Stream and preserve simultaneously with Matrox

When we first heard of the Monarch we thought it was a neat idea; by separating the task of recording from streaming it ensures a) that you don?t clog up your audience?s bandwidth and b) you manage to keep a higher res version for the archive and any other uses of the material downstream.

It works by generating an H.264-encoded stream from any given HDMI input source; encoding the video at bitrates suitable for live streaming on the one hand while simultaneously and independently recording a high-quality MP4 or MOV file on the other. A typical setting (and the Monarch comes pre-loaded with handy recording and streaming profiles) will let a user record a master quality file at 25Mbps while simultaneously streaming at a bitrate of 5Mbps, with maximum values for the unit in both areas being 30Mbps and 20Mbps respectively.

As well as function Matrox has paid some goodly attention to form too with the Monarch, all of which should lead to impressive levels of usability in the field with features such as one touch stream and record pushbuttons, low power consumption, a locking power connector, and a fanless design. Usefully given the sheer range of events it can be used for it works as easily on a desktop as in a rack, where up to three units fit in a single 1RU tray. Storage and button controls are sensibly located on the front of the unit while the power and I/O ports are found at the back, and it can also fit happily into most live production environments and interpret SDI signals thanks to the additional Matrox MC-100 SDI to HDMI convertor. read more...