TriCaster Mini from NewTek: a first (but intense) look

PVC by Allan Tepper

TriCaster Mini is likely to become the most revered ?multicamera studio in a box? in its class.

Today NewTek announced TriCaster Mini, the newest member of its TriCaster family of ?multicamera studio in a box? products. Frequent readers will recall that I have covered TriCasters in the past, and ?full disclosure? have also written several contracted white papers for NewTek, in two languages. Under a non-disclosure agreement, I had a rather intense advanced briefing/discussion about TriCaster Mini with the company, and ahead you?ll see everything I love, plus details I would really like polished in an upcoming software update.

In this article

• TriCaster Mini: almost everything I would have hoped for with the TriCaster 40
• All the good things about the TriCaster Mini
• An interview with Rex Olson, NewTek?s VP of media production, about standard virtual sets and the revered Holographic LiveSets
• Details that concerned me, that I?d like changed via an upcoming software update
• Pricing and conclusions

TriCaster Mini: almost everything I would have hoped for with the TriCaster 40

Frequent readers will recall that when NewTek launched the TriCaster 40 back in 2012, I had mixed emotions since I really wanted to love it, but initially suffered from two unforgivable disappointments:

1. Lack of scopes (waveform/vectorscope). After my diplomatic rant about the requirement for scopes ?even for beginners? to match cameras, NewTek fortunately added scopes to the TriCaster 40 in an update in 2013, and even did so in such a positive, revolutionary way, it inspired me to propose my first white paper for NewTek, which the company eventually accepted and then (after extraordinaly good response in number of downloads and comments) requested a reprise in Castilian for the Latin American division. (Since then, I have been contracted to do others, which are in progress.)
2. Lack of digital camera inputs. The best input available input in the TriCaster 40 was (and is) component analog. Obviously, that was not something that NewTek would be able to fix with a software update in the TriCaster 40 the way they did with the scopes. I didn?t become aware until last week, but the digital inputs in the new TriCaster Mini are present (at least in part) due to my vocal dissappointment at the lack of them in the TriCaster 40, and my pointing out of all of the inexpensive HDMI cameras that are on the market.

All the good things about the TriCaster Mini

Like all other TriCasters I have ever seen, the TriCaster Mini is a ?multicamera studio in a box?, including video mixer (?switcher?), audio mixer (with compressor/limiter), network-quality character generator, recorder for program video and even ISO (independent recording of cameras for instant replay), still store, virtual sets, and DDR (to play back pre-recorded videos like opens, outros, promos, and commercial spots. So what you will see in this section of this article are the unique ?or variable? things in the TriCaster Mini: read more...

Check out these items featured in this post and available to BUY NOW at Videoguys.com.
	TriCaster Mini HD-4i HDMI Production Solution with Integrated Display and 2 Internal Drives $7,995.00			NewTekTriCaster Mini HD-4i Bundle with Control Surface and custom Travel Case $9,995.00			NewTek TriCaster Mini HD-4i Bundle with Control Surface and custom Travel Case (Educational, incl. LiveText and VSE) $9,995.00