Live Production & Streaming: There's an App for that!
Adam Noyes (Video Production Specialist) stepped in for Gary on this recent episode of Videoguys Live going over all the additional software and apps readily available to help bring your live production to the next level.
Why get software or apps?
It all depends. Often time this software or the apps available can help you utilize the software to help bring out features your hardware can do.
It can also help offload from processing power from your computer. For example: If you have a hardware encoder, not you can download a PTZ control software onto your computer to run that. BUT if You are streaming via your computer, using an app on your phone can help offload some processing power, letting your computer focus more on streaming.
Breaking down the presentation
1. Apps that make hardware products do more
2. Apps to get more from your PTZ Cameras
3. Apps to bring your live production to the next level
4. Apps for the Cloud
Apps that make hardware products do more
XPOSE software can help you utilize the RGBlink mini or mini+ to use PTZ Controls, chroma key, and more. Check out our full length demo below! There is also the XPOSE app available for phones and tablets
Roland has a couple of different apps available.
First is the Virtual Stage Camera App
- Replace the background from your videos with content from your smartphone, while shooting in real-time
- Produce blue/greenscreen videos instantly, ready for transfer to video editing apps like Apple iMovie
- Free version produces videos up to 30 seconds long
- Small in-app purchase required for full functionality, including production of longer videos
- Full functionality also accessible when connected to GO:MIXER or GO:MIXER PRO
Next they offer what's called the 4XCAMERA App which is exactly what it sounds like.
- Easy-to-use iOS/Android app for creating split-screen music videos with up to four different performances
- Supports 1:1, 16:9, and 9:16 (portrait) aspect ratios
- Ten unique split-screen patterns available for each aspect ratio
- Adjust the volume for each screen and create the perfect sound mix
- Trim videos to the desired length in the app
- Use songs stored on your device as discrete monitoring guides while performing
Both are available from Google Store and the App Store for iOS devices
BirdDog also offers an amazing UI for color correcting, network management and more. In our webinar, we gave a LIVE DEMO of the BirdDog Color Tools which can help fine tune your image to make it either match your other cameras, or simply make the image look stunning utilizing their PTZ camera's Sony Sensors.
Apps To Get More Out Of Your PTZ Cameras
PTZOptics has some great software and app solutions to help control your PTZ cameras. First is their PTZ Camera Control App available for Android Devices and iOS devices including tablets and iPads.
This app features:
- Compact, Advanced, Preview Modes
- Control up to 8 PTZOptics Cameras over an IP Connection (LAN) or USB
- Live Video Preview Mode with automatic camera switching
- Set up to 9 camera presets with image snapshot storage
- Advanced image controls for Contrast, Luminance, Hue, and Exposure
- On-Screen Display Controls
They also have this in software form for your personal computers. This software can be used on either Macs or PCs depending on which workflow you are using. Once again, Paul did a pslendid live demo for this software, and all the features you can use to improve your live shows.
Next up is Panasonic's auto tracking software. This is something truly great for houses of worship and schools where there are presenters speaking.
The SF100 is a state-of-the-art cloud based tracking software option for Panasonic Pro PTZ cameras.
Features:
- Motion Detection, Facial Recognition & High Precision Tracking
- Available in stand-alone version for single PC or web application version enabling control via tablet
- Simple Low-Cost Installation
- No additional equipment needed
- Compatible with: AW-UE150, AW-HE130 Series, AW-UE70 Series, and AW-HE40 series
Apps To Bring Your Live Production To The Next Level
Something many of us have been asking is how can we bring in a mobile device's camera feed into our live production?
Telestream Wirecast has a solution with the WIrecast Go available for iOS devices from the App Store.
- Add unlimited iOS camera sources on your Local Area Network (LAN) to Wirecast using Wirecast Go’s free local camera feature
- Wirecast Rendezvous Support
- Single camera (iPhone front or back) streaming
- Stream directly to YouTube with just a click
- Add images, logos and graphics to your stream from photo library
- Switch between 2 shots
- Basic editing (resize & move graphics)
- Unlimited streaming
Oliver did a great demo of how the app works. Check it out below.
NewTek also has a solution available on the App Store and Google Play App called the "NDI|HX Camera App." This allows you to bring in your phone's camera feed in via an NDH|HX feed. So if your streaming devices supports NDI, then that's all you need!
But NewTek offers more than just this app. They also offer - FOR FREE - NDI Tools which is something Videoguys uses every single day.
With a single download, you gain the ability to integrate more devices and applications, insert more content, and turn more resources across your network into video elements for your show.
This is a Free Download Compatible with PC or Mac
- NDI Studio Monitor
- NDI Screen Capture
- NDI Webcam Input
- NDI VLC Plugin (Windows only)
- NDI for Adobe Creative Cloud
- NDI Import I/O for Adobe CC
- NDI Access Manager
- NDI Test Patterns (Windows only)
- NDI|HX Driver
- NDI Screen Capture HX (Windows only)
There is also NDI Analysis which is a separate download, but also extremely useful for those needing to troubleshoot and diagnose issues with their NDI workflow. This finds all your NDI sources on your network, and gives your their IP Addresses, but also does a lot more!
But we're not done with NewTek Yet!
For remote productions, like you're in the next room, or somewhere else in the building, there is NewTek Live Panel. Recently, we had Jeremy Morris join us and give a full live demo of Live Panel, and who else better to explain it. Check it out below!
Apps For The Cloud
The cloud is the future.
First we have Epiphan Cloud which essentially is ap lace where you can control all your Epiphan devices in one spot. Epiphan Cloud is great for Education which often have several Epiphan Pearl products within their facilities. This is great for updates, monitoring, configuring, and more!
Last, but certainly not least, we brought in Glen Seaman (Workflow Sales Specialist) to give a LIVE DEMO of BirdDog Cloud.
BirdDog Cloud allows you to send NDI Anywhere in the World with Encrypted SRT
- Ultra-Low Latency
- PTZ Control
- Tally
- Comms
- Total Encryption and Security
- Portable monitoring via iPads or Tablets
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