Epiphan's Guide to Live Streaming Hardware Encoders

Hardware encoders are essential to streaming. They are a dedicated appliance for capturing, compressing and converting audio-visual data into the best format for your stream.

Epiphan, the company behind the Pearl 2, the Webcaster X2 and the Pearl Mini production systems, recently released a guide to streaming encoders!

The products mentioned above are perfect for streaming multiple sources to YouTube, Facebook Live, or Twitch. Check out this work flow diagram, below.

It's important to note that the Pearl 2, Pearl Mini and Webcaster X2 are all hardware encoders, not software encoders. Software encoders rely on computer hardware and processing power- which is simultaneously handling several other tasks. Meanwhile, hardware encoders are designed solely for encoding.

Epiphan recently put out a great guide to hardware encoders. One major topic they cover is the difference between codecs. Check out this video Epiphan included in their article.

The article also mentions several features to consider in your streaming encoders.

1. Workflow+UI Controls
2. Live Production Options
3. Local Video Playback
4. Types of Video and Audio Inputs
5. Type of Network Connectivity
6. Form factor

To learn more about any of these features, or to see Epiphan's full article on this topic, click HERE.

Learn more about Epiphan HERE