Videoguys Top Products of 2021
I look back at 2020 as the year that forced many people into live production and streaming, and 2021 was the year when many of you looked for ways to do it better! This year’s list of the Videoguys Top Products of 2021 includes a lot of great products that make live production and streaming better than ever. I am always excited to look back at the year and marvel about how fast the technology is developing. And how every generation of new products make your work faster, easier, and better than before. Before we announce the Videoguys Top Products of 2021 I’d like to start off with a technological advancement that has benefitted so many products in our category – NDI 5.
NDI technology was introduced as a way to utilize your IP networks for video and opened the door to quickly and easily add multiple cameras and a variety of other video sources using just 1 cable for power, AV, and control. NDI 5 is the latest advancement that extends that capability beyond the local network and opens the door for NDI to be the technology that enables broadcast quality remote productions. Features like NDI Remote and NDI Bridge adds the capability to control a complete production from a remote location, with remote guests over the internet, connecting NDI environments easily from around the globe. We are really excited to see where this leads and will refer to 2022 as the year that making things better means expanding your production everywhere. More about that later though.... Let’s introduce you now to the Videoguys Top Products of 2021...
NOTE: This list of our top products is not presented in any particular order. The best product is always the one you need to meet your goals and we would be happy to help you select from this list or from our complete product catalog. These items were all introduced in 2021 and all impressed us in the ways we describe below.
NDI technology was introduced as a way to utilize your IP networks for video and opened the door to quickly and easily add multiple cameras and a variety of other video sources using just 1 cable for power, AV, and control. NDI 5 is the latest advancement that extends that capability beyond the local network and opens the door for NDI to be the technology that enables broadcast quality remote productions. Features like NDI Remote and NDI Bridge adds the capability to control a complete production from a remote location, with remote guests over the internet, connecting NDI environments easily from around the globe. We are really excited to see where this leads and will refer to 2022 as the year that making things better means expanding your production everywhere. More about that later though.... Let’s introduce you now to the Videoguys Top Products of 2021...
NOTE: This list of our top products is not presented in any particular order. The best product is always the one you need to meet your goals and we would be happy to help you select from this list or from our complete product catalog. These items were all introduced in 2021 and all impressed us in the ways we describe below.
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YoloBox Pro
I will say it again; 2020 was the year a lot of people started streaming, and 2021 was the year they did it better! That includes the product engineers at YoloLiv as well. The “OG” YoloBox made our list of 2020 top products because it offered an affordable, easy-to-use, all-in-on production system and encoder. The YoloBox Pro features that same great user interface and capabilities on a faster, more capable tablet with more processing power that brings with it more inputs, improved audio capabilities and a larger touch screen for even better controls. The YoloBox Pro is truly up to the task for most live production and streaming needs.
The “OG” YoloBox still gets honorable mention for all of the upgraded features that have trickled down from the Pro and have been added with firmware updates throughout the year.
I will say it again; 2020 was the year a lot of people started streaming, and 2021 was the year they did it better! That includes the product engineers at YoloLiv as well. The “OG” YoloBox made our list of 2020 top products because it offered an affordable, easy-to-use, all-in-on production system and encoder. The YoloBox Pro features that same great user interface and capabilities on a faster, more capable tablet with more processing power that brings with it more inputs, improved audio capabilities and a larger touch screen for even better controls. The YoloBox Pro is truly up to the task for most live production and streaming needs.
The “OG” YoloBox still gets honorable mention for all of the upgraded features that have trickled down from the Pro and have been added with firmware updates throughout the year.
RGBlink mini pro
The RGBlink mini+ is another item from last year’s list and was one of the first affordable HDMI switchers to integrate PTZ camera control. The RGBlink mini pro is a new and improved design that brings that same PTZ control capability onto a tactile joystick on the unit itself and even adds a small touchscreen display to navigate the many features of this switcher quicker than before. RGBlink mini pro is very versatile and is an affordable way to add HDMI sources into any other production system.
The RGBlink mini+ is another item from last year’s list and was one of the first affordable HDMI switchers to integrate PTZ camera control. The RGBlink mini pro is a new and improved design that brings that same PTZ control capability onto a tactile joystick on the unit itself and even adds a small touchscreen display to navigate the many features of this switcher quicker than before. RGBlink mini pro is very versatile and is an affordable way to add HDMI sources into any other production system.
SanDisk Professional PRO Dock
When WD rebranded G-Technology as SanDisk Professional they wasted no time bringing professional content creators the product they wanted – the PRO-DOCK. The SanDisk Professional PRO-DOCK and Readers allow content creators to efficiently offload their media by integrating SD, CFExpress, CFast 2.0 and RED Mini Mag readers in a dock that can handle them all. The PRO-DOCK is a must have in every production and post-production workflow and can be fully customized to meet all of your workflow needs.
When WD rebranded G-Technology as SanDisk Professional they wasted no time bringing professional content creators the product they wanted – the PRO-DOCK. The SanDisk Professional PRO-DOCK and Readers allow content creators to efficiently offload their media by integrating SD, CFExpress, CFast 2.0 and RED Mini Mag readers in a dock that can handle them all. The PRO-DOCK is a must have in every production and post-production workflow and can be fully customized to meet all of your workflow needs.
BirdDog PF120
The BirdDog Eyes PTZ cameras are still some of the most popular cameras in the industry. And while they now have more than 6 models to choose from, they heard from many customers looking for an inexpensive box camera as well. BirdDog answered that call with the PF120. The world’s smallest Full NDI box camera includes a 20x optical lens and access to BirdDog’s Colour Control utility that allows you to easily dial in the camera to color match all of your BirdDog NDI cameras and complete your production with a view from every angle needed.
The BirdDog Eyes PTZ cameras are still some of the most popular cameras in the industry. And while they now have more than 6 models to choose from, they heard from many customers looking for an inexpensive box camera as well. BirdDog answered that call with the PF120. The world’s smallest Full NDI box camera includes a 20x optical lens and access to BirdDog’s Colour Control utility that allows you to easily dial in the camera to color match all of your BirdDog NDI cameras and complete your production with a view from every angle needed.
Atomos Ninja CAST
Here we are again... another call back to the 2020 list when the Atomos Ninja V was awarded as one of our top products. This year Atomos has made the Ninja V even better with the introduction of the AtomX CAST that adds a 4-channel HDMI switcher to your Ninja V monitor, recorder and playback device. AtomX CAST is available in a bundle with the Ninja V known as the Ninja CAST or it is also available as an add on to the Ninja V or Ninja V+
Honorable mention would also have to go to the Ninja V+ and the Atomos Shinobi 7. The Ninja V+ is the world’s first 8K Raw HDR monitor and recorder and the Shinobi 7 is a great 7” monitor for those who want the larger HDR display without the RAW recording capability.
Here we are again... another call back to the 2020 list when the Atomos Ninja V was awarded as one of our top products. This year Atomos has made the Ninja V even better with the introduction of the AtomX CAST that adds a 4-channel HDMI switcher to your Ninja V monitor, recorder and playback device. AtomX CAST is available in a bundle with the Ninja V known as the Ninja CAST or it is also available as an add on to the Ninja V or Ninja V+
Honorable mention would also have to go to the Ninja V+ and the Atomos Shinobi 7. The Ninja V+ is the world’s first 8K Raw HDR monitor and recorder and the Shinobi 7 is a great 7” monitor for those who want the larger HDR display without the RAW recording capability.
Epiphan Pearl Nano
This perfect fit encoder just missed last year’s last and started shipping way back in the beginning of the year. I am glad that it is award season eligible and knew that it had to be included as a top product! The PEARL Nano is the newest addition to the Epiphan PEARL family and is an enterprise level encoder perfect for your productions. The PEARL Nano is an affordable SRT encoder that allows you to easily create a remote production. It also shares the full integration of the other PEARL systems with CMS systems like Kaltura, Panotop and Yuja. At under $1,500 the PEARL Nano is perfect for a lot of encoding needs.
This perfect fit encoder just missed last year’s last and started shipping way back in the beginning of the year. I am glad that it is award season eligible and knew that it had to be included as a top product! The PEARL Nano is the newest addition to the Epiphan PEARL family and is an enterprise level encoder perfect for your productions. The PEARL Nano is an affordable SRT encoder that allows you to easily create a remote production. It also shares the full integration of the other PEARL systems with CMS systems like Kaltura, Panotop and Yuja. At under $1,500 the PEARL Nano is perfect for a lot of encoding needs.
NETGEAR M4250 AV Line of Switches
We started this article by talking about NDI 5 and the importance of your IP network in live production. Nothing has made NDI easier than the new M4250 AV Line switches from NETGEAR. These switches are optimized and ready for NDI and make network configuration easier and faster than ever. Whether you’re installing a new TriCaster production system or adding a new NDI camera these switches are up to the task.
We started this article by talking about NDI 5 and the importance of your IP network in live production. Nothing has made NDI easier than the new M4250 AV Line switches from NETGEAR. These switches are optimized and ready for NDI and make network configuration easier and faster than ever. Whether you’re installing a new TriCaster production system or adding a new NDI camera these switches are up to the task.
Panasonic AW-UE100
Panasonic PTZ cameras have the well-deserved reputation of being able to meet the demanding requirements of staged productions. The new UE100 is certainly in that class with a wide range of compatibility including 12G SDI output and many IP protocols including NDI, NDI|HX and SRT. The wide field of view and 24x optical zoom combined with the ultra-smooth robotics PTZ means it will always be able to capture the action.
Panasonic PTZ cameras have the well-deserved reputation of being able to meet the demanding requirements of staged productions. The new UE100 is certainly in that class with a wide range of compatibility including 12G SDI output and many IP protocols including NDI, NDI|HX and SRT. The wide field of view and 24x optical zoom combined with the ultra-smooth robotics PTZ means it will always be able to capture the action.
PTZOptics SuperJoy
A recurring theme when we talk about making things better is the ability of a product to be reliable and flexible and the PTZOptics SuperJoy controller is just that. This controller allows you to control just about every camera out there with a host of control protocols including Visca over IP, NDI and serial control. The SuperJoy controller has become our go to recommendation in every multicamera environment because we know that the easier a controller is to use the better the producers will be able to create their show.
A recurring theme when we talk about making things better is the ability of a product to be reliable and flexible and the PTZOptics SuperJoy controller is just that. This controller allows you to control just about every camera out there with a host of control protocols including Visca over IP, NDI and serial control. The SuperJoy controller has become our go to recommendation in every multicamera environment because we know that the easier a controller is to use the better the producers will be able to create their show.
NewTek TriCaster 1 Pro
The introduction of the NewTek TriCaster 1 Pro made it just in time to be included in this list but fortunately we didn’t need too much info to decide that this is a top product. The TriCaster 1 Pro makes some of the features of the TriCaster 2 Elite available and accessible to smaller productions. My favorite is the integration of Live Call Connect that allows you to bring in up to 4 remote guests. This TriCaster system is the perfect solution for those productions that are growing beyond your local network and needs to be ready to expand to remote capabilities. We are happy to have a nationwide network of TriCaster Certified Integrators available to demo the system and introduce you to all of the power of the TriCaster 1 Pro
The introduction of the NewTek TriCaster 1 Pro made it just in time to be included in this list but fortunately we didn’t need too much info to decide that this is a top product. The TriCaster 1 Pro makes some of the features of the TriCaster 2 Elite available and accessible to smaller productions. My favorite is the integration of Live Call Connect that allows you to bring in up to 4 remote guests. This TriCaster system is the perfect solution for those productions that are growing beyond your local network and needs to be ready to expand to remote capabilities. We are happy to have a nationwide network of TriCaster Certified Integrators available to demo the system and introduce you to all of the power of the TriCaster 1 Pro
2021 was the year that we made live production and streaming better and these products all contributed to that in some way so I am happy to congratulate all of the winners once again. 2022 will be the year for remote production where you will be able to stream from everywhere and produce from anywhere to combine content and production elements like never before. I am excited to see what this list will look like next year and look forward to making Videoguys.com your source for all live production and streaming equipment and more. Call us at 800-323-2325 or email sales@videoguys.com if you have any questions about these products or about creating the perfect workflow for your production needs.
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