Lecture capture for online education was already skyrocketing in importance over the past few years. Now, it’s now become essential for all institutions. To help facilitate this, Extron developed the SMP 351, a high-performance recording and streaming processor for capturing and distributing AV sources and presentations. Designed for simple control and flexibility, it’s able to record and stream simultaneously and can stream at two different resolutions and bitrates concurrently using a range of transport protocols and session management options. So just how intuitive and powerful is it?

Capabilities

A primary reason to have this unit is, of course, to record. There are plenty of options available in this system. It allows you to record to an internal hard drive, has multiple connections for USB drives, can save to a network share, and can send the information over a single- or dual-RTMP stream, which can be used in a number of ways. The SMP can be integrated into Kaltura, Panopto, and Opencast for content publishing and live streams, and it can publish live streams directly to Facebook Live, YouTube, Wowza, Twich, and others via RTMP. The system even allows for dual recording, so you can set up an automatic archive. This is very helpful for livestreamed productions that will later be edited for time and content and uploaded. Plus, it’s good just to have the raw footage available. 

You can’t be too careful when it comes to capturing important events, and this system has a lot of failover options. You can easily set up backup streams, secondary recordings, and failover recording locations. According to the user manual, it can support a maximum of two encodes, one local output, one recording, and livestreaming simultaneously, and we were able to replicate that with ease. It can also be configured to record in two locations at once and livestream along with many other configurations. The versatility and ease of setup is second to none.

Configuration

When it comes time to set up a recording, the system has a built-in calendar so you can automate the process by scheduling a start time. The unit supports iCal feeds, Google Calendar, and Microsoft Office 365/Exchange scheduling, as well as scheduling with the company’s integration with both Kaltura and Panopto. It also supports Kaltura and Opencast APIs, which can be used to streamline the process even more. 

If you have any problems getting things started, the system has a great toolset for configuration as well as for troubleshooting. Image formatting and color correction can be performed on each input independently. It’s easy to fine tune all of the inputs through a single location, and statistics about the incoming signals are available in multiple locations. If you are having connection issues, you can ping, tracert, or Nmap directly from the interface. This is very handy when trying to iron out network connection troubles. 

Setting up a confidence monitor is easy: simply plug it in and the presenter can preview exactly what is being sent to the recorder. There are several preset layouts available along with the ability to design a custom layout, choose background images, metadata location, and configure the window size and layout. 

Operation

We conducted some testing with Extron SMD 202 decoders that the company supplied to simulate content sources. (In a real-world scenario, users would typically connect computer sources, cameras, document cameras, and the like.) The SMD decoders are fan-less and produce no noise, a beneficial attribute when the SMP and source decoders are installed within a lectern or near students in a room. (The decoders or other main switching and source units they connect to do have fans, but those can be easily moved away into a network closet. The ability to professionally rack-mount these products is also a plus. We are often surprised when supposedly “professional” AV equipment, specifically recording equipment, is not rack mountable.) Surprisingly, audio processing is more than simple gain control. It also has tone adjustment, compression, and a section for ducking. 

In our test, the SMP 352 proved to be highly versatile for recording. The user interface is great, and it is easy to understand while providing advanced features. We were impressed by the amount of control available to format signals, as well as the options to save data. You can set up custom overscan or even custom-sample the signal to improve quality for scaling. After you get everything tuned exactly the way you want it, save it as a preset and you can apply it to other inputs if they require similar settings or have presets for various lighting concerns. 

Concerns

Potential buyers of this product should be aware that while it does have video switching, the primary function of the device is to record and stream and not to be a production video switcher—thus, there are no features like transitions, chromakey/lumakey/transparency, or echo canceling and noise reduction. The switching is a little on the slower side, but it’s not designed as a seamless production switcher, so this isn’t an issue in most applications for which the device is intended. Video input and encoding is only supported up to 1080p30 (the unit accepts 1080p60 signals), but for the majority of lecture capture scenarios, that’s fine. It does however let you adjust the GOP length, so you can balance how much bandwidth is consumed with optimum image quality. 

Conclusion

In summary, this is a great option for anyone looking to make recordings of their streaming video. It provides a nice balance of power and intuitiveness, and has a wide array of features that provide all the tools needed without feeling cluttered. This would be ideal for use in corporate, education, government, healthcare, courtrooms, houses of worship, rental and staging, and many other applications.

The What: Vanco International LLC has introduced two new products for streaming and recording audio and video: the Vanco video recording HD Capture, and the PulseAudio audio recording Audio Capture. 

The What Else: The Vanco HDCAPT1 allows for HDMI sources to be streamed or recorded, resulting in converted content that can be viewed locally or remotely. Easy to setup and install, it connects HDMI to a source, and USB to a computer using software available for download from Vanco’s website. With today’s prominent movement toward virtual attendances, the HDCAPT1 Capture device can be utilized for remote working, learning, or to stream live events such as worship services or sports games. HDMI signals from video recorders, webcams, game consoles, and mobile devices can be converted for recordings or live streaming purposes. With the ability to accept 4K30 resolution, the HDCAPT1 is well suited for capturing HDMI signals that can be recorded for playback or sent to a remote audience.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming

The PulseAudio PACAPT1 allows the audio from any analog device to be streamed or recorded. It is well suited for anyone who is currently taking a hybrid-approach to working or learning, or for podcast and vlog creators, gamers, social media influencers, and more. It can capture high-quality audio files directly by USB interface and does not require the installation of any drivers—the Mac and Windows OS install as the driver automatically. The PACAPT1 can also convert analog audio such as CDs, cassettes, or vinyl records to digital format so favorite audio recordings can be accessed anywhere, anytime. The PACAPT1 comes with popular professional audio editing software, Audacity, built-in. 

“So much about the way we live our lives has changed since the beginning of 2020, but the growing need for solutions that seamlessly support working, learning, and safely entertaining remotely as a result of the pandemic is really what pushed these products to the forefront,” said Brandon White, director of product development for Vanco International. “The HDCAPT1 and PACAPT1 are cost-effective, easy to install, and useful products for anyone looking to livestream or recording AV. Whether it’s to live stream content on social media, Zoom, or other software/applications, send AV content wirelessly, and also record audio and video content for personal or remote sharing, the new Audio and HD Capture solutions simplify the process.”

The Bottom Line: The Vanco HD Capture and PulseAudio Audio Capture were developed as inexpensive wireless AV options that help streamline virtual working, learning, and entertaining from home. Both products are available for pre-order now and will begin shipping in Q4 2020. 

Looking to overhaul the traditional esports tournament format, veteran live event producer and Black Stage Productions founder Steve Suarez created the cross-genre video gaming championship Ultimate Gamer. The series challenges gamers around the world to compete in first-person shooter, fighting, sports, battle royale, and multiplayer online battle arena tournaments for a chance to earn the title of “Ultimate Gamer.” For its first-ever “Valorant” LAN tournament, which took place over the course of three days this summer in Miami, Suarez live streamed all of the action to fans worldwide via social media platforms. Using an AJA Ki Pro GO multi-channel H.264 recorder/player provided by systems integrator CineSys-Oceana, his team also captured highlights footage for integration into the three-day stream. 

The ability to live stream the event was paramount to its success, allowing Ultimate Gamer to limit the number of people onsite in Miami and practice safe social distancing while still reaching its international fan community. By the event’s end, the team had streamed more than 30 hours of gaming from 10 players to Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Periscope. Concurrently, footage was recorded in real-time to USB drives as high-quality H.264 files using the Ki Pro GO and passed onto the editorial team intermittently throughout the event. Editorial used the files to cut replays and highlights for inclusion into the stream. All recordings were archived and will be used to create original programming that Ultimate Gamer is developing for broadcast and OTT providers. 

Related: National eSports Association’s Lori Bajorek to Keynote AV/IT Summit

Developed by CineSys-Oceana technical specialist Javier Mendez, Ultimate Gamer’s workflow included three Sony cameras for acquisition, including two on jibs and one over the shoulder, which captured footage of the players and tournament hosts on-site. Each player’s gameplay feed, whether via Sony PlayStation or Nintendo Switch, was integrated into the feed for live switching, after being converted to SDI using AJA FS-Mini Mini-Converters. A first-person view, shot via a webcam from each player’s computer, was transported via NDI for integration into the feed as well. Ki Pro GO recorded all three camera feeds and the 1080p HD gameplay feed directly from a Newtek Tricaster video production system. 

“Recording each feed directly to USB media with Ki Pro GO is so convenient,” Mendez  said. “We can quickly hand off the drives to our editors, who are mostly freelance and working off of a laptop, and they can get to work right away with high quality files in their NLE of choice, whether Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro. Within an hour we’re able to fold match replays or highlights into the stream. Being able to control and configure the device from a web browser is also huge, and with the new 10-bit support in the latest firmware release, we can be confident that every time, we’re capturing high-quality video with no risk of downtime.”

Underscoring the importance of finding new ways to connect the gaming community during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, Suarez concluded, “Video gaming brings people together and often provides a much-needed distraction from the real world, and with Ki Pro GO we’re able to capture our tournaments and deliver high-quality video content to our global audience. It’s truly a reliable plug-and-play solution, so we never have to worry about technical issues, and we’ve received positive feedback from the entire production crew and editorial team.”

Want to learn more about pro AV's role in facilitating the future of esports? Don't miss the AV/IT Summit Keynote by the National eSports Association's president Lori Bajorek on Thursday, August 6. For more information, click here.

The What: AJA Video Systems has released Ki Pro GO v2.0 firmware for its portable multi-channel H.264 recorder and player. The update introduces enhancements for improved H.264 recording quality and reliability, including recording support for up to 25Mbps, 10-bit and 4:2:2 color space, in addition to new expanded timecode capabilities with LTC, enhanced super out and front panel audio monitoring, in-system drive formatting, network file downloads, and gang recording support.

The What Else: Ki Pro GO v2.0 increases the maximum bitrate to 25Mbps for improved recording quality, well suited for live production scenarios with complex stage and concert lighting. The new firmware also provides 4:2:2 color space and 10-bit options for even richer imagery capture. Users can now choose from five recording settings including Low for talking heads, conference backups, security recording, and more; Med-Low; Medium for more complex content; Med-High; and High for fast moving, highly detailed content like sports. These expanded recording options are unique for any H.264 recorder, and answer the needs of AV professionals as requested by AJA Ki Pro GO customers.

Related: Technology Manager’s Guide to End-To-End Streaming Media 

New enhanced super out and front-panel audio monitoring also display the remaining media percentage and audio meters for all four video channels for improved user monitoring. Ki Pro GO v2.0 further expands timecode choices by offering a new option for LTC on one of the analog audio inputs, enabling the second analog audio input channel to function as a mono input. Additionally, the firmware introduces new in-system media formatting, eliminating the need for a separate PC. Network file downloading allows for more streamlined ease of use in critical live production environments, giving the user the option to move recorded files to a central server on the LAN. Gang support has also been added so that users can easily connect multiple Ki Pro GO devices together via easy to use Ethernet, and control the entire group of devices using one unit via Ki Pro GO’s rich web-based UI or front-panel button controls.

“In response to overwhelming support from our customers, we’ve upgraded Ki Pro GO with increased recording and timecode capabilities not available anywhere else in the market,” said Nick Rashby, president, AJA Video Systems. “We continue to build upon the foundation of our iconic Ki Pro family to develop new features ideal for H.264 capture and production scenarios, making Ki Pro GO more powerful than ever.”

The Bottom Line: Targeted at a range of broadcast, pro AV, and live event production environments where H.264 is the primary capture codec, Ki Pro GO offers up to four channels of simultaneous HD or SD recording from HDMI or SDI sources, direct to off-the-shelf USB drives.

Ki Pro GO v2.0 firmware is available now as a free download from the AJA website.

The What: Magewell is now shipping its new Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus video and audio capture card. The new model combines flexible support for multiple 4K SDI interface standards with dual-channel capture density for versatility, performance, and efficiency. The company will highlight it alongside other members of its Pro Capture family of PCI Express video capture hardware in booth 205 at the upcoming Streaming Media East conference (May 7-8, New York) and booth 2407 at InfoComm 2019 (June 12-14, Orlando, FL).

The What Else: The Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus captures 4K video at full 60 frames per second over single-link 12G-SDI, dual-link 6G-SDI, or quad-link 3G-SDI connections. Single-link, 12Gb/s SDI allows for professional 4K transport using just one cable per source, but many 4K products still offer only quad-link or dual-link connectivity. With support for all three methods, the Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus card provides compatibility with both the latest and earlier 4K architectures and equipment.

The Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus performs high-quality, 10-bit video processing including up/down/cross-conversion, image adjustments, and graphic overlay in the card's on-board FPGA with zero impact on the host system's CPU, maximizing CPU availability for third-party software. Magewell's universal Pro Capture drivers support Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems while offering broad compatibility with popular encoding, streaming, live production, collaboration, web conferencing, lecture capture, medical imaging, and virtual reality (VR) creation software.

Multiple 4K Pro Capture cards can be used simultaneously in the same system to further increase multi-channel capture density, while Magewell's comprehensive SDK enables third-party developers to directly leverage the full advanced feature set of the devices in custom software applications and turnkey solutions.

"The flexible connectivity of our single-channel 4K SDI cards has been a popular feature with systems integrators and OEM partners wanting to maximize their compatibility with Ultra HD source equipment, as well as production professionals using a mix of equipment types that don't always have 12G-SDI," said Amy Zhou, sales director at Magewell. "We are pleased to offer the same benefits in a dual-channel configuration, providing outstanding capture density for customers working with multiple 4K sources."

The Bottom Line: The Pro Capture Dual SDI 4K Plus captures two channels of video at resolutions up to the 4096x2160 4K digital cinema specification, including the 3840x2160 Ultra HD (UHD) TV standard. Both inputs can be used simultaneously with independent resolutions, frame rates, processing settings, and SDI connectivity standards. Each input source—including video and SDI-embedded audio—can be routed to multiple software applications in parallel, again with varying capture parameters for each program.

The What: TEKVOX has released its 79060 HDMI to USB capture device. The 79060 features full 1080p60 resolution on its HDMI input and output, and can both insert and extract audio from external sources. This versatility allows it to take in HD video and audio from a mixer while recording to a connected PC, displaying video on a confidence monitor, and feeding an extracted audio signal to a speaker system.

Implementation of a low-cost HDMI to USB recording system is often complicated by the addition of splitters, audio embedders, de-embedders and scalers. The 79060 avoids this problem by fully integrating all necessary functions into a single, compact unit. 

“The 79060 provides an innovative way to build an affordable recording/streaming solution,” said Jim Reinhart, CEO of TEKVOX. “The flexibility in this compact device is unprecedented.”

The Bottom Line: Retailing at $249, the 79060 is engineered as a cost-effective solution available for those who want versatile, reliable, and compact video recording via a single USB connection.

The City of Shavano Park, San Antonio, TX updated its city council chambers with TEKVOX's ViewVault recording technology and TekFlex flexible matrix via Multimedia Specialties last month, for the purpose of improving meeting recordings and archives while lowering AV costs for city council, police, and fire department meetings and gatherings for other city departments and agencies.

AV integrator Multimedia Specialties chose the TEKVOX Drop-In A/V preconfigured systems because it comes equipped with all necessary components to be up and running quickly.

“Working with TEKVOX on Shavano Park upgrade gave the city all the functionality it needs to be an innovative and tech-minded municipality in Texas,” said John Joffe, owner of Multimedia Solutions. "All components, including programming, are factory-warrantied by TEKVOX ensuring a long-term successful deployment."

TEKVOX's TekFlex matrix switcher allows flexibility of factory-built, software-defined AV systems; coupled with TEKVOX ViewVault recording systems, the solution matched the needs of municipal and education users.

"TEKVOX has configured itself uniquely to rapidly design, manufacture, and program systems of unprecedented complexity quickly and affordably," said TEKVOX CEO Jim Reinhart. "With innovators like Multimedia Solutions, we can scope, quote, implement, and commission complex systems in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional approaches."

The city of Shavano Park has already started using the system and expects to utilize the full capacity of the TEKVOX solution for the immediate years to come.