
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Ensure your PC is powerful enough to handle the additional workload of green screen processing while streaming.
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Avoid wearing clothing that matches the green screen's color.
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Before going live, test your chroma key settings in your streaming software.
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Keep your green screen clean and free from wrinkles or creases because any wear and tear can potentially affect its performance.
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If you have hardships choosing between a bigger and smaller green screen, get the first one!
FAQ
How to set up a green screen in OBS?
Setting up a green screen in OBS involves a few steps which require a general comprehension of OBS Filters. In short, you need to add a new source, select "Video Capture Device" in a dropdown menu, add it to your scene, and pair it with your webcam. Then, click on "Filters," add a Chroma Key filter, select a Key color or leave green by default, adjust the "Smoothness" and "Similarity" sliders, and enjoy a cleaner background. That's it! You've successfully set up a green screen in OBS. You can find more info about green screen setup for other streaming software in our Green Screen guide.
Why are some green screens blue?
While green is the most common color for green screens, blue screens are also used in certain situations. The distinction lies in deep blue's ability to reflect less light, reducing bleed around your objects. As a result, you can employ more direct lighting sources during filming or streaming.
Wrapping up
Throughout this article, we explored various green screen options, each offering unique features. Ultimately, your pick will depend on individual preferences, budget, and specific needs. Regardless of the choice, investing in a high-quality green screen undoubtedly enhances the overall streaming experience and helps content creators stand out. So, get ready to level up your streaming game with the perfect green screen that suits your style and creativity!
