I've evaluated several webcams for SCN, but Hollyland offered me the opportunity to test its VenusLiv Air compact streaming camera. You can use it as a webcam, though it's better suited to live streaming production. And it's right at home whether you plan to shoot in traditional landscape or the more social media-friendly portrait mode.

Basically, the VenusLiv Air looks like a box camera with an integrated lens. Not just any lens—this is a full-size 4K optical fixed-focus 25mm lens, more akin to a DSLR than a typical webcam. It offers 50MP with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor. You can record in 4K, 1080p, or 720p (all at 30fps) locally on an SD card; depending on your streaming output of choice, there are various flavors of these options, with 1080p/60 also available for limited outputs.

The VenusLiv Air is not a camera that will perch on the top of your monitor. It weighs almost 1.5 pounds and is 4 inches across (more than 7 inches with the built-in touchscreen open). It’s also a little more than 5 inches deep, and that’s before you start connecting cables.

Speaking of connections, there is an HDMI out, USB-C video port, network port, and power. For audio, there is also a dedicated USB-C port for Hollyland wireless mics. I didn’t have one to test, but I was able to plug in a wireless mic system to the 3.5mm port and it worked without issue when I recorded some footage. The camera also worked well on videoconferences with a separate mic—no sync issues.

A cold shoe mount on top of the landscape position (next to the SD card slot) provides a place for accessories. I was very happy with the two 1/4-inch threaded holes. The VenusLiv Air automatically adjusts to portrait or landscape shooting based on how you position the camera. A 3-inch touchscreen on the back of the camera can be rotated out so you can monitor the image live as you shoot.

In a word, the picture from the VenusLiv Air is gorgeous, even when I didn't use my Brightline ZELo desktop studio lights. Right out of the box, the tones are warm, which is helpful when your subject (read: me) is severely lacking a tan. You guessed it: It has built-in AI to optimize the image.

Too warm for your taste? It’s easy to create a new "tone." In fact, you can go in and change just about any setting, so you can customize the look based on your subject or your environment (and save up to 20 presets). There are only two control buttons on the unit: power and record. Everything else is managed through the touchscreen.

However, you aren't restricted to the touchscreen, as you can make adjustments on your portable device via the free HollyCam app. The app provides a similar on-screen “dial” adjustment as the camera’s touchscreen, so it’s very easy to adjust ISO, shutter, saturation, and more. Plus, you can start recording or take screenshots from your phone, so you don’t have to touch the camera to start a scene.

The app isn’t perfect. The adjustment icons and menus assume you’re shooting in portrait mode, so your icon workspace doesn’t shift when you work in landscape mode. This is not a deal breaker, but it’s something that should be addressed in a software upgrade. It also crashes from time to time.

No such problems with Holly Studio, the laptop version of the control software. Here, you have a choice of landscape or portrait, though the dial controls are replaced by sliders and drop-down menus.

The 4x digital zoom does offer precise options, so if 1.4x is what you’re looking for, you can have it. Yes, you can zoom while recording, but it’s not going to be smooth. Also, there is neither pan nor tilt to go with that zoom, so you'll want to make sure that shot is set before you start streaming. And streaming was easy—I had no trouble with Facebook Live (or two videoconferencing platforms) recognizing the camera.

I don’t like the lens cap. There, I said it. This semi-rigid piece of silicone never feels like it’s secure, even when you line up the ridges on the lens with the indentations on the inside of the lens cap. That said, the body of the camera is sturdy, and the touchscreen is bright and responsive.

The VenusLiv Air is not your next webcam. Talk about overkill, especially with an MSRP of $549. However, the VenusLiv Air offers excellent images, professional image adjustment if "auto" isn't your style, native portrait and landscape shooting with no loss of quality, and monitoring and control options for your next live or recorded project, whether it's a company-wide presentation or a product demo for potential clients.

KMH Integration is helping two landmark New York City theaters expand their audiences in the digital age. The firm has completed upgrades to the AV technology infrastructures at the Pregones Theater and the Apollo Theater, creating new production workflows.

The Brooklyn-based systems integrator is providing AV consulting services, engineering oversight, onsite project management, and technical training. KMH also installed a range of new remote technologies across the multiple facilities operated by each organization, including KMH’s new Marquee Pro content streaming solution.

[Viewpoint: Hidden Safety Concerns Should Be Top Priority for Event Productions]

KMH’s relationships with the two theaters resulted from the Digital Accelerator Program, a new initiative conceived by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2021. The theater and live event industries were among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was developed to support the economic recovery of U.S. and U.K.-based cultural nonprofit and arts organizations, many of which were designated as cultural and historical landmarks. Bloomberg Philanthropies allocated $30 million to restore and preserve these venues, help them invest in tools and training, update their digital technology infrastructures, expand their audiences, and build toward future growth.

A selection process for systems integrators knowledgeable in live production and performing arts spaces led to KMH working with the Apollo and Pregones teams. While each theater had unique goals and levels of production capabilities, both also had similar needs that made an online platform like Marquee Pro an ideal fit.

The system is based on an NDI and Dante-compliant streaming control center using SRT and WebRTC protocols with QoS monitoring. The service also includes a fully customizable, portable studio set designed by KMH partner Creative Dimensions. The pre-fabricated studio wall panels are built for easy assembly and portability, supporting different graphic overlays as backdrops as well as a chromakey greenscreen background.

“We’re helping them do their own internal TV production with an added external digital distribution platform,” said Kevin Henneman, president of KMH Integration. “It’s an easy-to-use, high-quality option for sending video streams between each theater, or for remote productions to complement their in-theater events."

In 2022, KMH began working with the Apollo, an American cultural treasure and a vibrant nonprofit organization that is rooted in the Harlem community, but speaks to and welcomes people from around New York, the nation, and the world. The Apollo currently has three stages: the Historic Theater, Soundstage, and Digital Stage. Opening soon is the Apollo’s Victoria, which will include two new theaters.

The Marquee Pro system is integrating the Historic Theater and Soundstage on the Apollo’s intranet, allowing programming and content to be streamed and shared easily among each area. KMH built a centralized control room, allowing the organization to stream programming directly from each theater to support multiple independent productions or one large Apollo event. Because the audience is an iconic part of the Apollo experience, KMH was consulted regarding camera selection and placement, so broadcasts in both spaces captured an immersive experience of both the stage and audience.

“KMH has been integral to helping the Apollo achieve its goals,” said Kersten Stevens, the Apollo’s director of digital strategy and Bloomberg Digital Arts Accelerator tech fellow. “The greatest benefit of working with KMH has been their ability to focus in on our objectives and deliver a system we could truly trust not only as state-of-the-art, but also as a system that could expand and deliver against our needs as the theater’s stages, technical needs, and streaming opportunities increase.”

The Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (Pregones/PRTT) is a multi-generational performing ensemble and multi-discipline arts presenter, which operates bilingual arts facilities in the Bronx and Manhattan. Founded in 1967, it was one of the first bilingual theater companies in the United States. At each of its locations, Pregones/PRTT hosts a range of events, from plays to film festivals to musical acts.

[Renkus-Heinz, Salvation Army Reimagine Hollywood Golden Age Theater]

KMH’s work with the Pregones theaters began with similar goals: connecting multiple venues and reaching larger external audiences using an automated online production workflow. Before this current project started, the PRTT main infrastructure was mostly limited to internal use. With the Marquee Pro solution, as well as new workflow technologies, the Bronx and Manhattan theaters are now able to interoperate with audio, video, and control signals. The system allows for acquisition of a performance, which can then be edited and posted on its social media venue platforms.

“Since we started working with the KMH team, I can’t say enough about them,” said Jorge Merced, associate artistic director, Pregones/PRTT. “They have been thorough in understanding the needs of our project and designing solutions that fit our venues and program goals beautifully. The integration has been seamless and very successful."

[KMH Integration Updates JPMorgan Chase with Cutting-Edge Technologies]

The systems designed for Pregones and Apollo are built with the flexibility of being either a permanently installed or mobile production solution, depending on each theater’s needs. “We are designing and implementing mobile production packs,” Henneman explained. “Instead of anchoring a fixed rack, it's a ‘road case on wheels’ to augment the in-theater performances with outdoor events. We've designed it to operate as a mobile system that uses the internet for delivery and remote connectivity.”

KMH is able to monitor and manage signals from its Brooklyn office to coordinate troubleshooting and provide quality control. “Upgrading the AV technology in venues that are decades-old is challenging enough, but doing it while maintaining the aesthetic integrity of a landmark institution raises the stakes even higher,” said Henneman. “It’s a delicate balance between maintaining their legacy and helping them build toward a digital future.”

San Diego Rock Church is a non-denominational Christian Church dedicated to helping people discover God, grow individually, and make a difference in their community, country, and world.

We officially opened our doors in 2000 and have always been a particularly outward facing, service-oriented church in constant motion and relentlessly hands-on. For us, it’s all about removing the church walls so we can reach beyond our physical community and provide a practical way to effectively connect with those waiting and wanting to know the hope of Jesus. It’s why we have more than 100 outreach and discipleship ministries, annual citywide events, and four satellite campuses.

[Streaming Services: Houses of Worship and the Online Experience]

I’m the senior video systems engineer of Rock Church. I oversee the design, installation, and operation of the video, broadcast, projection, and intercom systems at the main campus as well as our off-site locations. 

About seven years ago, we were preparing to open our first satellite site approximately 20 miles away from the main campus when I met Bob Nahrstadt of Clark IS, a systems integration company. While we were trying to visualize how the satellite experience would work, Bob introduced us to the concept of a VTE or Virtual Teaching Environment. A VTE required sending both a typical I-MAG feed and a locked-off (or static) shot of our pastor, Miles McPherson, to that first remote campus so he appeared nearly life size on the stage.  The system was ideal for live, time slipped, streaming of Pastor Miles’ message for all five Sunday services at the time. 

To keep the image of Pastor Miles as authentic as possible and help the audience accept him as if he were right there in front of them, we had to ensure that not only were the two video feeds synced, but the audio tracks had to maintain lip sync as well.  We looked at dark fiber, public internet contribution servers, and satellite solutions, but they were all either too expensive, too susceptible to signal interruption, or the latency was far too long.  Bob created an elegant and robust system with the Cobalt 9223 multicast encoder at its core, which allowed us to leverage our Metro-E connection to the campus and gave us the two HD streams we needed with 24ms of relative latency, lip sync, and frame sync between the two signals—along with extremely dependable quality and availability.  

The original installation went smoothly; the physical installation was a breeze and getting the system up and transmitting was quite simple. When we moved to setting up the campus and getting the system to decode the multicast, it was equally straightforward. Subsequently, we did some trial-and-error testing by connecting to the encoder through an openGear frame at the main campus. 

[Diversified Turns to L-Acoustics at First Baptist Church Woodstock]

Starting with a fairly high bit rate, we incrementally reduced it until we could perceive a loss of quality. Then, we increased the bit rate to get the highest quality picture (with a little headroom) to establish the lowest bit rate that gave us an excellent signal, plus a little padding to cover any network hiccups. 

I was pretty much glued to Bob’s side throughout the process; his faith and experience with this system design and the Cobalt components was reassuring, and he provided the best training I could have received. He was a tremendous asset. 

All these years later, the quality and reliability of the Cobalt gear we use is still very important to me—the products are robust and provide great quality signals. I have a virtual campus setup in the equipment room at the main campus and a monitor in the control room for each stream in the multicast, so I can keep an eye on them. But they are so reliable I don’t stress about the system, I just  take a look at the monitors from time to time just to be sure all is well and move on to the other tasks at hand.  

Before COVID, we had grown to four campuses all using this system every Sunday.  COVID threw a wrench in that scenario, however, and we had to pivot and find a way to reach people at home with God’s message. We became a wholly internet broadcast service model until the lockdowns eased. I think everyone would agree church has changed, and we can’t go completely back to the previous way we connected with people. 

[The 2022 Integration Guide to House of Worship]

In our case, we continue the broadcast model for our family across the nation and the world connecting via the internet. While that part of the church is evolving, we have now reopened all our campuses for our family that prefer to gather to worship our Lord. However, our VTE has run its course, so we are employing our multicast system in a slightly different way and using it more as a content delivery system.  

While our offsite family can still watch a message by Pastor Miles, now it is pre-recorded and a little more polished than a live broadcast. On Sunday mornings, we send the pre-produced message to our campuses via our Cobalt multicast system for them to record and use the rest of the day. No one operates the system, it just works. This has become the most reliable and highest quality way to distribute the message. 

We still use the Cobalt 9223 at the main Point Loma campus to encode and stream via our Metro-E connection to all locations. At the campuses, a Cobalt 9220 ASI gateway intercepts the multicast, converts it to two ASI streams, and sends those streams to a pair of ASI-to-baseband decoders. From there it is sent to the local media server for ingest and playback. 

Cobalt gear has earned its place on our “go to” list. We rely on the products for various jobs ranging from HD-SDI to HDMI conversion for monitors throughout our campuses to our multicast system and frame syncs in our main equipment room. The future is very fluid right now, so it is hard to predict what our needs will be even nine months from now. Cobalt, however, is always at the top of my list when I need answers to any production situation. 

When COVID-19 hit, the University of Connecticut leveraged its existing lecture capture and streaming infrastructure to continue a full teaching schedule. Based on the Extron SMP 351 streaming media processor and the Kaltura Video Cloud, the system enables instruction via remote, hybrid, and in-person classes for more than 30,000 students. Learning spaces equipped with the SMP 351 allow UConn instructors to record and live stream the AV sources used during lesson presentations. Remote learners participate in classes real time or at times of their choosing via on-demand access through the Kaltura Video Cloud platform. In a typical week, SMP 351 processors support recording and live streaming of 150 class sessions. The user-friendly AV systems developed by UConn's Campus Technology Services team eased the transition to this style of teaching and learning.

[Extron Helps Maricopa County Bridge the Collegiate Communication Gap]

"We strive for simplicity, standardization, and reliability," said Jeffrey Albright, audio visual technician 3 at UConn. "That's one of the reasons that we use Extron for switching, distribution, and control. We select AV suppliers based on durability, functionality, and responsive technical support. Extron has always been awesome at all three."

[Extron AV Signal Distribution Enables Health Sciences Instruction at TRU]

UConn's AV-enabled learning spaces are equipped with Extron TLP Pro 725T Touchpanels and IPCP Pro Control Processors. The touchpanel graphical interface guides users through the lesson streaming and recording process. Extron IN1608 xi Presentation Switchers send selected AV content from document cameras, laptops, and Miracast BYOD screen mirroring receivers to projectors and Extron FF 220T ceiling speakers for in-room presentation, in addition to sending the content to SMP 351 processors for recording and live streaming. In larger teaching venues, switching and distribution is handled by DTP Crosspoint 108 4K matrix switchers coupled with DTP Transmitters and Receivers. DMP 128 Plus ProDSP digital matrix processors select and mix audio. Extron GlobalViewer Enterprise software centrally manages, monitors, controls, and troubleshoots the AV systems.

St. Helena High School is a top-ranked institute of learning in California's Napa Valley wine region. The county is filled with luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, such as The French Laundry. Because of this wealth of fine dining and high-end accommodations, the high school's culinary classroom received a new AV system that enhances instruction on-site as well as for students attending from home. The school administrators brought in E.R.I.C. Low Voltage Services to design and program and Consolidated Networks Corporation to integrate a NAV Pro AV over IP system, along with the SMP 111 streaming media processor and other products from Extron.

"Integration of Extron's NAV Pro AV over IP system and the SMP 111 streaming processor lets the students at home be on the same page as those in the classroom," said Brian Baesler, program manager at Consolidated Networks Corporation. "This makes the AV system just what the chef ordered."

St. Helena High's culinary classroom includes six full commercial kitchens, and the instructor is Chef Karl Turner III. Originally, the students gathered around the outside of one kitchen to watch the professional chef prepare and plate the gourmet dishes. Now, a NAV Pro AVoIP system ties three broadcast-quality 4K HDMI PTZ cameras to the existing 55-inch displays, as well as provides content to the streaming system. An Extron NAV E 101 encoder mounted with each camera shares video from the chef's grill/range station and the two food preparation stations. A fourth camera and encoder are being installed for a heads-on view of the chef at work. The chef's PC and a TLP Pro 1225TG 12-inch Tabletop TouchLink Pro Touchpanel are installed on a shelf beneath one of the prep tables, protecting them from heat and splashes. The PC is connected to an Extron NAV E 201 D wallplate HDMI encoder. To support the PC's USB signals, an Extron MediaPort 200 HDMI and Audio to USB Scaling Bridge converts USB to HDMI. The bridge enhances the computer-sourced content for the students attending class from home. The SMP 111 streaming media processor captures and distributes the camera feeds and other resources for selectable live streaming. Five Extron transmitters stream AV signals over the 1 Gbps Ethernet network. An Extron NetPA U 1004 power amplifier with Dante and DSP 100 watts per channel drives the 70 V distributed audio system.

From concept to commissioning, the entire project was completed in two weeks. CNC credits this in part to Extron's well-designed products and the support engineers. The administration is quite pleased with the success of the AV system upgrade in the culinary classroom, and Chef Turner III is happy with how easy it is to use.

Robotic camera manufacturer PTZOptics has joined the SRT Alliance, an initiative whose members aim to overcome the challenges of low-latency video streaming by supporting the collaborative development of SRT (Secure Reliable Transport), an open source video transport protocol.

As part of its overall strategy to provide broadcast-quality cameras and control devices that work on any network infrastructure, PTZOptics has steadily expanded the local area network control and distribution options for its entire product line. Now, as a member of the SRT Alliance, PTZOptics will be helping to define the use cases and technical requirements for secure livestreaming and video production over wide area networks. 

[ What’s Next for Production and Streaming? ]

The SRT Alliance, founded by Haivision in April 2017, already has more than 500 members. SRT, an open source video transport protocol and technology stack originally developed and pioneered by Haivision, enables the delivery of high-quality and secure, low-latency video across the public Internet. 

“Our customers want to be able to live stream without limitations,” said Paul Richards, director of marketing, PTZOptics. “We are proud to join the SRT Alliance in developing an open-source protocol that will provide security, reliability, and quality for low-latency streams on unmanaged networks.”

“With the SRT Alliance, PTZOptics is joining an industry movement to improve the way the world streams video,” said Suso Carrillo, director of the SRT Alliance for Haivision. “We’re pleased to see the SRT protocol being actively implemented by some of the world’s most trusted broadcast technology providers as its adoption and industry-wide recognition continues to grow, becoming the de facto standard for low latency internet streaming.”

What Is SRT?

A Technical Look at SRT • Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) Alliance is publicizing its new protocol as a good way to deliver video, but is it backed by a solid technical design? Phil Hippensteel offers his verdict.

Using SRT for Live Streaming • This open-source, low-latency video streaming protocol is designed to make live AV transmission simpler.

Kent State University originally launched its esports program in the Fall of 1998 and it was the beginning of something big. Today, with a community of over 400 students and growing daily, the University currently competes at a varsity level in the Overwatch, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Hearthstone competitions. Looking to enhance live streams by capturing athlete reactions and interactions with other players and team members, Jason Forbes, broadcast engineer at Kent State University Teleproductions turned to the miniature CV503 POV and full featured CV730 PTZ cameras from Marshall Electronics.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Esports]

The university was already very familiar with Marshall, as its cameras are used throughout the campus for some of its traditional sports and as observation cameras for classrooms and labs. The design and integration of Kent State’s 12-seat V-style arena gaming space was done entirely in-house with an assist from Heartland Video, which provided most of the video production gear. The use of Marshall’s ultra-compact cameras allowed the team to enhance its live streams to Twitch without causing any player distractions or interference.

“To capture athlete reactions, we placed one CV503 POV camera at each of the 12 player stations as gamer cams,” Forbes said. “We also installed two CV730 PTZ cameras in the arena space to shoot wider shots of the players, and then an additional CV730 in the casters studio. The control room houses the observer computers as well as the Marshall controllers.”

The Marshall CV503 offers 1920x1080p video at up to 60 fps in a durable form factor, and straightforward design. Marshall’s CV730 features a 30x optical zoom block and flexible 12G-SDI, HDMI, IP simultaneous outputs with UHD images up to 3840 x 2160p at 60 fps. Remote adjust and match settings include iris, zoom, pan/tilt, white balance, exposure, pedestal, and more, over long distances to the control booth or during setup with auto settings that track environmental fluctuations. 

Marshall’s VS-PTC-IP controller is used to maneuver the CV730 PTZ cameras into position and between presets as well as paint and fine tune as needed. The CV-RCP-V2 Touchscreen CCU is used to shade, adjust, and match the CV503 POVs remotely from the control room.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming]

“The ease of use of the Marshall cameras is amazing,” Forbes said. “The menus are self-explanatory, which is very important as our productions are primarily student-run. In addition, having PoE has made our life so much easier, as I did not have to bring an electrician in to get the cameras powered up. The other important piece of the puzzle is the price point. Operating on a university budget, Marshall’s price is spot on. The cameras have proven themselves to be reliable. After the initial setup, our players don’t even know they are there.”

Kent State’s esports program has a focus on student welfare. Students on the varsity team must be enrolled full-time and maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average. They also have mandatory tutoring and advising to ensure they are progressing toward a degree. The Kent State esports program collaborates with the university’s Student Wellness and Recreation Center to determine an exercise plan, a nutritionist, and a sports psychologist to work on the physical, nutritional, and mental elements of the student players. In addition, faculty members from across various departments and colleges on campus are engaging in research around esports, ranging from the psychological profile of top-tier players to the way human personalities connect in a virtual space.

Fremont Fire Department in Fremont, CA, is using the TVU One mobile transmitter and TVU Overwatch browser-based viewer with its UAV program to deliver enhanced situational awareness for search and rescue, emergencies, and tactical operations. With broadcast-quality video and almost low latency, personnel are able to make better decisions in the field.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming]

“Our situational awareness has increased significantly,” said Jeff Kleven, battalion chief, Fremont Fire Department. “TVU allows us to get that video image to wherever we want. It doesn’t matter where the person is; now they can see the live video with almost no latency.”

Fremont tried several hardware and software-based solutions, but latency issues made them ineffective. The TVU One solution allows the fire department to support the Fremont Police Department, which can make tactical decisions based on the live video. Kleven said video delay can literally mean the difference between life and death.

“If I have to wait 8 or 12 seconds for that video to come through, that situation has already passed,” he added. “Having little to no latency is as important as having the video feed itself.”

The department has been using drones since 2014. Initially, the drones were used to help with training, but now they are used during structure fires to read smoke, monitor hose placement, and keep track of firefighters on site. Drones have also been used for search and rescue, HAZMAT incidents, and other calls.

In the past, commanders ran incidents relying primarily from radio traffic. “Most of the time, we can’t park close enough to where we can see the scene itself because we have to allow the engines and trucks to get in close,” Kleven said. “We started utilizing drones so we could get a visual of what is actually happening.”

When firefighters arrive at an incident, the drone controller is connected to the TVU One via HDMI. A TVU Transceiver in their command center enables the video to be displayed in their truck on site and shared throughout the department. Kleven joked that the system is “firefighter proof” because it is so easy to deploy.

“I work with a lot of other departments across the nation that have drones,” he said. “This is a solution that can work for anybody, and it’s affordable and it’s reliable.”

Previous systems did not allow Fremont Fire Department to share the video beyond the pilot’s control device. During mission-critical situations, video needs to be captured live—not only to the command center, but also to the first responders on the ground. With TVU Overwatch, those first responders in the field can instantly access secure, live video from any web browser with low latency and without the need for a separate app. “The video quality that comes out through this is as good as anything you’ll see on TV,” Kleven added.

“The UAV pilot needs to concentrate on flying, not the tactical analysis of the incoming video,” said Fred Poole, TVU director of government markets. “They also don’t need to be distracted by people looking over their shoulder trying to view the feed. We provide public safety departments with professional broadcast technology that allows them to acquire and then distribute that video, so the proper personnel can make efficient decisions based on actionable intelligence.”

On site, live video can be shown on a TV on the back of a truck when the fire department is supporting police operations. When incidents become larger, monitoring moves to the mobile command center, where the live UAV video can be evaluated by the entire team on a large screen. “We can integrate the video feed and information that it’s giving us to help make those decisions, so we keep our people safe, and we’re able to mitigate the incident quicker and easier and safer,” Kleven said.

TVU One is a sixth-generation mobile transmitter that can transmit live video from any location by aggregating all available data connections, including cellular, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and satellite with sub-second latency. It features the HEVC video compression standard and TVU’s Inverse StatMux Plus (IS+) transmission algorithm to provide reliable video with less overhead. TVU One also supports cellular 5G. With TVU Overwatch, first responders can securely monitor live feeds remotely. Live video can be delivered to specified users with sub-second latency, providing organizations with real-time situational awareness.

As virtual events became a necessity, so did having high-quality, professional content. No longer could executives, event emcees, and other presenters get away with shooting in a poorly lit basement, or with subpar audio or a poorly composed image, and expect to attract attendees. In addition to better conveying a message, increased production values also help hold an audience’s attention. 

AV Chicago, an Illinois-based provider of AV production and event management services, recognized the industry’s changing expectations with regard to streaming and worked on developing a scalable solution. In early 2021, AV Chicago teamed up with Chop Shop—a Chicago butcher, deli, restaurant, and bar—to reimagine Chop Shop’s 6,000-square-foot event space and concert venue and create a state-of-the-art, broadcast-quality production studio.

[The Integration Guide to Streaming]

“It started from a desire to solve client needs but has turned into a long-term initiative to build our hybrid event solution,” said Justin Frick, co-owner/president of AV Chicago and the visionary behind the Studio at Chop Shop.

The initial vision, Frick said, was to produce both recorded and live events from a television-grade facility, but the emphasis changed once the AV Chicago team recognized the market demand for a more robust broadcast set with more dimension and texture, and a variety of integrated scenes.

The Space

When users enter the studio, they are greeted by a massive 29.5-foot by 16.5-foot (3456 x 1920 pixels) LED Triton Links RX 2.6 video wall, which features redundant digitizers and Green Hippo Karst media servers with an Analog Way VIO 4K switcher/scaler. All of this brings together a nearly 4K background that doesn’t aesthetically overpower the set.

[The Integration Guide to Video Walls]

The Studio at Chop Shop features three stages that are able to provide different yet complementary looks for differing segments within the same program. There is 32-foot catwalk between the LED wall and the main stage that adds depth, texture, and additional staging options like walk-ons. The main stage is 20 feet wide by 12 feet deep, but can be increased or decreased in 4-foot increments for flexibility, which is critical for custom events. With a 12- by 6-foot side stage, a 14-foot brick wall, and a 20-foot curved black drape functional presentation space, a single event can accommodate everything from interviews to performances and emcee monologues … all without a set change.

Production Equipment

The Studio at Chop Shop has four Panasonic AK-HC3800 HD studio cameras and two Vinten Osprey Elite camera pedestals with 24-foot teleprompters. Other production gear includes a motorized 15-foot jib with teleprompter, and a handheld or tripod-based camera with wide lens. The staff can also call on a Panasonic AW-HE2 wide-angle remote camera and Panasonic PTZ cameras. “We chose the Panasonic cameras because they were the proper quality and price match from our inventory for the project demands,” said Frick.

[Panasonic’s Rob Goldberg Discusses Post-Pandemic Reinvention]

As with any production environment, lighting plays a key role at Studio at Chop Shop. “We can rehearse talent, build gorgeous sets and use dynamic camera shots, but if it’s not well lit, it’s meaningless,” said Andrew Brode, co-owner and president of AV Chicago. 

The studio includes 12 FloLight BladeLight 5,600° K fixtures for a wide, uniform front wash, eight ETC ColorSource units on the front-of-house truss for specials, six Chroma-Q Studio Force II with Chimera LightBox on the midstage truss, 12 Elation TVL200 II backlights, eight Martin MAC Aura wash lights on the upstage truss, four Chroma-Q Color Force 72 II fixtures, and six Chauvet profile fixtures. The entire system is controlled with High End System’s Hedgehog console.

No studio would be complete without a killer audio system, and Studio at Chop Shop does not lack. The audio booth houses a Yamaha QL1 mixing console, two Yamaha Rio1608 Dante interfaces, eight channels of Shure Axient-D, two channels of Shure PSM 1000 IEM transmitters with four receivers, and a Nexo audio system for live sound reinforcement. The audio team also has a suite of Sennheiser and Rode shotgun microphones and an optional band microphone package.

AV Chicago also developed a proprietary platform for virtual and hybrid events. “In-person and virtual attendees have unique but similar needs, which is why we created a custom event platform,” said Brode. “Our attendee engagement tools, coupled with the customizable platform, has allowed us to make sure the virtual attendee experience is as exceptional as the experience for those attending in person.”

The Results

Having the Studio at Chop Shop increases the appeal of galas, fundraisers, or corporate events held at the venue.

“With AV Chicago’s vast knowledge of both live events and broadcast—backed up with an extensive inventory—it was the natural choice to help my production company, ESP Presents, transition our clients to the virtual format,” said Matt Woodburn, co-founder and CEO of ESP Presents, an event production company. Woodburn is also co-owner of Chop Shop.

[5 Things Event Planners Wish AV Techs Really Knew]

“Being the co-owner of an almost 6,000-square-foot event space at Chop Shop Chicago, this was the perfect partnership to reimagine an underutilized asset during the COVID-19 pandemic. We pushed our collaborative strengths to create a highly functional multiuse, hospitality-meets-creative studio that truly delivered on the high-touch/high-tech standard that ESP and AV Chicago are known for.”

“When live events stopped during the pandemic, the team at AV Chicago pivoted,” concluded Frick. “With this fully functioning studio we created with Chop Shop, we were still able to service our customers, while following all required COVID-19 protocols. I’m proud of the results and looking forward to creating many more dream streams with clients.”

Click here to read more stories from the July 2021 issue of SCN.

The What: NDI has unveiled NDI version 5, with updates that make it possible for users to connect to any device, in any location, anywhere in the world, allowing it to work with almost any video application. 

The What Else: New to the NDI Tools free download with NDI 5 is NDI Bridge. Forming a secure bridge between any NDI network regardless of location, NDI Bridge aims to redefine the concept of “remote workflows,” opening up new opportunities for live video production.

[Elevating Your Streaming Production Quality]

Also new to NDI Tools, NDI Remote allows anyone using a URL to contribute live audio and video using an internet-connected device, like a smartphone or a web browser, to another point anywhere in the world. 

The benefits of NDI’s optimized codec and transport protocols provide ease of use across existing networks. Other selected benefits of NDI 5 are:

• NDI Audio Direct: Enables integration of NDI audio into software-based audio workflows, be they across a local network, in the cloud, or hybrid
• Reliable UDP: RUDP transfer makes WAN and Wi-Fi connections more resilient with less configuration required
• Apple Support: Full support for Apple silicon systems, bringing full NDI capability to all macOS, iOS, tvOS, and iPadOS devices
• Improved Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro support: Adobe Premiere and After Effects plugin now features improved audio workflow. Updated plug-in allows output for Final Cut Pro with real-time audio and video frame buffer output
• Many other benefits are available, including support for genlock, selection of network adapters, and more.

In addition, the free NDI Tools download has been reimagined for NDI 5, with a new interface and guidance built in.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming]

“NDI is designed to harness the massive creative potential of software and networks, allowing anyone to work with video—and have fun doing it,” said Dr. Andrew Cross, president of Research and Development for the Vizrt Group. “All devices in the world are already connected. Now with NDI 5, you can easily build shows and share video between them, for free.”

The Bottom Line: The version 5 release of the NDI now allows users to share live, high-quality, low-latency video with anyone else in real time, using billions of devices.

The NDI 5 SDK and NDI Tools will be available for download in June. Anyone wishing to be notified once they are available can register here. 

In 2020, Latin American video production company LocalGames realized their traditional workflow for producing live broadcasts of esports tournaments was completely unworkable during COVID-19 restrictions. Gaming tournament broadcasts, which are the company’s lifeblood, would continue, but all competitions would be virtual. No spectator-packed venues, no competitors on-site, international borders closed. The company was given just over a week to adapt to that change. 

“Because all our content is on network, we require a workflow that allows us to efficiently stream video to the network,” said Bernardo Pizurnia, CEO of LocalGames. “And that’s why we chose to go with NewTek. Their products are designed with livestreaming in mind.” 

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming]

To accomplish their post-pandemic goals, LocalGames purchased a TriCaster Mini 4K live production system. For LocalGames, purchasing their TriCaster was more than just a workflow efficiency decision. It also made financial sense.

“We are competing against traditional production companies with traditional workflows for these production jobs,” Pizurnia said. “With their old technology, their end product is very expensive compared to ours, and ours is much more versatile because the workflow is already designed to stream. That’s one reason we’re as successful as we are.” 

Many staff members at LocalGames came from that legacy world of broadcast production, but as Rodrigo Cotiart, broadcast engineer and chief TriCaster operator for LocalGames said, “I found the TriCaster to be very easy to learn. And I’m not the sort of person who likes to read manuals. I’m much more of a doer. That’s the way I learn. So, I just got in there, sat down at the TriCaster, and got my hands dirty. I found it to be very intuitive. That’s how I learned to record macros, create camera presets, modify the Multiview, and build buffer animations. I can’t stress enough how important it is to get your hands dirty. I still haven’t read the manual.”

Just like any other sports broadcaster, replays are an important production tool in LocalGames’ production arsenal, and the company has made use of NewTek’s 3Play to produce instant replays for their esports programs. The reliability and versatility of the 3Play was one of the reasons LocalGames felt so comfortable turning to NewTek when the pandemic hit. 

[The Ideal Streaming Setup]

“I was used to using EVS or K2 for replays back in my broadcast days,” Cotiart said. “The transition to using 3Play was extremely simple. The only thing that changed was the location of the buttons. And honestly, I find the 3Play to be much more versatile and dynamic than those other machines, and all at a much smaller price point. Our experience with the 3Play has been nothing but positive.”

LocalGames makes extensive use of NDI (Network Device Interface), a software standard developed by NewTek that enables video-compatible products to communicate, deliver, and receive high-definition video and audio over a computer network in a high-quality manner suitable for switching in a live production environment. 

“Even before we bought our first piece of NewTek gear, we were using NDI under the free protocol,” Pizurnia said. “And since we knew the power of NDI, it made sense to go with NewTek products when it was time to make upgrades."

The company also owns four NewTek Spark Plus units, which play a vital role in their redesigned productions. Spark Plus converters allow producers to capture video from digital cameras and other devices wirelessly or over an Ethernet network. The Spark unit converts HDMI or SDI video sources to NDI making it available as a video source. 

While many Spark owners use their units to integrate remote cameras anywhere on their network into a TriCaster, LocalGames found a unique way to use the versatile devices. After purchasing their TriCaster Mini 4K, the company had legacy, non-NDI equipment they needed to continue to use. Plugging that legacy equipment into a Spark device allowed LocalGames to continue to use this old equipment and still utilize all the technological advantages their TriCaster offers.

Just a few short days after their world had been turned upside down, LocalGames’ first redesigned broadcast, powered by a new TriCaster Mini 4K, went on the air.

“That first broadcast was accomplished with video boxes over a graphic background,” Cotiart said. “Then we realized we could do more, and that’s when we started adding virtual sets using NewTek’s Virtual Set Editor.’ 

That capability was easily accomplished as it’s natively built into the TriCaster. The next week, the broadcast featured its hosts sitting on a freshly designed virtual set. The clients liked what they saw and pushed LocalGames to expand their productions even more. 

“It seems strange to say this, but COVID actually made us a stronger company,” Pizurnia said. “It pushed us to find new tools, to use virtual sets, to incorporate Unreal Engine. It pushed us into the future and forced us to make the most of the latest technologies. 

“The growth of our company has been exponential. I don’t honestly know where we can get to in the future, but we are rolling at top speed and a whole new world of possibilities has opened up to us.”

These days, you don't have to break the bank to create professional-looking productions. We talk to Chris Wissinger of Roland Professional A/V to learn about his ideal equipment arrangement for streaming. 

A solid streaming setup would have one or two cameras, two computers, a microphone, a small vision mixer with USB 3.0 streaming built in, and suitable lighting. “This may sound expensive and technically challenging,” Wissinger said. “I assure you it isn’t.” 

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming]

Wissinger shares his advice:

Two Cameras

You will be pleased to know that you don’t have to use expensive video cameras to create a quality stream for your classes. I have used HandyCams, Go Pros, and even smartphones, and they have all performed very well. The main advantage of using two cameras is that you are able to change the view for your audience. People are used to watching TV, which continually switches between camera shots. A typical scene would be to have a close-up (personal) camera, for when you are speaking to your class, and a wider view (slightly further away) so that the audience can see more of your environment. This is more important for some classes than others.

A Microphone 

Poor audio is probably the most common downfall of beginner streamers. A clear voice that is easy to understand is key to keeping your audience engaged. I personally prefer lapel microphones, because they are very good for cutting out room noise and they deliver a consistent audio signal for your stream. They also allow you to move around without having to carry a microphone or adjust a mic on a stand.

Two Computers

You will need at least one computer to stream your content. You can use this same computer to share course content with your audience, but it is often the weakest link in an online performance. I prefer to have one laptop dedicated to streaming and a second laptop with a PowerPoint presentation, titles/logos, videos, and even music preloaded on it. This makes your presentation interesting and the transitions between information scenes seamless.

Lights

The lighting of your space is important to set the mood. This can be done with a simple overhead light and a lamp or two. The main thing is to test a few things beforehand to get it right. If you need more light you can easily purchase something suitable from the hardware store to get you started and then maybe look at other options further down the track.

A Vision Mixer

Now this is when things get interesting! A small vision mixer is the difference between an amateur-looking stream and a quality production. It’s like having a mini TV station at your fingertips. With a vision mixer, you can plug in multiple cameras, microphones, computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and media players (depending on the number of inputs available). They also come with great features like picture-in-picture, split screen, smooth transitions, and many other professional effects that will bring your presentation to life. Some vision mixers come with a USB 3.0 output, and that really simplifies streaming. All you need to do is take the USB output from the vision mixer and plug it straight into the USB input of your laptop or computer. You then open up the platform you want to stream on (Facebook, Zoom, etc.), and the vision mixer will come up as an optional camera source.

The past 12-plus months have certainly been an exercise in “do more with less.” After cobbled-together solutions yielded a “good enough” result to get by for the first few months of the pandemic, AV/IT managers and media producers set their sights on achieving much better. What resulted was streamlined, high-quality, and easy-to-use solutions not just for the short-term but for today and the future.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming]

Teachable Moments

With fundraising money and some generous benefactors in 2019, the broadcast studio at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cobleskill upgraded from nearly all analog to state-of-the-art digital equipment. Among the donated equipment was the Broadcast Pix FX integrated production system with BPswitch live broadcasting and streaming software, an FX10 10-input server, and a 1000 (1 M/E) hardware control panel. Other studio improvements included a multipurpose studio set system from Uniset, teleprompters, a multichannel audio mixer, and three Ikegami studio cameras with Vinten pedestals.

Overseeing the digital transition was Douglas Flanagan, assistant professor of communication at SUNY Cobleskill. “One of the great things about this is that students can go into the industry knowing that they've learned their trade on a professional system,” he said. “The flexibility of the Broadcast Pix system perfectly supports that ethos.” The system enables a traditional full-fledged studio production with a full crew of students running the studio cameras, a floor director, audio, graphics, and technical director.

There has been no shortage of teachable moments during the past year, and it was no different for the SUNY Cobleskill communications students as they were practicing for the first fully staffed live event on March 12, 2020. On March 15, due to the pandemic, the campus closed.

“Who knew that we would also need to explore the ability to do things with maybe just one or two people?” Flanagan said. “Luckily, with solutions like the FX system, you can pull off with two or three people what it took 10 people to do 10 years ago.”

Fully or minimally staffed are two very different approaches to production, “but when you look at them side by side, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference,” he said. “One of the major selling points of the Broadcast Pix system was that it could easily be configured to address the likelihood that you might, as a new employee, be one of 12 or 14 people on a crew, or you might be one of three people, and you have to run all this gear yourself.”

Simplifying Production and Distribution

Teaching remote laboratory classes during the pandemic has been one of the most challenging scenarios universities have faced. “We had complex requirements to enable socially distant laboratory sessions to take place across multiple labs, as well as allowing offsite students to join in, and provide on-demand viewing of the sessions,” said Vissen Limbeea, classroom teaching development manager at the University of Westminster (UoW) in London.

Maintaining high-quality online content is more important than ever before, and simplifying how it is produced and distributed was a key requirement at UoW. Each laboratory in the Life Sciences Department is equipped with a WolfVision Cynap system to facilitate in-person teaching. Cynap's streaming capability is used to easily livestream lesson content between different laboratories, allowing students to safely occupy multiple labs while facilitating proper social distancing. 

“Cynap allowed us to meet all the requirements while reducing complexity and is easy to use,” Limbeea said. “It enables the streaming of high-quality, low-latency audio and video between the labs, allowed offsite students to join in via videoconferencing and recording, and the direct upload to our video platform for on-demand viewing including PC, laptop, microscope, visualizer, BYOD, and multiple cameras, including a wired webcam, networked IP cameras, and wireless cameras using mobile devices. Being one device simplified the installation and drastically reduced potential points of failures.”

The Cynap system sends and manages network streams and provides app-free, dongle-free, cable-free BYOD connectivity and collaboration tools. Existing AMX control systems are used to control Cynap from the lectern, and Cynap’s HTML5 browser control offers the possibility of control from mobile devices.

Pop-Up Studio—Build It, Move It

The following is excerpted from the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, Pop-Up Studio Overview and Assembly Manual prepared by CleverFlex Design. 

Leaning on prior experience delivering live courses from the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory, Nathan Graham, director, Center for Digital and Media Initiatives and his team partnered with Johns Hopkins Engineering faculty to envision a new approach to live online course delivery.

“Specifically, we were asked to create 35 studios in two months for rooms that ranged from 10x10 to 35x20 with different ceiling heights, lighting, and acoustics,” Graham said. “These studios would not be permanent installations in the room and might move by the next semester.”

The instructional studios started with a mobile standing desk, which serves as the command center for instruction. The desk has a room controller, document camera, and an interactive display with an adapter for laptop content sharing. Behind the desk is a whiteboard with a whiteboard camera. In front of the desk, we designed an AV cart that includes a shotgun mic pair, LED light panels, two large displays, one off-lens teleprompter, and PTZ camera.

The studios put the instructor in control of the meeting using a Zoom Rooms controller— allowing them to easily switch between and share multiple types of content simultaneously: main camera, document camera, laptop content, digital annotations, and whiteboard writing.

Virtually Outsourced

Even though live events ceased in 2020, the industry found ways to move forward—virtually. Organizers of established events quickly worked to translate all the components of an in-person event into a web browser for virtual attendees, sparking an increased demand for primary and backup streaming services. As a result, Portland, OR-based end-to-end live event production outfit Blaze Streaming Media has been at the forefront of helping companies stream virtual events. 

Before 2020, the Blaze crew traveled to venues around the world to manage events. Today all of that work is handled remotely with help from Amazon Web Services (AWS) technology. Before each project, the Blaze team collaborates with the client on a virtual show flow and then begins building out the engineering stack and production equipment required to carry out the job. Typically, the design includes AWS Elemental Link contribution encoders that are sent to a production base in advance to pre-established templates in the AWS Elemental MediaLive cloud-based video processing service. From there, the Blaze team readies the content for broadcast-grade delivery to event attendees on a range of supported devices.  

“Link gives us an easy contribution onramp to MediaLive and packs an insane amount of functionality into a tiny box for under $1,000,” said Joe Christensen, president at Blaze Streaming Media. “The workflow is so straightforward. We just program MediaLive, attach the Link inputs, and we’re in business. From there, we can go into our event folder, select our template, and load it; it’s pretty much foolproof.

“Combining an on-premises piece of hardware like Link to a cloud workflow in MediaLive has provided us with a powerhouse for innovation, and we continue to be impressed by the new features that AWS constantly rolls out. Even simple updates like the new ability to bulk start and stop multiple jobs at once can make a big impact. AWS technology is making higher-end video production and delivery workflows more accessible to crews like us who can’t afford to spend six figures on expensive hardware that we’ll eventually phase out.”

Small and Mobile

With the Pearl Mini, there’s just one button to push, and the device will record, stream, and do everything you’ve preconfigured it to do. “Everything works very fast, very quickly. You get in the studio, you log in,” said Piet Lamberts Van Assche, professor of Law, Philosophy, and Economics at Thomas More. “You make a video clip, and it is transmitted immediately to the Kaltura platform. And when you get home, or even in the studio, you can go and check it out.”  

With 14 campuses across the province of Antwerp, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences is the largest of its kind in Belgium’s Flanders region.

Video is an integral part of the student experience at Thomas More, and not only for those enrolled in video production or multimedia courses. From lecture capture and remote education to blended learning and flipped classrooms, video content is ubiquitous across the institution’s dozens of programs. “It’s in our mission that we provide videos of courses to students with disabilities,” said Tom Segers, program manager at Thomas More. “That way, if a student has to spend a day in the hospital, they can still see the lesson.” 

To maximize access to the institution’s AV gear, the IT team deployed Epiphan Video’s Pearl Mini hardware encoder satisfying the university’s key criteria of portability, simplicity, reliability, and flexibility. All Pearl systems feature comprehensive integration with industry-leading video platforms Kaltura and Panopto. In Thomas More’s case, Pearl’s direct integration with Kaltura helped streamline the video production process for faculty and staff.

Launched this February, Blackmagic Design’s ATEM Mini Extreme is a television studio in a box. A new and larger version of the company’s ATEM Mini live production switcher, the ATEM Mini Extreme is designed to make it easy to create professional multi-camera productions for livestreaming to YouTube and innovative business presentations using Skype or Zoom. 

Setting it Up

The Mini Extreme supports HD 10-bit color signals and will allow for up to nine separate H.265 video streams to be recorded in real time with up to 70Mbps quality, giving the user the ability to capture all eight inputs and the program video. It will also record up to 10 stereo audio signals, and all the switching information is saved as a DaVinci Resolve file to help with editing later. The Multiview monitor can be configured with up to 16 panels including Program, Preview, Eight Inputs, SuperSource, Clean Feed, Media Player, Streaming Status, Recording Status, and Audio Meters. 

[ClearOne BMA 360 Review]

It supports four upstream and two downstream keys and can do four chroma or luma keys. The media player can store images to be used during production and supports transparency to allow them to be used as overlays and branding. Connecting the mini extreme ISO to a computer will not only allow you to use the computer to save video from the unit, but will also give you a software control panel. Since this unit can be fully controlled remotely with a computer running ATEM television studio software, you can create an instant control room anywhere you can access the network it is connected to. Technically, the unit could be hidden in a closet or server rack and never be looked at again. That said, it looks impressive even when it is off, so most owners may want it to be visible, and the small size allows it to fit on most desks without issue. I found that at first glance it can seem intimidating, however it really is not. When you look at it in detail, it makes sense and operates with ease. I found the operation to be smooth and it worked with the great reliability Blackmagic Design is known for. It was easy to connect to both a computer and streaming service. I tested this with a basic computer along with Facebook, YouTube, Zoom, and Teams. It was easy to set up, operate, and the audio and video quality are great. It performed better than expected as its own unit and with all tested platforms.

Impressions

This unit would be great for anyone wanting to create a professional-looking live broadcast or as the center of a video editing system. Units like this open broadcast production to clients that consider other solutions prohibitively expensive. The quality, flexibility, and utility of the Mini Extreme ISO is difficult to match even in systems many times more expensive than it is. 

In the wake of COVID-19, many businesses have had to consider how to provide their services remotely. What formerly took an entire room, tens of thousands of dollars in equipment, and a team of people to create is now available in a single unit the size of your average computer keyboard. This device and its little brothers within the ATEM line provide high-quality production value at a fraction of the cost. The controls are so intuitive that anyone familiar with a video mixer or television production can sit down and start working with little to no instruction needed. Inexpensive and powerful equipment like the Mini Extreme ISO make converting a breeze while allowing the production to look as professional as a television station. This unit is great for converting churches and government buildings or starting your streaming/video production career.

Jeremy Caldera, CTS-D, CTS-I is senior vice president at Pearl Technology, a leader in AV and IT services based in Peoria, IL. He sits on the academic advisory board for the Audio Arts & Acoustics Department of Columbia College Chicago, is the former AVIXA CTS certification program chair, and is a recent inductee to the SCN 2021 AV Hall of Fame.

Blackmagic Design has lowered prices for its ATEM Mini Pro and ATEM Mini Pro ISO live production switchers. Effectively immediately, the ATEM Mini Pro will now be reduced to $495 and the ATEM Mini Pro ISO model will become $795.

[The Integration Guide to Streaming]

"Since we released these models last year, we have been working hard to make improvements in our manufacturing processes to help reduce the cost of building the ATEM Mini family" said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. "This reduction of $100 on both models will help make these switchers more affordable for people setting up streaming television stations to share their knowledge and skills with a worldwide audience on YouTube, Facebook and more!"

The $100 USD reduction of for both models was made to help make live production more affordable for anyone who wants to set up streaming television stations for broadcasting to a worldwide audience. With built in recording, streaming and multiview monitoring, the ATEM Mini Pro models are designed to help customers create high-quality, multi0camera live production for streaming worldwide to platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitch TV, and more.

At Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) in Massachusetts, the Media Arts team produces content for schools, departments, and teachers while offering students a wide array of media classes, clubs, and work study opportunities. Already using the Cablecast Community Media platform from Tightrope Media Systems to power the city’s educational and government access TV channels, CPS expanded the system’s role to provide hosting and on-demand delivery of online video for a variety of educational purposes. Cablecast’s flexible online VOD capabilities have delivered many advantages over the limited video support in the district’s online learning platform and have proven particularly valuable as the medium takes on increasing importance in CPS’ internal and external communications.

CPS encompasses 12 elementary schools, five upper schools, and three high school programs. Located in a dedicated facility across the street from the main high school, the Media Arts Studio hosts complete TV production capabilities plus playout operations for the educational and municipal channels. After using Cablecast very successfully for many years to schedule and automate their cable TV offerings, CPS added the Cablecast Pro VOD option to overcome significant problems with the separate online VOD solution they first tried from another vendor.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming]

“The ingest and content processing functions of our previous VOD tool didn’t work consistently, undermining our group’s efforts to get more teachers to host video with us,” said Matt Mena-Landry, media arts program manager at CPS. “In contrast, publishing VOD with Cablecast has been a rock-solid experience. We’re really happy with our workflow and with our VOD results.”

In addition to educational programs that had appeared on its cable channels, CPS’ VOD library hosts a lot of content created exclusively for online viewing. Student journalism and media projects are showcased on the dedicated YouthView Cambridge website, with students promoting their shows through social media to attract viewers. Many teachers and groups are also turning to the Media Arts Studio to create and host online video to achieve their educational goals.

“Sometimes teachers have content that they don’t want to appear on the cable channel, but they want to be able to embed it on their course website or teacher resource site,” said Mena-Landry. “As another example, at the beginning of this school year, we created three-minute promo videos for each elementary school and embedded them into each school’s particular web page.”

That ability to easily embed video within webpages is one of multiple Cablecast benefits that Mena-Landry contrasts to alternative approaches. “Our district uses Google Drive for cloud storage, but it wasn’t designed to be a video hosting platform,” he said. “Video in Google Drive can’t be embedded into websites, as viewers must log into Google Drive to access them. That’s a problem when we want to share them broadly with parents or other external partners. Plus, video stored in Google Drive doesn’t play back consistently in real time on varying devices and internet connections.”

Cablecast VOD eliminates these issues while enhancing the viewer experience. “Cablecast gives us higher-quality video with no playback issues at all,” said Mena-Landry. “Its adaptive bit rate support ensures that VOD plays consistently even if the viewer has a poor internet connection. Plus, Cablecast gives us the flexibility to add chapter markers so viewers can jump specific points of longer videos, and we can display related PDF content and metadata next to the video.”

Mena-Landry also noted that popular, free social video sharing platforms are not a viable option for CPS’ VOD needs. “Our district has a policy against teachers and schools uploading content to these platforms because of data privacy and intellectual property rights issues. Plus, such platforms often insert advertising or suggest third-party content at the end of the video.”

CPS recently upgraded to a new Cablecast VIO server and added Tightrope’s Screenweave LIVE service to bring Zoom-based video conferences directly into Cablecast. Mena-Landry praises the platform’s ongoing evolution. “I love the way Tightrope incorporates users’ feedback,” he said. “Cablecast has changed in a lot of great ways over time, continually becoming even more useful.”

The Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming

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“Here to stay” is shaping up to be the mantra ushering in the new era of work and education, communication, and collaboration. Manufacturers discuss how AV/IT directors and managers can deploy a well-designed and robust streaming media ecosystem to ensure a hybrid workforce’s real success.

Touch-Free Teamwork

Since the pandemic hit, the AV/IT industry has been hard at work developing and reengineering products and solutions to enable a touchless environment for when we return. Read case studies and insight from manufacturers on the process of this evolution.

57 Streaming Tips From the Experts

If there are hundreds of ways to stream, there are undoubtedly thousands of potential tips to add to your arsenal. We asked 19 industry experts to share what they felt were the three most essential tips to impart to AV/IT managers as they embark on streaming everything from meetings to town halls to commencement ceremonies.

New Products

A roundup of the latest solutions for professional-quality streaming.

Download the Technology Manager's Guide to Streaming today.

Looking to up your streaming production quality? We’ve rounded up some of the latest AV mixers from leading companies to help you achieve more professional-looking results. 

[How to Amp Up Your Visual Storytelling]

ATEN UC9020 StreamLive HD

StreamLIVE HD features an ergonomic and practical design engineered to facilitate capturing and editing for all independent livestreaming broadcasting environments. With a rich feature set, the StreamLIVE HD addresses the challenges that independent livestreaming broadcasters encounter and provides an easy-to-use solution.

The StreamLIVE HD is a portable, all-in-one, multi-channel audio-video mixer device that integrates a 1080p video capture, video recorder, video switch, stream broadcaster, video converter, video splitter, and audio mixer into one compact box to eliminate the hassle of working with different AV equipment. The StreamLIVE HD makes HDMI video sources broadcast for higher quality live stream to CDN platforms such as YouTube Live, Facebook, and Twitch.

[The Integration Guide to Streaming]

For added convenience, the StreamLIVE HD provides an intuitive app, making it easier to monitor, edit image layouts, and adjust PIP settings. The StreamLIVE HD is PC and software-free, and its control panel is designed to ease livestreaming operations. You can even preview video and monitor audio levels before going live with your web broadcast; to get started, simply connect video/audio sources and Ethernet with an ATEN app-installed iPad.

Blackmagic Design ATEM 2/4 M/E

Blackmagic Design’s ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel and ATEM 4 M/E Advanced Panel are new hardware control panels designed to provide users with dedicated controls to work with even the largest ATEM switchers.

The ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel features two M/E rows with 20 input buttons and two independent system control LCDs for each row. Each row can also control up to four M/Es in larger switchers. Both rows and all input buttons include LCDs for custom labeling, and each row includes an independent select bus. The ATEM 4 M/E Advanced Panel is big enough to match the features on the ATEM Constellation 8K live production switcher. It features four M/E rows with 40 input buttons per row and four independent system control LCDs for each row. This massive panel includes 24 LCDs for custom labeling of every button on every row.

ATEM Advanced Panels give users an enormous amount of control and allows for more complex effects. They each include a joystick, enabling users to position the DVE for custom picture-in-picture effects. Additional benefits include the built-in macros, where users can record their own custom macros and trigger them to play back with the push of a button. The panels also feature transition control for quickly selecting transition styles, fader bar for manual control of transitions, and direct trigger of macros on each select bus.

Datavideo HS-1600T Mark II

The HS-1600T Mark II is an all-in-one production studio that has switcher, camera controller, streaming encoder, recorder, and LCD monitor for multiview. One of the unique features of the HS-1600T Mark II is a dual streaming encoder and an ability to stream in vertical (9:16) format. It also uses HDBaseT technology, which allows you to transmit video, power, control, and tally over a single Cat-6 cable.

[Product Review: Extron SMP 351 Streaming Media Processor]

The new dual stream encoder allows you to stream to two CDNs at the same time as well as record onto an SD card simultaneously. Another unique feature of the HS-1600T Mark II is the ability to stream and record in vertical format, making it easy to stream to a social media platform like Instagram.

The HS-1600T Mark II also features joystick, knob, and preset buttons for controlling the pan, tilt, and zoom of up to three PTZ cameras, and built-in 17.3-inch monitor for Multiview, making it a true all-in-one video switching solution. The HS-1600T Mark II has a MSRP price of $5,499 and it is available and shipping now.

Roland V-8HD STR

The Roland V-8HD is designed to bring a world of creative options to live event switching. All-in-one hardware design eliminates computer setup hassles and software-based crashes, while the HDMI workflow and loaded professional toolset streamline production. In addition to the switcher, the livestreaming bundle includes a Roland UVC-01 “Plug and Play” Encoder for efficient and simple streaming application.

The V-8HD seamlessly mixes eight HDMI sources with Full HD support, even when the sources have mismatched frame rates and color spaces. With the built-in scalers on two of the HDMI inputs, users can interface with client-provided sources like computers, tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles, and legacy 4:3 devices.

With the V-8HD, storing and recalling unique looks requires only a few button presses. The 24 preset memories and composition effects engine work together to provide a completely seamless load between the different looks, even synchronizing the transition of all effect's layers on and off the program output. Thanks to its compact footprint, the V-8HD fits effortlessly into any live production environment, even when you have to deal with minimal setup space.

Collabtech Group has launched Collabtech Studios, a new division focused on creating and delivering digital content covering all aspects of the digital workflow. This includes live, recorded, and on-demand content to help people work better together.

[The Integration Guide to Streaming]

Collabtech Studios will work closely with global partners to bring their platforms to life by constructing digital campaigns for market enablement, educating the channel about new features, and creating end user training and adoption programs to ensure they are getting the best from their systems.

Watch the video below to lean more about Collabtech Studios.

“Over the last five years, we have created content for clients including training programs and new product launches, using our unique combination of collaboration specialization and creation skills," said Jon Sidwick, president, Collabtech. “Now, due to the increased adoption and acceleration of digital communications brought about by the pandemic, we have launched our fully-focused division. We have invested in staff, production equipment, and built more studios to enable the creation and delivery of global programs ranging from end-to-end market activation to training.” 

The content will be created in Collabtech’s established studios around the world, delivered by its collaboration and market specialists in multiple languages as required and creatively put together by the new Studios team of producers. 

To learn more, visit collabtechstudios.com 

The What: TVU Networks has announced the TVU Anywhere SDK, a free software development kit for the TVU Anywhere live IP video streaming app. 

[The Integration Guide to Streaming]

The What Else: With the new TVU Anywhere SDK, developers can add reliable, high-quality, low-latency live video transmission to an iOS or Android app, according to the company. The new kit is designed to make it easy for reporters, viewers, and fans to contribute live video for programming.

The TVU Anywhere SDK is meant for developers involved in app creation for broadcasters, news outlets, sports teams, or any other organization involved in live video production. It allows them to integrate TVU Anywhere into an existing app, which adds a robust live streaming element compatible with the TVU Networks ecosystem including TVU Receivers, TVU Grid, TVU Producer, and more.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming]

“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, use of our TVU Anywhere app to share live video from at-home contributors and reporters has simply exploded,” explained Matt McEwen, vice president of product management, TVU Networks. “The use of remote production will only continue to grow, and live video is a key part of that workflow. Our new TVU Anywhere SDK provides developers with a simple and affordable way to help media companies, sports organizations, and other content creators to generate more content from more people faster, which leads to more viewer engagement.”

The Bottom Line: With TVU’s patented IS+ protocol, TVU Anywhere is designed to provide reliable, low-latency transmission for live coverage, even in extreme conditions. It automatically bonds a mobile device’s available cellular and WiFi connections to provide maximum bandwidth and connection redundancy.

 TVU Anywhere SDK, along with complete instructions, is available now for direct download at tvunetworks.com/tvu-developer/.

Telemedicine workflows incorporating live video have taken on dramatically greater importance for surgical education during the COVID-19 pandemic, as doctors reduce non-essential personnel in their operating rooms for the safety of patients and staff. Needing a way to continue its mission of improving training for ophthalmology students in underserved geographic regions, non-profit organization Advanced Center for Eyecare Global (ACE Global) is using the USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus external video capture device from Magewell as a crucial link in delivering live video of surgical procedures to medical residents and fellows around the globe.

ACE Global is a non-profit organization focused on training and empowering the next generation of ophthalmologists in the developing world. "The leading cause of blindness in the world is cataracts, but there are just not enough cataract surgeons that have enough training, particularly in low-income countries," said Dr. Kevin Barber, president of ACE Global and certified ophthalmologist. "Our major goal is working toward blindness prevention by training more surgeons, better surgeons, and more efficient surgeons."

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming

For years, ACE Global has been partnering with residency programs in countries such as Honduras, Haiti, and El Salvador, making three or four trips each year to teach surgical students in person. Dr. Barber's team was packing their bags to leave for Honduras in March 2020 when the pandemic put the brakes on that journey. Needing a way to continue ACE Global's work, Dr. Barber came across a medical journal article by Dr. S.K. Steven Houston III and Dr. John Miller—partners in eyecare-focused telemedicine solution developer HEALTheia—that outlined their efforts in piloting telesurgery workflows incorporating live streaming technology.

Many ophthalmology operating rooms utilize the NGENUITY 3D Visualization System from Alcon Inc. Designed to provide retinal surgeons with greater depth and detail during surgery than traditional microscopes, NGENUITY lets them operate in a heads-up manner while looking at a large 4K video screen rather than peering through the oculars of a microscope. Dr. Houston had researched solutions for live streaming the output of the NGENUITY platform, choosing Magewell's USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus for its unique combination of cost-effectiveness, quality, ease of use, and reliability.

"Our goal was to balance our technical requirements with the accessibility of an off-the-shelf solution at a reasonable cost," Dr. Houston said. "We also wanted doctors to be able to implement this workflow themselves, so we needed to make it as simple as possible. "The Magewell capture device has given us a widely available plug-and-play option that we can recommend to our colleagues and is affordable to all comers."

After a successful test run facilitated by Dr. Houston, Dr. Barber purchased his own USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus unit, and began broadcasting live surgeries to medical students in early May. "Since then, we have logged around 150 hours of live surgical training through the Magewell device," Dr. Barber said. "Remote surgeons can see exactly what I see, and we can have a live dialog while I am operating."

The live HDMI output from the NGENUITY system goes into the USB Capture Plus device, which in turn sends the video over a standard USB connection into a computer running OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) and Zoom. OBS is used to combine video of the surgeon's hands from a separate camera with the NGENUITY output, with Zoom delivering the combined result to remote participants with lower latency than available with typical streaming protocols and services.

Dr. Barber concurs with Dr. Houston's assessment of the Magewell capture solution's benefits and also lauds its visual fidelity, which is crucial given the precision required for surgical applications. "It's so inexpensive and simple," he said. "I am not a technical guy, but I can set it up in the operating room within five minutes and be streaming to a global audience. The image quality is also impeccable, with no degradation of the NGENUITY output."

Earlier this year, in conjunction with blindness prevention non-profit Orbis International, ACE Global presented a global live surgical stream that was viewed by surgeons in 81 countries. ACE Global has also received a research grant from Alcon to install an NGENUITY system and Magewell unit in Honduras, with a goal of allowing surgical trainees there to stream live surgeries back to experts in the U.S. for mentoring and evaluation.

The Magewell-enabled workflow has proven valuable in enabling ACE Global to continue and expand its mission. "It has become a very powerful educational tool that we didn't have before," said Dr. Barber. "We have now streamed to medical students in Honduras, Dominican Republic, Peru, El Salvador, and Mexico, and can connect ORs anywhere in the world."

The What: Tightrope Media Systems has unveiled Cablecast VIO Stream, a full-featured, automated solution for bringing live event streams and on-demand video to the web, social media, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms. 

The What Else: VIO Stream’s brandable, turnkey web pages let users showcase their VOD clips, live streams, and program schedule in consistent content portals with minimal effort. A comprehensive set of APIs is also available for customers wishing to integrate dynamic schedules, live streams, and VOD playlists into their existing websites. VIO Stream lets producers keep complete control of their viewers’ experience, unlike free video services that insert advertising or may suggest undesirable third-party content after playback.

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

VIO Stream’s seamless multi-platform publishing workflow makes it simple for users to achieve platform ubiquity of their live streams and VOD library without additional work. As live or file-based content is added or scheduled through VIO Stream’s intuitive interface, the system automatically performs any required transcoding for online and OTT delivery, and updates the live event schedule on their bulletin board and website. VOD collections on all platforms can be automatically populated through rich metadata capabilities and saved search criteria. Users simply add each program or event once; VIO Stream automatically publishes it everywhere and dynamically updates all content portals and apps.

Used in conjunction with Tightrope’s Screenweave LIVE cloud service, VIO Stream can also live-stream or record conferencing sessions from tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, incorporating such meetings into organizations’ web and OTT destinations while simultaneously sending them to YouTube Live and Facebook Live.

Additional VIO Stream features simplify operations and enhance audience experiences. The system can be managed remotely through VIO Stream’s responsive, mobile-friendly web interface, enabling comprehensive control from anywhere. IP input streams and NDI sources can be brought into VIO Stream directly for live playout or recording, while integrated graphics tools enable sophisticated branding. VIO Stream’s digital bulletin board displays program schedule information and can dynamically integrate external data sources such as weather and social media feeds. VOD chaptering lets viewers skip directly to desired sections of long videos, while documents such as meeting agendas can be embedded alongside the related media.

“Many public sector organizations, institutions, and enterprises already offer VOD content or a live stream through social media or their website, but OTT platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV have become very significant for reaching viewers,” said Steve Israelsky, president of Tightrope’s Cablecast Community Media division. “VIO Stream makes it easier and more efficient for them to present their content online in a branded, professional-looking format, while effortlessly extending their reach to OTT devices through the same workflow. From city council meetings and high school sports to worship services, users can broadcast live streams of their scheduled activities while building a rich library of VOD content.”

The Bottom Line: Extending the “add once, publish everywhere” efficiency of Tightrope’s Cablecast broadcast automation solution to organizations that don’t have their own television channel, VIO Stream enables local governments, schools, churches, and businesses to dramatically expand the public’s access to their content with ease.

From business to education, entertainment, government and beyond, live streaming has quickly permeated all facets of modern life. With the majority of gatherings previously held in-person now taking place virtually, it’s become an essential communication tool. The City of Santa Barbara in California has come to depend on live streaming, not only to host virtual meetings, events, and workshops throughout the pandemic, but also to share vital information with the general public. With a robust live streaming infrastructure built by Triton Technology Solutions including gear from AJA Video Systems, City TV production supervisor Tony Ruggieri, who serves on the video production arm of the city administrator’s office, and his team have been able to continue their work uninterrupted.

They stream and record all City of Santa Barbara council meetings and other programming to YouTube, with the YouTube link embedded on the City of Santa Barbara website so that viewers can tune in live or watch on-demand at their convenience. Content produced on-site is typically captured using 12 HD cameras spread across three meeting rooms that are connected to a master control room via fiber and Cat-5e cabling. Audio and video feeds are sent out of each room through a production switcher to create the main feed, which is then sent through a router to one of three AJA HELO H.264 streaming devices located in an equipment room for live streaming to YouTube.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming

Using AJA U-TAP SDIs connected via USB to local computers to ensure the cleanest signal quality, the team is able to weave in virtual participants—whether socially distanced on-site or remote—as needed, via an app like GoTo Meeting or Zoom. The received video chat feed is then sent through an AJA HELO for immediate high-quality live streaming to YouTube. All meetings are recorded to a Tightrope server, with AJA Ki Pro Rack recorders on tap for backup to the Apple ProRes codec on reliable AJA KiStor drives. A number of AJA Mini-Converters are also stationed throughout the facility to support conversion between SDI and HDMI equipment, while two AJA FS1 converters/frame synchronizers facilitate conversion of analog component material to HD-SDI for import into the production system. 

“With streaming today, we’ve quickly found that the worlds of broadcast and computers are colliding, and our AJA gear helps us marry the two,” Ruggieri said. “U-TAP allows us to easily bring any camera source or switched feed into a computer for integration into a virtual meeting and use it as the main source for streaming out to YouTube with our HELO. With AJA gear, we also never have to waste time with set up or troubleshooting; we just plug it in and it works, so we never have to mess with it again. And the web interface for HELO makes it easy to control the devices from anywhere with an internet connection.”

When Ruggieri and team are called off-site to stream performances, public meetings, and workshops held elsewhere, they harness a live streaming flypack, which includes three HD cameras, a switcher, router, and an AJA HELO. “Whether on- or off-site, HELO is an invaluable tool for day-to-day production, which is why we continue using it,” Ruggieri said. “It wraps so much functionality into such an affordable box that doesn’t require rigorous training to learn and use.”

The What: ATEN Technology has launched the UC3021 CAMLIVE+, designed to allow users to capture their professional camera or game console’s video image to an Android smartphone or a PC to live-stream in 1080p60 format, improving the quality of streaming on the go.

The What Else: The UC3021 supports 60W USB-C power delivery pass-through, which charges a laptop or Android phone. An HDMI loop-out port features latency-free video preview. Allowing for Plug and Play video capture for recording or streaming through leading broadcast software and having a compact and aesthetic design, the CAMLIVE+ provides users with a high-quality live streaming/video editing experience whether they are streaming inside or outside at an event.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming

“For anyone who wants to stream an event on the go, needs power pass through to stream a video console or laptop while using a video capture device, the CAMLIVE+ allows for quality professional-level content creation,” said Aaron Johnson, senior product manager, ATEN Technology, Inc. “With its lightweight design and hot shoe adapter, the CAMLIVE+ can be mounted on the top of a camera or any mounting system while allowing the user to install a mic and a LED light to elevate production quality and make set up neat and clean.”

The Bottom Line: The ATEN UC3021 is well suited for vlogging and live events, fulfilling the growing demand for content creation studios, wedding and event videographers, live-streamers, and online worship by allowing users to publish and stream professional-level content.

Simply put, streaming video has never been bigger. With audiences, employees, and students spread out across the world, it’s streaming technology that’s keeping everyone connected. But for pro-grade applications, a simple smartphone setup isn’t going to cut it. 

That’s where pro AV comes in. With some good capture equipment and the right encoders and processors, institutions can take their streaming game to the next level, creating productions that rival the quality of broadcast TV. The following are the latest devices from top pro AV brands to help you get the job done.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming

AJA BRIDGE LIVE

AJA’s new BRIDGE LIVE is designed to move Ultra HD or multi-channel HD uncompressed baseband SDI video to and from a wide range of streaming and contribution codecs, reliably and safely over the public internet. Designed in partnership with Comprimato, BRIDGE LIVE is a turnkey solution built for critical streaming applications with high-performance 12G-SDI video encoding/decoding, simultaneous encoding/decoding in HD, stream-based transcoding, flexible I/O, comprehensive metadata support, and closed caption support, all within a compact 1RU form factor with redundant power supplies. BRIDGE LIVE meets the rigorous live video production and delivery demands of Telco, IPTV, and cable operations, broadcast facilities and OB trucks, sports arenas, houses of worship, and beyond with key transport protocols like SRT, RTMP, UDP, and more. Its intuitive interface helps professionals mesh HD/Ultra HD SDI and streaming/IP for live workflows using H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and H.262/MPEG-2 TS, as well as JPEG 2000 via an additional license.

ATEN UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO

The ATEN UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO is a portable, all-in-one, multi-channel audio/video mixer device that integrates a 1080p video capture, video recorder, video switch, stream broadcaster, video converter, video splitter, and audio mixer into one compact box to eliminate the hassle of working with different AV equipment. The UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO makes HDMI video sources broadcast for higher-quality live stream to CDN platforms. For added convenience, the UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO provides an intuitive app, making it easier to monitor, edit image layouts, and DVE, PiP, or PbP settings. The UC9040 StreamLIVE PRO is PC and software-free, and with its control panel, it makes livestreaming operations smoother. You can even preview video and monitor audio levels before going live with a web broadcast. 

Blackmagic Web Presenter

Blackmagic Web Presenter is designed to simply the process of getting high-quality video directly on the web for a new generation of web broadcasting. It replaces expensive and hard-to-set-up dedicated streaming encoders and lets customers or broadcasters use professional cameras to stream high-quality video through their favorite software and websites, such as YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and more. Featuring 12G-SDI and HDMI connections, Blackmagic Web Presenter will down convert any SD, HD, and Ultra HD source and make them look like a 720p USB webcam. Because Blackmagic Web Presenter looks like a simple webcam, any webcam compatible software will be able to capture this USB video and audio from any broadcast-quality source without the need for additional drivers. 

Crestron DigitalMedia H.264 Solutions

Crestron’s portfolio of live streaming encoders/processors—including HD Streaming Transmitter/Receiver (DM-TXRX-100-STR), Streaming Input Card for DM Switchers (DMC-STR), Streaming Output Card for DM Switchers (DMC-STRO), and HD Streaming Receiver and Room Controller 100 (DM-RMC-100-STR)—enable distribution of high-definition AV signals and content over an IP network. The HD Streaming Transmitter/Receiver is a compact, high-definition H.264 streaming transmitter or receiver for use with a Crestron DigitalMedia system or other application. The Streaming Input Card for DM Switchers provides a single H.264 streaming input for any DigitalMedia Switcher with modular input card slots; while the Streaming Output Card for DM Switchers is a modular output card for DM-MD8X8, DM-MD16X16, or DM-MD32X32 switchers, providing one H.264 streaming output. The HD Streaming Receive and Room Controller 100 is a compact, high-definition H.264 streaming receiver and room controller for use with a DigitalMedia system or other application. 

Extron SMP Series

Extron SMP Streaming Media Processors connect students and employees to live or on-demand content anytime, anywhere, on any device. The robust recording and streaming appliances are designed to fit into any workflow for both ad-hoc and scheduled activities. A purpose-built, scalable SMP architecture offers enhanced features and capabilities, above and beyond software, and PC-based recording and streaming. Using any browser on any device, users can remotely control the SMP to start, stop, and pause recordings without touching a physical interface. Content is captured to a USB drive, network share, and enterprise video platforms like Kaltura, Panopto, YuJa, and OpenCast with simplicity of use, video quality, and proven reliability.  

Kramer VIA

Kramer’s VIA solutions are engineered to make it easier to live stream to all the leading platforms, like YouTube, Kaltura, and Panopto, as well as conduct interactive sessions using your favorite conferencing tools like Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. Educators and employers alike enjoy all the benefits of VIA’s full suite of tools, while in-class/at-work and at-home students/WFH employees enjoy a user-friendly learning/work experience; ideal for the COVID-19 era. 

Magewell Ultra Stream

Magewell’s Ultra Stream encoders are designed to make live streaming simple even for non-technical users, enabling them to stream or record high-quality video with one click using on-device buttons, a browser-based web interface, or a smartphone app. Available with HDMI or SDI input interfaces, Ultra Stream encoders let users stream to popular services including YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and Twitch, or to a custom-specified server. In addition to outputting live streams, Ultra Stream encoders can record video as files to a directly connected USB drive, internal storage, or the associated smartphone for subsequent on-demand viewing. Recent Ultra Stream updates have added enhanced file recording modes as well as support for the RTSP streaming protocol alongside existing RTMP and RTMPS capabilities.

Marshall Electronics VS-102-HDI

The VS-102-HDI is a high-definition video server that allows real-time transmission of HDMI or NTSC/PAL composite video signal along with bi-directional AAC encoded high-definition stereo audio over standard IP networks and the internet. Marshall Electronics’ VS-102-HDI incorporates advanced H.264 and MJPEG compression technology. This allows 50 percent more compression capacity over an existing IP network, while providing optimal video transmission quality even in networks with limited bandwidth. The unit can act as an encoder to compress and transmit AV data over a LAN to another VS-102-HDI located in a green room or other location. The other unit can act as a decoder, which receives the compressed data through the LAN and restores the data to its original high definition state.  

Matrox Maevex 6100 Series

Matrox Maevex 6100 Series encoders and decoders deliver multiple 4K streams of high-compression, high-quality video and audio over 1GbE networks—at exceptional low latency as low as 50ms. Maevex can push many streams over the LAN, feed cloud-based servers, securely stream across the internet, and record to any location—all concurrently. Both the encoders and decoders can also composite multiple encodes or decodes for tremendous flexibility, and allow for mixed display content from multiple encoders. The included Maevex PowerStream Plus software provides a simplified operational experience, enabling control of all Maevex devices from a single application. Multiple APIs and SDKs for customization and integration are also available.

MuxLab 500467

The HDMI to USB 3.0 Video Capture and Streamer (500467) allows users to record from HDMI video sources to a PC over USB 3.0. The unit supports an HDMI-in port for the source and HDMI Loop Out for a monitor. The 500467 is capable of connecting to a 4K60 source and will stream at up to 1080p60 over the USB 3.0 port to a PC or similar device to record and/or send the video to a broadcasting service such as YouTube, Facebook, and other broadcasting services. The device is compatible with OBS Studio, AMCap, etc., and supports a variety of HDMI sources such as cameras, game consoles, media players, and many others. The unit supports an audio-in port for a microphone, which is automatically mixed with the HDMI audio, and an audio out port for headphones, or active speakers. 

NewTek TriCaster 2 Elite

NewTek’s TriCaster 2 Elite provides video producers, visual storytellers, and system integrators with “better-than-broadcast” functionality and uncompromised flexibility. In addition to advanced video production capabilities, TriCaster 2 Elite enables studios, broadcasters, large-scale campuses, and enterprise facilities to harness nearly every major video calling application in use today, delivering them a myriad of creative options. To further amplify the flexibility and scalability, both video over IP and more traditional SDI are supported by the platform. TriCaster 2 Elite is designed to set a new standard for production in today’s multisource world with new core functionality. Nearly every web conferencing tool is supported, as well as all IP video sources and smartphones.

tvONE CORIOmaster2

tvONE’s CORIOmaster2 is an all-in-one, multi-window video processor delivering advanced processing power. CORIOmaster2 supports more windows with higher quality with uncompromised 4K60 and 8K-ready performance.  Standout features of CORIOmaster2 include its high bandwidth, huge design canvas, and 8K ready architecture. With 752Gb/sec of bandwidth, CORIOmaster2 can simultaneously display 40 windows in 4K60 4:4:4 with ultra-low latency. It offers AV designers access to triple 64k x 64k canvasses, with up to 12.3 gigapixels of design space, enough to accommodate the most expansive creative vision. The unit is 8K ready, future-proofing tvONE customers’ investment in their video processor. 

VITEC MGW Diamond

VITEC’s MGW Diamond is an IP streaming encoder that enables 4K HEVC multi-channel HD contribution as either a portable device or openGear card. This four-channel encoder, with low latency and low bandwidth HEVC, enables reliable remote production, even over the internet. The MGW Diamond was recently deployed by a sports broadcaster to support remote commentary from multiple sources, and in different languages, to enhance live events. The broadcaster leverages the benefits of the MGW Diamond to simultaneously send a live audio-video feed to foreign commentators for audio translation that is sent back to the production studio. VITEC’s MGW Diamond solution delivers very low latency, ensuring comments can be mixed live, with as little delay as possible for the end user experience.

ZeeVee ZyPerMX2/MX4

The ZyPerMX2 and ZyperMX4 multi-source H.264 encoders support HLS, RTP, UDP, and RTMP, the most-used protocols for live streaming on sites such as Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and other popular content distribution networks. Able to stream two or four sources of multiple streaming formats simultaneously over IP networks, these encoders expand the range of devices each channel can support. This protocol support extends the ways customers can use the company’s products for streaming live content and gives them the freedom to choose the distribution method—direct or via a CDN—that suits any situation. The ZyPerMX2 and ZyPerMX4 also support AAC, a widely used and often preferred audio compression format, in addition to supporting MP2 and AC3 formats.

The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming

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Seeing Clearly

As classes resume and guidelines enable return to work, videoconferencing will remain essential to include students and workers still at home. This guide covers the latest ways of bringing video capture up to professional standards.

The Big Picture

Now that everyone is spread out, large-format displays that enable everyone to be seen are more important than ever. We asked executives from leading manufacturers to share their insights on videoconferencing and collaboration display technologies for today and the post-COVID environment. 

Streaming Studios

Production studios aren't just for TV anymore. With meetings taking a remote-first approach, companies are stepping up their game to incorporate broadcast-level solutions into their streaming workflows. Representatives from NewTek and Roland share how their solutions are facilitating this trend.

Download the Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming.

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.

In the first article of this series we discussed the reasons for the division between AV and IT when it comes to the IP video. We pointed out that AV has concerns about the quality of output, latency in the delivery, and the choice of which standards to follow. These standards are mostly proprietary. We also explained that IT’s concerns are focused on the characteristics of a particular packet flow, how that traffic will interact with other business-critical traffic and whether VLANs are required. We also mentioned some tools that can help analyze, monitor, and emulate IP video flows. However, only a few of these can provide significant support for video flows. Now, we want to go into more detail about AV and IT standards, support tools, and the bridge that pro AV may provide for these two groups to move closer together.

Players

There seems to be three distinct groups on the AV side: broadcasters, pro AV proponents, and those focused on enterprise distribution of video. The broadcasters are organized under the umbrella organization of JT-NM (Joint Task Force on Networked Media). Broadcasters primarily follow the standards published by SMPTE (The Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers), the VSF (Video Services Forum), and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). With over 7,000 members, SMPTE has promulgated standards and guidelines to aid in the evolution to IP-based delivery of video. These standards are universally recognized by ANSI (American National Standards Institute), ISO (International Standards Organization), the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), and the ITU (International Telecommunications Union). An example of the group’s work is the series of 2110 specifications. These cover managed IP video flows and address timing, traffic shaping, ancillary data, stream switching when using RTP, and other topics. The role of VSF is to identify issues involving the development, deployment, operation, and security of media networking technologies. The broadcasters use some of the IEEE standards to address timing as part of the 2110 series. According to Jack Douglass of Packetstorm Communications, who is active in SMTPE, VSF, and JT-NM, VSF is a consortium of companies that create the first version of a standard. That version is passed along to SMPTE, which will typically ratify it.  

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to the State of AV Over IP

The migration of video within the pro AV industry to IP is being promoted by AIMS (The Alliance for IP Media Solutions). They have created a working group whose efforts will be based on evaluating and recommending existing standards and specifications from AES (Audio Engineering Society), AWMA (Advanced Workflow Media Association), VSF, SMPTE, IEEE, and IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). This is a mix of standards that have traditionally come from both the broadcast and IT industries.

Those who are primarily responsible for enterprise distribution of IP video usually follow the standards promulgated by the IT industry. These mainly come from the internet community and the IEEE. Standards published by the IETF are called RFCs (requests for comments). They may be proposed, drafted, or ratified. Occasionally, even a proposed RFC gets the support of the industry and almost becomes a de facto standard. Examples of video related RFCs include RFC 6184-RTP Payload Format for H.264 Video and RFC 7478, which pertains to WebRTC use cases and requirements.

Standards

There is one more significant difference between the way the AV and IT industries use standards. In the AV industry, there is a greater reliance on proprietary standards that are promoted by individual vendors or groups of companies. There are many examples of this: Audinate promotes Dante. Haivision and Wowza introduced and endorse SRT (Secure Reliable Transport); Newtek, now part of Vizrt, is embracing NDI (Network Device Interface). 

While proprietary standards meet customer needs for the most part, IT network managers are generally not enthusiastic about on them for two reasons. First, interoperability with vendor equipment using other standards becomes problematic. Second, the tools often used by IT departments, discussed later in this article, rarely recognize the traffic types specified by these standards. This makes monitoring and troubleshooting network traffic more challenging. While IT can use most of their tools to analyze FTP flows, web browsing, and VoIP, they don’t have any tools that recognize and identify traffic following the SRT or NDI specifications.

Tools

Now, we turn our attention to tools that can help support video flows. All of these tools are dependent on the important concept of packet structure. All IP video packets have defined packet formats. These usually include at least Ethernet, IP, and UDP or TCP headers. The tools discussed here read these headers and make their analysis. Such tools usually fall into one of three categories: analysis tools, monitoring tools, and emulation tools.

Analysis tools capture packets, dissect the headers, and then create reports, graphs, charts, and other visualization aids to help the user understand the flow of which the packet is a part. The premier example of this type of tool is Wireshark, which is free. This software product will show the packets in the order they are captured, allow you to filter on individual flows, and decode any headers that aren’t encrypted. It will list devices, protocols, communications flows, overall bandwidth, as well as bandwidth use by individual devices, and give many other useful facts. Also, it will build graphs showing comparative network use by different applications and servers. Another tool, which is not free, is Observer from Viavi. It does many of the same things that Wireshark does but features the ability to capture traffic at line rates on networks operating up to 40Gbps. By using specialized hardware, it allows the storage of terabytes of data allowing for longitudinal analysis of the data flows.

While there is some overlap between analysis and monitoring tools, the latter focus on tracking flows of various senders and receivers, to try to sense when those flows are behaving properly. These products usually feature screens that show bandwidth levels, error levels, and other parameters on a real-time basis. Most will key the flow as good, poor, or failing with a color code such as green, yellow, and red. Solarwinds is one of the more capable products, but it is primarily for large enterprise operations. It will allow a view of the overall topology of the network, list all VLANs, and indicate where problems are developing. Unfortunately, most tools in this category are not oriented toward audio or video flows.

Network emulation tools are designed to allow users to simulate or duplicate real network links and connections. They can be extremely useful for pre-deployment testing or existing network links where new or additional applications will be deployed. Suppose, for example, that you know that the connection between two locations has 50 ms. latency and jitter of 30 ms. You can mimic this with network emulation hardware (FPGA) or software. There are inexpensive tools from iTrinegy and Netropy. These can be useful for such a purpose. 

Bridging the Gap

So, will the AV and IT industries continue to have this gap in concerns and knowledge? It may depend on whether cross-training takes place. The AV industry must consciously reach out to IT to explain the different types of video and how they should behave on IP networks. For example, ABR video has little in common with MPTS streams such as in IPTV implementations. IT departments should also provide training to those responsible for adding video streams to the network. This is especially true for ABR video, which is sensitive to loss and delay. But the effect is significantly different than it would be for most other video streams.

Phil Hippenstel, EdD, is a regular columnist with AV Technology. He teaches information systems at Penn State Harrisburg. 

Primestream, provider of asset management and automation software solutions for media production, has joined the SRT Alliance.

The SRT Alliance, founded by Haivision in April 2017, is focused on overcoming the challenges of low-latency live streaming by supporting the collaborative development of the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) protocol. SRT is a free, open-source video transport protocol and technology stack originally developed and pioneered by Haivision that enables the delivery of high-quality, secure, low-latency video across the public internet. With more than 400 members in the SRT Alliance and widespread industry adoption, SRT is the fastest-growing open-source streaming project.

Related: How IT Departments Really View Networked AV: Part I

With its Media IO live ingest, playout, and transcoding solution, Primestream has delivered a solution that enables operators to integrate SRT streams into live production and distribution workflows without having to touch baseband video. With Media IO, operators can ingest multiple SRT streams from IP encoders, remote surveillance cameras, or drones and monitor the sources without the use of video monitors or a routing switcher. Each stream can be transcoded in real time into house formats such as AVC, H.264, XDCAM, DNxHD, or ProRes, enabling editors to preview and edit live sources on the spot. 

“IP-based stream production workflows are the wave of the future for all types of media enterprises, but a critical success factor is the ability to transport high-quality, low-latency video in a secure and reliable manner,” said Claudio Lisman, president and CEO, Primestream. “That’s why we are happy to be working with the SRT Alliance in its groundbreaking efforts to create an open-source video transport protocol and to introduce SRT solutions like Media IO.”

“We’re excited that Primestream is joining the SRT Alliance,” said Jesús Carrillo, director SRT Alliance at Haivision. “By adding SRT into their suite of products, Primestream is providing its customers with flexible, robust, and easy-to-use tools to manage multiple streams from capture through to distribution.” 

With spectators currently not allowed in the stands of major sporting events as they resume around the world, live streaming has become essential to keeping fans connected. This is especially true for cricket, which ranks as the second most popular sport worldwide. 

Earlier this summer, Cricket South Africa debuted a new Three-Team Cricket (3TC) format, with PT SportSuite—AWS (Amazon Web Services) partners and developers of a modular digital media ecosystem for sports organizations—bringing coverage of the historic event to remote audiences. Providing their technological expertise, three AJA HELO H.264 streamers/recorders, and other services, PT SportSuite delivered a live feed of the first-ever 3TC match to a fan microsite that its team developed for the event.

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

Held at SuperSport Park in Centurion, South Africa on Nelson Mandela International Day (July 18, 2020), the event provided a launchpad for the new 3TC format, which includes three teams, playing two halves in one match. Drawing in a number of South African cricket heavyweights, the match attracted a broad audience, who were encouraged to donate to the Hardship Fund, an initiative to help those in the cricket community affected by the pandemic. 

To facilitate a live event stream, PT SportSuite connected two HELO units to an on-site OB truck via SDI and streamed footage over IP to the AWS-cloud based media processing and content distribution infrastructure. Given the production was mobile and lacking network infrastructure, the PT SportSuite team configured the HELOs for redundant inputs, assigning each to a different cellular broadband provider. A third HELO was positioned at the PT SportSuite Cape Town office for automatic failover in the case of an emergency.

“HELO was so easy to use and incredibly reliable,” said Clinton Bosch, PT SportSuite’s chief technology officer. “Our team hadn’t ever set up an encoder before but was able to get all three HELOs up and running quickly and without complication, and throughout the stream, the devices never skipped a beat. The UI is so straightforward, and we love how HELO also gives us the ability to set up, configure, and control each device and monitor the stream from a standard web browser if we want, which will be useful for projects moving forward.” 

Looking ahead, PT SportSuite expects the demand for similar applications in sports to grow in the coming years. “We’ve entered into a new era of sports consumption, in which fans—for the immediate future—can no longer be physically present during matches,” Bosch said. “To adapt, sports organizations are looking to find new ways to connect with fans and monetize content across various consumer viewing platforms from OTT to broadcast and digital. With tools like HELO, helping them deliver will be easier, more affordable, and less time consuming.”  

The millions of employees working and networking from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has proven that video is a powerful and successful tool for marketing, collaboration, training, and many other use cases for businesses across multiple industries. Evolving video delivery technologies, coupled with smart content management solutions, continue to provide benefits to enterprise video deployments. The enterprise video market is forecast to generate $18.7 billion in 2020, according to a new report from global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research.

Low-latency video streaming solutions allows livestreaming of corporate events to both internal and external viewers. “Artificial intelligent (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies enable enterprise video applications to be more efficient,” said Khin Sandi Lynn, Industry Analyst at ABI Research. “Facial and object recognition, scene detection, and speech-to-text capabilities are making video indexing and search functions easier, faster, and more accurate. AI-assisted content screening allows enterprises to make sure the videos are in line with regulations. Such features are driving more enterprise video deployments across different industries.”

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

Enterprise video deployments are increasingly implemented on the cloud, shortening the deployment time, and reducing costs since cloud-based solutions do not need a substantial CAPEX on hardware and software. “Cloud-based solutions are also highly scalable, providing flexibility to upgrade or downgrade the size of the deployment, as necessary,” Lynn said. “The expansion of fiber optic broadband networks and ongoing 5G network infrastructure will improve the content delivery process further and open more opportunities in enterprise video deployments.”

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) based video applications are emerging solutions for corporate training and retail and marketing purposes. AR/VR technologies offer immersive and realistic experiences for healthcare or industrial manufacturing training programs. In addition, AR/VR technologies enable powerful marketing tools for promoting products and services in automotive, retail, tourism, and many other verticals. The availability of high-capacity, low-latency networks will create more opportunities for cloud-based AR/VR video applications in the enterprise segment.

Video enables significant cost saving and business efficiency for all businesses, regardless of size. Companies have saved millions of dollars in travel expenses by deploying video for corporate communications and corporate training. “In these unprecedented times of the cancellation of large events, enterprise video applications became essential to connect with thousands of stakeholders across the world,” Lynn said. Low-latency and high-reliability delivery capability are essential for delivering live corporate events. Haivision and Wowza are among the vendors supporting low-latency streaming solutions while vendors such as Kollective and RAMP provide eCDN solutions, which efficiently manage bandwidth and delivery of video.  

The Novel Coronavirus outbreak has contributed a significant rise in enterprise video deployment in 2020. Technology advancements and benefits offered by enterprise video solutions will continue to drive the market in the years to come. “As the market continues to grow, video solution providers need to support efficient features for video searching tracking, video metrics, and meaningful analytics,” Lynn said. “The capability to integrate analytical solutions into marketing automation and customer relationship management systems will also be beneficial to businesses and organizations.”

These findings are from ABI Research’s Enterprise Video: ROI and Use Cases analysis report. This report is part of the company’s Video and Cloud research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights. Based on extensive primary interviews, Technology Analysis reports present in-depth analysis on key market trends and factors for a specific technology.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has been forced into a new reality where we are all on our own private islands. Live audiences and in-person, face-to-face interactions are a thing of the past. As a result, pastors, educators, and event organizers have been forced to investigate alternate solutions, and livestreaming is among the most rapidly growing answers to the problem.

But, as with any newly adapted technology, livestreaming is not necessarily an easily implemented solution. Additionally, pastors and educators must maintain a professional image to their audience, and require a solution that’s better than bad mics, dead air, and technical difficulties.

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

Getting into livestreaming can be difficult and painful. However, this doesn’t have to be an awkward mishap, full of technical glitches. Here are some best practices and tips to make sure your livestream is professional.

If time permits, set up a quick pre-show meeting with your camera crew, audio board, and video production team to talk about the production and crew responsibilities, figure out what the goals are for the show, who your audience is, and what is your message. Double check your equipment, connections, and any remote equipment batteries before the show starts, and if possible, set up a quick test stream to check your video and audio output.

Production quality is dependent on every piece of equipment. Your weakest link is going to make a negative impact. Everything effects your livestream’s look and feel.

Keep in mind you no longer have a captive audience. You are now presenting with a computer or phone with other distractions between you and your audience. Make sure you can seamlessly switch to the next visual seamlessly and easily. Don’t give your audience blank spaces or downtime where they might start to think about checking their email or social media pages.

Take a step beyond your laptop webcam and headphones. If you want to reach the next level of professionalism, for a small investment you can obtain products beyond what you have lying around. Look better, sound better, engage more.

Extend the life of your efforts by recording and posting videos of your stream. While you may not be able to offer the excitement of interaction with a recording, you can offer your audience the choice to view it when they want and drive anticipation for your next stream.

While these best practices may sound like they require a full staff and a ton of equipment, they don’t. There are a variety of solutions on the market today that allow you to livestream professional-looking content on a budget. Look for a solution that utilizes an easy-to-use interface that allows a user to seamlessly add overlays, switch between video and audio feeds, and record and enable streaming all from a one-box solution that can be controlled by a tablet.

YT Liang is a product manager at ATEN Technology, Inc.

Cloud-based video solution provider M2A Media’s new cloud-IP transport service, M2A CONNECT, has been adopted by global sports brand Formula 1 to acquire, process, and distribute the motorsport brand’s live content to global broadcasters and sports rights owners.

M2A CONNECT provides Formula 1 with an event-based cloud-IP transport service to manage secure entitlements of their live content. M2A Operations deliver the service using the M2A CONNECT console to monitor confidence feeds and the underlying Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elemental Media Services.

Related: What's Next for Streaming Video? 

Operating as an orchestration layer over AWS Elemental MediaConnect, AWS Elemental MediaLive, and AWS Elemental MediaPackage, M2A CONNECT offers Formula 1 a single web console and RESTful API. M2A CONNECT gives Formula 1 the capability to set up live sources, schedule events, add subscribers and entitlements, monitor live streams, create live event workflows and deliver tailored live video across multiple regions to diverse receivers.

Formula 1 has also engaged M2A Media’s 24/7 Operations service, alongside M2A CONNECT. Setting up and securing events, enabling last-minute changes and eyes-on-glass monitoring assure Formula 1 faultless end-to-end transmission and broadcast grade SLAs.

“The M2A Connect service is a step change in the evolution of Formula 1’s broadcast distribution model,” said Trevor Turner, head of media systems development at Formula 1. “M2A CONNECT will, in essence, allow F1 to service a greater number of broadcast partners in a more flexible and cost-effective way and will help us distribute a greater volume of live race content than ever before. The team at M2A understands the challenges we face as a global sports brand and has responded to these challenges with a next-generation media service that will help carry us into an IP-over-cloud-led future.”

Marina Kalkanis, CEO at M2A Media said: “We were delighted when Formula 1 came to us looking for a solution to their live video distribution challenges. Formula 1 recognizes that delivering their live video over IP in public cloud is the future, especially when targeting next generation platforms. M2A CONNECT, supported by M2A Operations’ 24/7 service and leveraging AWS Elemental Media Services, provides Formula 1 with a robust video over IP transport platform allowing them to adapt and flex as their distribution landscape evolves.”

“Formula 1 delivers the world’s most popular open wheel racing to more than 1.9 billion television and digital viewers,” said Mike Callahan, head of media solutions marketing at Amazon Web Services. “We are delighted that M2A CONNECT leverages AWS Elemental MediaConnect to add a quality-of-service layer over standard IP transport, enabling uninterrupted live video connections with built-in packet recovery and AES encryption to reliably and securely distribute Formula One’s premium live racing content to authorized distribution partners.”

Get your free copy of The Integration Guide to Houses of Worship 2020.

Streaming Helps More Houses of Worship Reach Congregants at Home

When most think of live-streamed worship services, lavish productions streamed from large auditoriums already packed with congregants come to mind. Life has changed. Even with some congregants returning to services, houses of worship of all sizes and denominations are needing to reach congregants where they live. Houses of worship that had little AV other than a microphone and speakers are now needing to turn to AV integrators to help them get set up. Integrators share how they are helping HoWs that have never streamed a service to how they are supporting their existing HoW clients.

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Product Showcase

Check out the latest products designed for houses of worship from companies like Absen, MultiCam Systems, Yamaha, and more.

At Issue

Experts from industry-leading companies—including Audix Microphones, PTZOptics, and Vaddio—tell integrators what they need to know about HoW installs.

Download the Integration Guide to Houses of Worship.

The What: Renewed Vision has released an update to its flagship ProPresenter live presentation and production software. ProPresenter 7.1 adds new live streaming and recording capabilities that benefit customers immediately amid today’s restrictions on in-person gatherings while furthering Renewed Vision’s goal of expanding the software into an all-in-one live production and streaming system.

The What Else: ProPresenter 7.1 enables users to choose any one of the software’s multiple simultaneous output screens and stream it live using the RTMP protocol, record it to disk, or do both concurrently. The live stream can be output directly to a social media platform, CDN, dedicated streaming platform, or private server for audience consumption. Users can record or stream an existing, locally displayed screen or craft an additional ProPresenter screen tailored specifically for streaming with a logo bug, additional branding and more.

Version 7.1 also brings file-based recording to ProPresenter 7. The selected screen can be recorded to disk with a choice of compression formats including Apple ProRes, H.264, HEVC (H.265), and HAP, subject to codec availability on the user’s host system. The screen’s alpha channel is preserved when recording to a compatible format such as ProRes.

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

“We had already planned to add live streaming to ProPresenter 7 at some point in the future, allowing users to easily reach online and mobile audiences without the need for a separate encoder,” said Brad Weston, president, Renewed Vision. “However, with the current state of the world making streaming more important than ever before, we adapted our roadmap to quickly help our customers meet this increasing demand. Our overarching vision is to evolve ProPresenter into an all-in-one production, presentation, and streaming studio, so rather than serving as a playout and graphics source for other production tools in the chain, it becomes the only tool that customers need. The new features in 7.1 are a significant step in that direction.”

The Bottom Line: ProPresenter’s functionality and intuitive interface allow for users to combine video, images, and text into dynamic, engaging live media experiences for worship services, concerts, conferences, sporting events, and broadcast programming. Version 7.1 augments these capabilities with live RTMP streaming for reaching audiences outside venue walls, and recording to disk for subsequent post production or distribution.

ProPresenter 7.1 is available immediately as a free upgrade for users on active ProPresenter+ software update and service plans—including all ProPresenter 7.0 users who received one year of ProPresenter+ as part of their purchase—and as a paid upgrade for users of earlier ProPresenter versions.

The What: Magewell has announced version 3.2 of its free Capture Express software that expands the application's live streaming capabilities with new support for multiple streaming technologies including the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol developed and open-sourced by Haivision. 

The What Else: Already supporting the RTMP protocol in earlier releases, version 3.2 further expands the software's streaming flexibility with support for the SRT protocol as well as MPEG-TS over UDP or RTP. Capture Express 3.2 automatically detects compatible graphics hardware in the host system and leverages GPU-accelerated H.264 encoding when possible, using the CPU for encoding only as necessary. Capture Express runs on the Windows operating system and is compatible with all current Magewell capture product lines.

The Bottom Line: While Magewell capture devices feature extensive compatibility with popular third-party software for streaming, live production, web conferencing, lecture capture and more, the Capture Express software offers Magewell users a lightweight, dedicated tool for recording, previewing or streaming input sources up to 4K at 60 frames per second.

To read more InfoComm Connected stories, visit avnetwork.com/tag/infocomm.

The What: Broadcast Pix is launching StreamingPix, a complete live production and streaming solution designed for easy setup and use, with powerful features for the creation of compelling professional content.

The What Else: StreamingPix features a RoboPix PTZ camera with integrated remote control; high-quality audio capture using a LAV microphone; SDI, HDMI, IP, and NDI inputs for the ability to input PowerPoint and social media; "ready-to-use" clips and graphics library; media-aware macros to make content visually interesting; one-to-many streaming to popular streaming services, such as Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Vimeo, and more; virtual meetings, including Zoom, Skype, Go to Meeting, and more; and control from a configurable software interface.

The Bottom Line: StreamingPix is suited for a wide range of applications including aquariums, zoos, churches, corporations, events, schools, universities, and all users who want to take streaming to the next level.

StreamingPix leverages many of the same tried and tested acquisition, production, automation, and streaming tools as Broadcast Pix's professional products, but with easy-to-use control interfaces and a library of clips and graphics.

To read more InfoComm Connected stories, visit avnetwork.com/tag/infocomm.

As schools worldwide have temporarily closed campuses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for distance learning programming across media channels has exploded. In Korea, the local Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), responsible for delivering informative and educational content to the public, has quickly transformed into the new digital classroom, accelerating the output of its instructional programming video for K-12 students across the region. The organization is making its content accessible to local children daily from 9am-12pm on the EBS Learning YouTube Channel to give students the tools they need to remain engaged, inspired, and educated until public schooling resumes. Each live stream is powered by an AJA HELO H.264 streaming and recording device.

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

Affiliated with the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), EBS runs two terrestrial and four cable stations using four large studios and 16 e-learning studios. It’s used AJA HELOs to support YouTube streaming since 2019, so when the time came to upgrade its facility in early 2020, EBS’ positive experience with the unit prompted it to invest in additional HELOs. Having benefited from the device’s reliability and high-quality video, EBS expanded its HELO integration to ten of its e-learning studios to support live streaming to its website and YouTube. In each studio sits a SONY PMW-EX3 camera with a wireless micro mux connected to an AJA HELO, which is used to quickly and easily stream live camera feeds to YouTube.

“We’ve been using AJA HELO since 2019 and it’s been really helpful for our broadcasting with its excellent features and quality,” said Mr. Suk Joong Kim, head engineer, EBS. “As EBS is a public service broadcasting station, we have to be fully dedicated to produce high quality programs and we must always pay the utmost attention in selecting the device and equipment. This time, we could adopt HELO again for our facility renovation without any hesitation as HELO is the most reliable product for us. We installed 10 additional HELO units in our new e-learning studios. For the time being, EBS will strive to cover the deficiency of the school education system raised by the COVID-19, by collaborating with the main domestic portals and IPTVs. Henceforth, EBS will continue to dedicate itself to the development of public education and support lifelong education in Korea.” 

Custom Media Solutions, a live event video production company based in Cumming, GA, has provided streaming coverage of The Orange Conference, an annual event in Atlanta for Christian family ministry teams, for years. With its backstage experience, the company created an online presence for people who could not attend. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Orange Conference 2020 to convert from a live, arena-sized event to a three-day streaming program that began on April 29, CMS relied on its HVS-2000 video switcher from FOR-A Corporation of America to deliver a high-end production to a much larger online audience.

“We automated as much as possible using the features from the switcher,” said Marc Shroyer, president of CMS. “We had a couple of still stores with user flags and a lot of lower-thirds from the ProPresenter presentation system. We used DVEs for picture-in-picture looks that we could display on the multi-view at all times, so we could decide when to use them on the fly.”

Related: NewTek Ships Latest TriCaster Mini 4K With Tools for Small Production Teams

Most of the content was prerecorded, but live hosts connected the short segments together. Orange converted its local retail store, which was temporarily closed, into three studio sets. Client cameras were used as studio cameras for the two main sets, and robotic cameras were positioned above the two sets to provide wide transition shots and a birds-eye view for the production crew. The third set, located upstairs and equipped with CMS’s Hitachi production cameras, hosted two live keynote presentations.

Due to social distancing requirements, CMS had to produce the event using less than half of its usual crew in its production trailer. The coverage required 16 inputs, 10 keyers, 11 DVEs, and at least four AUX buses. “The FOR-A was great, it always performs for us,” Shroyer said.

One challenge the production faced was integrating a Zoom-based game show into the live program. During the game, the video switcher received two separate computer feeds, so the TD had the option of taking the Zoom gallery display of the four players or the full-screen speaker display. The host interacted with all four players through a monitor on the set (populated by one of the HVS-2000 AUX buses), which showed the Zoom gallery display as a picture-in-picture inside the game graphics and allowed the players to the see the game board. To avoid audio feedback, a USB interface sent the mix/minus from the digital mixer to the participants.

The ProPresenter system was used for playback of the recorded content, and two keys were used to show the timers from the ProPresenter’s second display on the confidence monitors. A backup system rolled the videos on a slight time delay. Each of the two main sets had a confidence monitor, which received feeds from the HVS-2000’s AUX bus.

Using the HVS-2000’s internal GPI system called user flags, the AUX bus feeding the confidence monitor would switch automatically to the second display from the backup system when necessary, so the hosts and crew always knew when the recorded content would end. The user flag would also make it switch it back to the primary stage display graphics when any other source was selected.

There were two streaming feeds: the main feed provided all programming to the Orange website, while a second feed only shared the two-hour main session to Facebook Live on April 29. At one point, the production had to cut the Thursday night feed to Facebook Live because of potential music copyright issues.

In anticipation of the interruption, Shroyer created a GPI interface between the HVS-2000 and a Clear-Com intercom system to allow switcher commands to be fired from communication panels at several stations in the production truck. From his location in engineering, Shroyer switched the AUX feed with transition to a graphic (without sound) and keyed a countdown timer from the ProPresenter system using the HVS-2000’s key over AUX function to let the Facebook Live audience know when programming would resume.

“Production companies appreciate the flexibility of the HVS-2000, which went from backstage to center stage for Orange Conference 2020,” said Adam Daniul, FOR-A director of Midwest and South regional sales. “We are proud to partner with Custom Media Solutions and provide the live production equipment to help them deliver high-quality coverage for such a prominent event.”

The What: Magewell has released a new upgrade of its free Capture Express recording application that expands the software's streaming capabilities. Version 3.2 adds new support for multiple streaming technologies including the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol developed and open-sourced by Haivision.

The What Else: Version 3.0 of Capture Express initially offered easy recording and previewing functionality, and the subsequent version 3.1 added the ability to stream H.264-encoded video using the RTMP protocol. Now, version 3.2 further expands the software's streaming flexibility with support for the SRT protocol as well as MPEG-TS over UDP or RTP. Enabling secure, reliable, low-latency video delivery over unpredictable networks, SRT ensures high-quality streaming experiences even over the public internet. Magewell is a member of the SRT Alliance.

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

Capture Express 3.2 automatically detects compatible graphics hardware in the host system and leverages GPU-accelerated H.264 encoding when possible, using the CPU for encoding only as necessary. Capture Express runs on the Windows operating system and is compatible with all current Magewell capture product lines—including USB Capture Gen 2 and USB Capture Plus external devices, Pro Capture PCIe cards, and Eco Capture M.2 hardware—as well as Magewell's first-generation capture cards and boxes.

"The importance of streaming as a communication medium has been accentuated in recent weeks by the health crisis the world is facing," said James Liu, VP of Engineering at Magewell. "While we had planned all along to expand the streaming capabilities of Capture Express, the beta release of version 3.2 has become particularly timely given the increased demand for streaming today. Customers who previously used our capture devices primarily for internal production workflows may want to begin streaming to stay in touch with their followers, and Capture Express offers an efficient option for users who don't need the full functionality of a third-party encoding and streaming application."

The Bottom Line: Capture Express software offers Magewell users a lightweight, dedicated tool for recording, previewing or streaming input sources. Originally designed to help users easily verify their input signals and capture devices, Capture Express has evolved into a simple yet full-fledged capture application supporting video up to 4K at 60 frames per second.

The beta version of Capture Express 3.2 is available immediately on Magewell's website.

CP Communications is taking steps to help local organizations maintain communication with their communities throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Leveraging a special mobile journalism (MoJo) app developed by partner Mobile Viewpoint, local businesses, governments, houses of worship, and non-profit organizations can now directly live stream important services and messages to their customers and communities.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming]

In addition to bringing communities and local organizations closer through MoJo, CP Communications will offer backend services from at-home production facilities in Florida and New York to incorporate graphics, translations, and other services to help messages reach the widest possible community audiences.

“The ability to communicate important information rapidly and accurately, regardless of the user’s chosen technology or platform, is paramount in these uncertain times,” said Kurt Heitmann, CEO, CP Communications. “One of the simplest and most affordable ways to achieve these is through the power of mobile devices and the internet. We have introduced this special service to help organizations deliver press conferences, city council meetings, company announcements, and worship services to their communities at a low cost and without technical burdens.”

The MoJo app has been available to help journalists and content contributors cover breaking news, interviews, and live events by turning smartphones and tablets into content acquisition systems. The system uses Mobile Viewpoint’s H.264 codec to encode live video and stream to multiple platforms, including social media outlets and control rooms. Users have the flexibility to connect external cameras (such as a GoPro), and manage and monitor streams in the cloud using Mobile Viewpoint’s LinkMatrix control and management center.

The MoJo app directs users to the Webstreamur platform to login once installed on a mobile device. Live streams begin automatically upon clicking the “Live” button, along with supporting applications such as location-based push messaging and text chat functions. Once users connect to MoJo at the front end, the streams automatically populate within CP Communications’ network operation centers in Florida and New York, where the company’s technical teams can offer additional professional services.

“We utilize a secure data center at each location where we can control, manage, and schedule content on behalf of the user if needed,” Heitmann said. “The app is a free download, and the user requires no investment in onsite equipment or facility infrastructure to capture and stream live video. We are available to add or assist with any services needed to help these organizations cost-effectively communicate important and timely messages to their local communities.”

The What: NDI, part of the Vizrt Group, announced that it would make available its new NDI|HX Capture for iOS and its NDI|HX Camera for iOS applications for free for the next 60 days. This move comes in response to an increase in mobile game streaming and a worldwide shortage of quality web cameras. 

[NDI Unveils Version 4.5 of its Video-over-IP Technology]

The What Else: With many live sporting events now cancelled, esports are coming to the fore and the NDI|HX Capture app enables broadcasting of the action from mobile game to fans all over the globe. Using NDI, the low-latency, IP-based video standard, the app makes it even easier to bring the audience closer to where an increasing amount of content is created, the mobile gaming screen.

The NDI|HX Camera app turns the iPhone in your pocket into a 4K broadcast quality camera system, optimized for remote live content creation. It can be used by journalists to capture the story wherever they are, which is essential in these days of remote working. For everybody else, the app turns their iPhone in to a high-quality webcam that will work with popular applications like MS Teams, Skype, Zoom, and many more.

Each app uses the latest version of NDI 4.5 to harness the enhanced capabilities for transferring video, audio, and metadata in real time across standard and wireless Ethernet networks. NDI 4.5 leverages breakthroughs in mobile phone connectivity, wireless networking, augmented and virtual reality environments.

“Our customers are the world’s storytellers and right now, unfortunately there is one story that is dominating our lives,” said Michael Hallén, CEO of the Vizrt Group. “Like everyone else, our customers are being impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and are having to overcome the challenges of staffing shortages and lockdowns. Making these two NDI-powered apps available to all who need them makes it easier for the world’s storytellers to keep us all better informed.”

The Bottom Line: These applications, used in conjunction with the free NDI Tools software, enable the creation of content, be that the action from a mobile game or live video in broadcast quality. Both apps are available now for download from the Apple iOS App Store and normally retail at $10 and $20 respectively.

Both apps are available to download free of charge until June 1, 2020 and require an updated version of the free to download NDI Tools to be installed on the user’s computer.

On Sunday, March 29, Methodist Central Hall Westminster (MCHW) delivered its church service via live stream using technical solutions specialist White Light’s (WL’s) SmartStage. This technology, previously seen on live coverage of the FIFA World Cup in Russia, enabled the ministerial team to engage virtually with an international congregation of over 3,000 people.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming]

The service was streamed via YouTube, with viewers from as far afield as Ghana, Australia, Nigeria, and the USA tuning in remotely. MCHW’s deputy superintendent minister, reverend Tony Miles hosted the service directly from the SmartStage at WL’s Studio 15, with other ministers connecting remotely from the safety of their homes. “As we were unable to conduct this service from our chapel, due to the COVID-19 crisis, using this technology as an alternative solution was an amazing experience,” Miles said. “I was nervous beforehand, but I found it so easy to interact with the imagery and other content surrounding me, as well as my colleagues, all within this environment. We are very grateful to WL for enabling us to connect with our audience in this innovative way.”

“SmartStage allows for multiple layers of interactivity to enhance the immersive experience for presenters and viewers alike,” said WL’s technical solutions director, Andy Hook. “At a time when many are struggling with isolation and uncertainty, we are delighted that we could adapt our technology to help bring MCHW’s congregation back together.”

The What: As in-person gatherings around the globe have been suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, groups and organizations such as churches, cultural event organizers and local governments are turning to internet streaming to deliver their messages to their followers. To help such users get live audio streams online quickly, Barix has upgraded its Instreamer ICE audio-over-IP encoder to enable simpler installation while also offering new customers a free audio streaming service for their websites for the next six months.

[Barix Turns Virtually Any Loudspeaker into an IP Speaker with Launch of IP Former at ISE 2020]

The What Else: The new updates to Instreamer ICE help users overcome firewall issues and user limits, enabling them to deploy the unit for streaming audio through their website in less than 30 minutes. Barix provides the customer with a configuration file including customized streaming parameters. The user simply plugs their microphone or audio console into the analog input of the encoder, connects the device to the internet, and loads the configuration file. The audio stream is now ready, and once a button for it has been placed on the organization’s website, visitors can start listening.

In addition, Barix is offering a free streaming service to help these customers share their events online, expanding the number of listeners they can reach while avoiding the cost of a third-party streaming service or the time and effort of setting up their own Icecast server.

“Such streaming services are normally paid month-by-month and offer significant value for the money, but we decided to offer Instreamer ICE with free streaming included to help the community cope with the current situation,” said Manuel Merki, head of marketing at Barix. “Streaming is an important tool in helping people stay connected to community touchpoints such as their churches even when they’re physically isolated, so we’re happy to play even a tiny role in helping groups do so. At the same time, for those new to streaming, getting set up can be challenging when integrators and technicians may be unable to visit them, so we wanted to make Instreamer ICE even easier to install.”

Customers who want to stream beyond their websites—for example, for internet radio services—still have the option of using a paid third-party streaming host of their own choosing. Alternatively, after the six-month period, users can continue to stream for free but with the standard limitation of 100 simultaneous listeners via Instreamer ICE’s built-in Icecast server.

The Bottom Line: Barix’s Instreamer ICE was originally designed to encode high-quality, bandwidth-efficient AAC+ or MP3 streams for Icecast-based streaming applications such as internet radio and multi-site audio distribution. Streams can be sent to an external Icecast system or third-party service provider for unlimited propagation, or distributed directly to up to 100 listeners via the unit’s built-in Icecast server.

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BU’s Learning Tech Team Discusses Their Move to Virtual Classrooms

Boston University's Linda Jerrett and Ernie Perez discuss how they handled the school's sudden shift to remote education in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

University Tech Managers Implementing Distance Learning

Managers from leading institutions break down the ways they're supporting distance learning during the pandemic. Subjects include Patty Mead of UC Berkeley, Rudy Rodriguez of Columbia University, Joe Way of University of Southern California, and more. 

Upgrading Your Live Streaming Capabilities

We cover solutions for upgrading your campus facilities for smoother streaming of live sports and events once things get back to normal. 

Download the The Technology Manager's Guide to Distance Learning and Streaming.

In the lesson for this month we are going to do an analysis of a popular streaming service. Our goal is to better understand how we can use a traditional IT tool to do a deep analysis of this type of video flow. We will learn techniques that are widely applicable to troubleshooting and to analyzing other types of audio and video flows.

We’ve chosen to use Netflix as an example of a streaming service. Netflix has recently passed $1 billion in revenue and represents extremely high amounts of IP traffic on the internet. Like Apple HLS and Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Netflix generally uses variations of adaptive bit rate (ABR) delivery. The transport method is very different from other video flows such as conferencing video, SRT, or SDVoE.  

It is interesting to understand how Wireshark, a free IT tool, can help in our analysis. Wireshark has been used for decades with traditional data applications. However, here, our focus is on its use with video. In the example discussed here, the internet connection is DSL with a downstream/upstream bandwidth of 20/2Mbps. The target playout device is a Windows 10 computer running Chrome to access the video. In order to capture the Netflix flow, the stream is passed through an Ethernet switch and the analysis device running Wireshark is attached to a mirror port.

Using a feature of Wireshark called conversations, we can obtain a table such as that shown in Figure 1. By inspecting the various tabs at the top and clicking on column headings to sort the entries in the column, we can see the TCP sessions that deliver the video to the client computer at 192.168.7.116. The first three sessions dominate, delivering about 44 MB. If we right click on the first row of that table, the traffic for that TCP session is separated and shown. 

Then, using the I/O graph function of Wireshark, Figure 2 results. This illustrates the bandwidth used by the single TCP session sent to port 50926 (listed in the first row of Figure 1). In the first 23 seconds, the video source uses most of the available 20Mb bandwidth to attempt to saturate the playout buffer. Then, at varying intervals of approximately 5-10 seconds, the playout buffer is refreshed with much smaller deliveries of video. If we were to repeat this procedure on the sessions described in line 2 and 3 of Figure 1, we would see almost identical graphs. By starting three simultaneous sessions to deliver the first burst, Netflix can overcome one of the problems posed by the TCP algorithm. A single session would be handicapped by the latency of the connection.

So, what can we conclude from this evidence? First, the deliveries use TCP, which indicates that it is under the control of the TCP algorithm. Decreasing the bandwidth will lengthen the time needed to deliver the first saturation burst and all succeeding bursts. Second, the length of this burst will be subject to the amount of traffic on the upstream path, which delivers the acknowledgements of the delivered packets. The presence of competing traffic or high network loss rates will also lengthen each burst. If these bursts use too much time and the playout buffer empties, the video will pause. This will probably increase the likelihood that the source will switch to a lower resolution. Such interference will also increase latency in the delivery.

Note that changing the playout device, its operating system or its browser, or the type of internet connection will change the results you will see. However, at the very least, we have seen an example of video delivery that is much different than what we would see if we analyzed IPTV, conferencing video, or video types such as SRT. 

The ability to effectively leverage streaming video is becoming increasingly important for a range of use cases, from augmenting brand engagement to boosting organizational productivity. Several prominent tech managers weigh in on how they've deployed streaming video successfully.

Getting Hands-On

One of the challenges enterprise AV/IT teams struggle with is actually defining their streaming requirements for what can be a long list of potential use cases. Dan Rayburn, a streaming media consultant and principal analyst at business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan in New York, suggests that the best way to determine what you need is to start experimenting.

“Build one studio—just one. Dedicate a room to it, put in a camera, put in transcoding. Run that for a couple of months. You will get so much expertise and knowledge from doing that, and then you’ll go, ‘OK, if we want X number of groups within the company to do these the way we’re doing this in the studio, we’re going to need a total of six studios at these locations. And because we have six, that’s the bandwidth we’re going to need in these locations,’” he said. “That’s the way you really get experience in doing it yourself instead of just outsourcing it to somebody, which is what a lot of companies do. You’ve got to get hands-on with it.”

Think TV

Andy Howard, founder and managing director at Howard & Associates LLC, an IP video consultancy based in Madison, CT, encourages enterprise AV/IT departments to approach streaming like TV. “Nowadays, most organizations have plenty of bandwidth, so my recommendation is always: create an environment where you can deliver a single video stream that’s more like a television broadcast,” he said. “At some point, you might want to focus on the speaker; at some point you might want to focus on the content. You can create lower thirds: who’s the presenter here? You can integrate graphics much more easily.” This approach, he argues, also serves in the long run: “It’s actually easier to deliver just a single video stream, and then you also have an asset that is able to be repurposed for video on demand in a variety of ways.” 

In the Field: Tech Managers Talk Streaming

The Organization: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

The Techs: Chip Hickey, IT manager, multimedia services and Joe O’Hagan, multimedia production supervisor

The Need: To stream 50 to 75 live webcasts annually, some low-attendance and password-protected, others for tens of thousands of public viewers.

The Challenge: “We have experienced very few technical problems when sending webcasts. Usually, problems emerge when they are out of or control. One example is when we are providing services for a customer that wants the webcast viewed on a web page or on a platform that (for privacy reasons) they need to input settings themselves. Sometimes, the wrong box is checked (such as resolution) and problems emerge. We try, whenever possible, to test the production and stream prior to the event start date and time.”

The Lessons Learned: “[We] recommend constant diligence with updates and equipment maintenance. Something will eventually go wrong if hardware or software does not get the TLC it needs.”

The Organization: Third Bridge Group Limited, London, U.K.

The Tech: Paul Driscoll, business systems manager

The Need: To stream live events to 1,000 people located in eight offices worldwide.

The Challenge: “Mostly the quality of production expected by viewers—the days of a webcam on a stick are long gone. [We have overcome these issues] using 1080p cameras, lapel mics, mixing desks, and Blackmagic Web Presenter.”

The Lessons Learned: “Aim high and expect ‘feedback’ from your first try!”

The Organization: Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ

The Tech: Johnathan Bamber, web/database developer and media services

The Need: To stream small weekly events that deliver faculty insight on business-related current events, as well as larger-scale productions such as a live stream of entrepreneur Mimi Feliciano discussing human trafficking, and the 2018 Convocation Ceremony.

The Challenge: “Limited time and resources. Often these requests are made with very little advance notice. Finding student staff that are well-versed in the technology such that they possess the problem-solving ability when dealing with the dynamic nature of a live event can be very challenging. We are fortunate to have students who are intrinsically motivated and have an interest in these fields.”

The Lessons Learned: “As with any technology, it is imperative to test. When the event is scripted, I would advise running through the script with the technical staff involved and documenting actions where necessary.”

Every week, the 27,000-odd global employees at Uber Technologies, Inc. are invited to dial in to an all-hands meeting. Presenters include everyone from key executives to team members from the organization’s various divisions, and the event concludes with a Q&A. While these events are streamed live from the ride-sharing company’s studio at its global headquarters in San Francisco, on numerous occasions presenters are scattered across the world—just like the employees that are viewing this content each week. 

“It’s not just a single site where we’re streaming out and broadcasting from one location; we’re actually pulling in all these different streams and then rebroadcasting them around the world,” said Sean Patterson, senior AV engineer at Uber. 

[Going Live: Planning an Engaging Livestream]

To achieve all this, Uber’s AV operations and events team relies on the Zoom communications platform. Jerry Yuan, senior AV engineer at Uber, acknowledges that while Zoom is traditionally used for videoconferencing and webinars, this approach has facilitated access to live streams for employees. “This enables [employees] that already use Zoom daily to dial into an ID that we propagate every week, and watch the all-hands from their smartphones, computers, conference room, or another office event space,” he said. It also minimizes the need for on-site technicians around the world, as would be the requirement with other platforms, he added. “If we were to use a traditional live streaming platform, a tech at each individual site would have to pull up a laptop, type in the URL, and then plug the computer in with an HDMI cable, for example. But we’re lucky in that we have all these different Zoom Rooms and event spaces built out all over the world that anyone can type in the secured ID and then, without a separate computer, they can broadcast that event.”

As with any live event, good communication between the members of the production team and remote sites is critical for these large-scale broadcasts. Yuan relayed that in the past, these individuals would rely on the company’s internal chat tool—not an optimum solution because of delays between pings. To address this, the team once again turned to Zoom: “We’ve bridged our intercom system over Zoom so that any tech dialing in from a remote site can just join that secondary call and have real-time communication with everyone operating a control station in San Francisco,” he said. Not only has this improved backstage communications, it’s also helped the tech team to better interact with remote presenters.

Alvin Rovira, manager of AV operations and events at Uber, noted that another challenge he and his team faced previously was enabling a remote presenter to control the master slide deck, and thus access their own presentation notes. Their workaround: through remote management functionality, they are able to set up two “versions” of the slide deck so that a remote presenter can click through their own notes locally, while the production team advances the master deck alongside. “It gives the presenter the confidence to feel like they’re literally just clicking through their own notes, but then once they click, we’ll advance the master deck that everyone else gets to see on the call,” he said.

Confident presenters mean a better broadcast all around, and Yuan noted that he and his colleagues have been able to set presenters at ease with the implementation of a full dress rehearsal prior to the broadcast. On-site presenters arrive an hour or two before the event, giving them the opportunity to click through their slides, talk through their key points, learn where they should be standing, and even learn how to hold a microphone if they haven’t had to do so before. “All of that really streamlined the process and pretty much eliminated any of the awkward transition period from one presenter to the next,” Yuan said. And again, the bridged intercom system allows the production team at HQ to conduct remote rehearsals with other sites.

While the weekly all-hands meeting is one of the largest broadcasts handled by Uber’s AV operations and events team, Rovira noted that he and his team members are available to assist employees with small-scale meetings and presentations that require audiovisual and streaming support, and the company’s Global Service Desk Team provides support for offices outside of San Francisco. He also pointed out that his team works with employees and outsourced production companies for events taking place outside of Uber facilities, such as in hotel ballrooms. For these types of events, Rovira said that his team will partner with the organizers and the outside production crew (or on-site production crew if, say, the venue has one), and will furnish their Zoom streaming setup. They will also negotiate bandwidth allocation with the venue: “What we do now is create our own VLAN—or at least get our own network circuit—just for the streaming,” he said. “We get a hardline drop, that way our setup has a dedicated feed, [and] it’s uninhibited by people who are joining the network from their phones.” 

While not all organizations have the resources or even the requirements Uber has to scale streaming on a global level—be it within the enterprise or off site—it’s important for AV/IT departments of all sizes to invest the time in finding both a platform and vendor partner that they can work with now and in the future, Patterson said. “A smaller company might have certain needs right now, but if you are a high-growth company or if you’re planning for the next year, or the next three years or five years, make sure you’re not pigeon-holing yourself into a platform that’s not going to be able to scale up with you,” he said. Some features may not seem necessary in the present day, but “a year from now [you] might need it, or five years from now [you’re] definitely going to need it. Finding something you can leverage across all your different use cases [is] a challenge, but it’s also a huge benefit.”

Carolyn Heinze is a freelance writer/editor.

A couple minutes of buffering, a couple seconds of playback. You press pause. And wait… and wait. The video stutters along as the pixelated rollercoaster car climbs painfully up the lift hill, which in 240p, looks like a dark, steep pyramid stretching interminably into a washed-out sky. Finally, the progress bar has inched along far enough, and you watch with delight from the front seat as the coaster plunges down the near-vertical drop at blinding speed.

What’s your first memory of streaming a video? For me, it was loading the tiny, grainy onboard testing video of Millennium Force, the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the world when it opened in 2000, on Cedar Point’s website. With a 28k dialup connection, this two-minute video took at least a dozen minutes to consume back then—but that didn’t stop me from watching it over, and over, and over, until I finally got to ride it for real the following summer. 

When I hear the word “streaming” today, that kind of experience still resonates a tiny bit in the back of my mind. Streaming was a process, a slow trickle of pixels from the worldwide web into my computer. A process that took patience, but one that was filled with endless possibilities. Sure, you could barely make out any details in the picture, and the audio was atrocious, but you could sense that it was the beginning of something big. 

Today, of course, that trickling spring has become a roaring, life-sustaining river. From entertainment to communications, we’ve grown increasingly reliant on the trusty flow of video to our screens—and conditioned to its perfection. When you press play on Netflix, you expect a flawless 4K image to fill your screen. Buffering? I’d bet that most Gen Zers, born after Millennium Force thrilled its first riders, don’t even know what that means.

This brings us to a core challenge for our industry. Everything in your consumer life just works; shouldn’t pro solutions be just as simple? In AV Technology, we take a look at ways that video communications are being elevated to meet and exceed their consumer counterparts. From livestreaming to enterprise video, industry experts weigh in on ways that AV aptitude can be applied to reach a level of quality that Magewell’s Nick Ma calls “technical invisibility,” where the experience is so natural, the user doesn’t even think about it. 

It’s been a long climb from the humble days of the early web. According to some estimates, video will soon account for almost 85 percent of all internet traffic. We’re at the top of the hill, and there’s only one way down. So put your hands up and embrace the ride.

The What: NewTek has introduced the next-generation TriCaster Mini, the newest addition to the TriCaster product line of video production systems. This latest model adds UHD capability and features such as the ability to import streaming 4K video from iOS devices into a production mix over Wi-Fi. 

The What Else: The plug-and-play setup of TriCaster Mini is designed to allow new video producers to get started quickly and easily work their way up to creating more sophisticated programs in resolutions up to 4K, for delivery to all of today’s screens. Also included are hundreds of entry-level and advanced production tools like built-in virtual sets, animated transition effects, replay for sporting events, streaming, recording, projecting, one-touch social media publishing, and more.

“We believe a lot of our customers for this system might not have any technical production expertise at all, so we’re trying to make it as easy as possible to get them set up and going quickly,” said Matt Allard, product marketing manager at NewTek. “So we’ve got a quick start guide that tells you what’s in the box, how to cable up your system… there’s a URL to videos that teach the basics of production. And of course, there are more advanced options as you grow in your knowledge of the machine.”

TriCaster Mini’s eight external video inputs will support any combination of compatible sources in resolutions up to 4K UHD, giving storytellers more options, more angles, and more points of view. TriCaster Mini’s four plug-and-play NDI connections with power-over-Ethernet (PoE) makes video, audio, tally, power and control as easy as plugging in an Ethernet cable. Two included input modules with PoE directly connect to existing HDMI devices, instantly upgrading them to NDI-compatible sources. 

Exclusive to the new TriCaster Mini is the NDI|HX Camera Application for Mobile Devices available as a download from the Apple App store. This allows video, up to 4K UHD from an iOS device, to transmit over Wi-Fi as an NDI source and connect with TriCaster Mini systems on the network, enabling footage from iPhones to be incorporated into the production on the fly.

According to Scott Carroll, director of public relations at NewTek, the TriCaster Mini is particularly well suited for applications in education such as serving as a hub for automated lecture capture workflows and for student-run event production. The device also has potential as a communications tool in corporate environments, functioning as an adjunct to meetings and enabling the swift production of quick video messages. 

The Bottom Line: Featuring UHD and enhanced production capabilities, the TriCaster Mini is designed to enable operators of all capability levels to produce high-quality content. The NewTek TriCaster Mini will be available this month with packages starting from $8,995 USMSRP.