The What: TASCAM’s VS-R265 AV over IP streaming encoder and decoder appliance made its U.S. debut at InfoComm this week. Designed for live video streaming in 4K/UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution, the unit offers simultaneous encoding, recording, streaming, and decoding of multiple HEVC-encoded video streams at a low bit rate over standard networks suitable for 100Mbps or 1Gbps. It is compatible with standard streaming protocols including HLS, RTMP, RTP/RTSP, Multicast, and Unicast—all with RESTful API for integration into control systems in commercial AV installations.
The What Else: The unit is equipped with balanced analog Euroblock connectors and unbalanced analog 1/8” (3.5mm) mini-stereo jacks for audio I/O. Audio can be embedded from analog sources and de-embedded to drive audio devices such as ceiling speakers, or digital audio within the HDMI I/O can be used. Installed output level configuration function and reference level switching function (up to +20 dBU) allows reliable and flexible system structuring.
The VS-R265 can record directly to USB-connected media or SD cards via a front-panel loading slot. Recorded files can be uploaded to an FTP server automatically for backup or repurposing to the web.
The unit offers HDMI in/out connections for additional versatility in commercial AV installations and live video streaming environments. The HDMI input port enables streaming to the network as well as encoding to MPEG-4 H.265/H.264 from the HDMI input and decoding from the network stream to the HDMI output.
TASCAM’s Discovery app allows multiple VS-R units connected to the network to be managed from a simple browser-based GUI. All configuration settings are saved within the VS-R devices, so no computer is needed in normal operation for streaming or recording.
Power is provided from a PoE+ compatible network switch and additionally from a TASCAM PS-P1220E external power supply (supplied separately).
The Bottom Line: The VS-R265 provides an integrated solution to the growing need for professional-quality streaming video and audio in any environment.
