Category: Sport & Live Event

Surfing was in full swing in Hawaii for the Billabong Pipe Masters competition, where the World Surf League hosted the grand finals of the 2017 Championship Series. Enthusiasts from all across the world tuned in to witness the event, which reached its last stop at the Banzai Pipeline in Honolulu.

But some areas of the world have little to no access to these broadcasts and competitions, yet want to see their favorite surfers shred the gnar. In December, Brazil decided to change that, especially since their country’s own surfer - Gabriel Medina - made it into Top 10.

The biggest TV network in Brazil, Globo TV, wanted to broadcast the competition - complete with multiple cameras and commentator coverage - on Brazilian national TV and the network’s Facebook Page. They commissioned live production house Betterlive TV to handle the broadcast.

“An hour or so before the start of the tournament, we live streamed the surfers warming up, along with commentary on the scores and stats of each player,” said Antunes Mororo, Executive Director at Betterlive TV. “Viewers want to see surfers in & out of competition, so this was the best way to capture them in their natural flow.”

Surfs Up Setup

Antunes and his crew wanted to produce a multi-camera show complete with switching and overlays. However, they needed a solution that was not only affordable, but could also be used wirelessly to avoid laying cables in the sand. The goal was to be as close to the action as possible, so setting up on the beach was a priority.

Camera Setup:

• 3x Sony FS5
• 3x VidiU Pro
• 1x iPad Pro w/ Live:Air Action app
• 1x Bond
• 2x 4G/LTE USB modems

Live:Air Action is a live switching and streaming app for iPads. It offers a suite of professional overlays and actions that are typically found on traditional hardware switchers, and also pulls in feeds from multiple cameras wirelessly. This integrated solution requires the additional cameras to be mounted with VidiU Pros (or other Teradek encoders). After every unit is connected to the same WiFi network, Live:Air Action picks up the feeds and allows you to switch between them.

Bond is a 4G/LTE cellular bonding unit that allows you to combine up to 5x 4G/LTE USB modems into a singular, powerful Internet connection for video streaming. More redundancy translates into a lower chance of a dropout, meaning the stream stays smooth and steady all throughout.

Each of Antunes’ FS5 cameras had a VidiU Pro mounted and connected via HDMI, taking the video feed and streaming it to the Live:Air Action iPad. From Live:Air Action, the program feed was pushed to the Bond, which encoded and sent the stream directly to Canal OFF Facebook Page.

Here’s one of the videos:

Once the stream went live, Antunes used Live:Air Action to add graphics, overlays of player stats, and switch between the 3 different cameras. One camera to cover the hosts for commentary/interviews and 2 cameras pointed to the surfers.

Making Waves with Wireless

Since Antunes needed a way to broadcast from the beach stationed in the sand, a wireless switcher/encoder was the only solution. They also needed a reliable Internet connection to ensure the stream stayed stable through the entire 3-day broadcast.

“Surfing is a sport that interests many people Brazil, so our mission was to make the program as official as possible, even though it was just a Facebook live stream,” explained Antunes. “Since we’ve always used Teradek for our broadcasts, it was the perfect answer to bring to the beach.”

Thanks to Teradek’s integrated system of live solutions, Antunes and his crew were able to produce a flawless broadcast for viewers online. A redundant Internet kept the stream up despite the location, meaning Betterlive didn’t need to rent costly satellite trucks and costly broadcast equipment. Over 200k viewers tuned in to Canal OFF’s Facebook Page for Betterlive’s broadcast.

“The best part of Teradek technology is that everything is very dependable and compact. We can fit it all into a bag and be ready to broadcast at any moment. It gives us a peace of mind that wherever we need to produce a live stream, we could deploy the Teradek setup and start streaming.”

Check out Elliott Bishop’s Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/bishopgp

If you’re an esports fan, you probably have a group of streamers you watch consistently on Twitch and YouTube. Video game streaming has become a huge industry in recent years, with millions of people every day tuning in to watch pros play at top levels on their personal computers.

But if there’s one thing to note about the average Twitch streamer, it’s that production quality hasn’t changed much since the platform’s launch. Just about any channel you enter is a screen-shared game feed with a webcam of the player in the corner. If you’re lucky, the streamer will sometimes switch between the webcam and the game, but don’t expect much more than that!

Elliott Bishop isn’t your average Twitch streamer. A former live producer & marketer who has worked with clients like Red Bull and Verizon Digital Media Services, Bishop combined his commercial live streaming knowledge with his passion for gaming and constructed a setup that uses 2 production-quality cameras in lieu of webcams.

“One day I was streaming and I thought, ‘part of what makes certain live videos so interesting and compelling is the multiple angles that viewers get when cameras are switched, so why not do the same for gaming’?” said Bishop. “Because I have all of this high-end production at my disposal, I decided to create a setup that would separate me from other streamers and create a brand for myself.”

Next-Level Gaming Setup

Bishop’s setup includes two cameras: one front-facing and one back-facing. These allow him to switch between either the standard face camera, the camera behind which captures a wide shot of his PC setup, or the video feed from his gameplay. Here’s a rundown of the equipment:

• 1x Sony A7S as front-facing camera
• 1x Sony FS700 as back/side camera
• 1x Teradek Cube 255 for looping in the back/camera feed
• 1x Gaming PC
• 1x Secondary PC running OBS switcher

Teradek Cubes are video streaming encoders that take high-definition 1080p30 / 720p60 video feeds from camera sources via HDMI/SDI input and streams them directly to the Internet or to decoder destinations. For gaming, this takes the encoding load off of the gaming PC’s CPU, allowing it to dedicate the processing to keeping the gameplay smooth.

For Bishop’s setup, every camera source goes directly to the secondary PC, which is essentially his dedicated production switcher. The Sony FS700 is mounted with the Teradek Cube 255 encoder, which pulls the video feed and sends an RTSP stream to OBS. After overlays are added in, the feed is sent directly to Twitch.

A Twitch Channel Unlike Any Other 

Twitch has always relied on gameplay to attract viewers, with only small additions like basic subscription & donation overlays (aka static images) being implemented in the years since launch (via streamlabs). Bishop’s multicam streams add a refreshing new twist to the conventional Twitch broadcast, and gives another reason for viewers to enjoy his content.

“Streaming is a way for me to combine my passion in gaming and promoting. My goal is to offer viewers content that differentiates me from other broadcasters and focus on what makes my channel unique: production quality,” said Bishop. “People love that I could switch from the front camera to one behind or on the side. It’s something they don’t normally experience in this space.”

Essential to his production is the Cube 255 encoder. It broadcasts the camera’s feed wirelessly to the LAN with minimal delay, allowing Bishop to skip the cables and be completely wireless. The camera can be placed anywhere on a tripod within WiFi range and get a signal to OBS.

“Teradek has given me a way to break apart from what you typically see on Twitch. Because it’s a hardware encoder, it frees up processing on my PCs so they can focus on gaming and streaming. With the Cube, I’m able to step up my production and create a broadcast you’d only see at larger scales.”

Elliott Bishop streams on Twitch daily. Check out his Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/bishopgp

 

Wireless monitoring is critical to many roles on set; but let’s face it, not everyone has access to one. In fact, on many productions big and small, priority for monitoring goes to the Director and DP, leaving other critical members to fend for themselves in the thick brush of an overcrowded video village with just a few monitors.

The goal, then, is to find a solution that lets everyone see the shot without having to fight for that premium video village real estate. And that’s where personal wireless monitors come in!

Personal wireless monitors offer some incredible advantages that traditional wired monitors don’t. The biggest benefit is allowing every member to see the shot so they can adjust their roles accordingly, making for a much more collaborative set. Another is being mobile, allowing the crew to maneuver around set with ease and remove as many obstructions as possible.

That being said, with all of the options out in the industry, choosing a system for your needs can be beyond confusing, especially with having to work around budgets and time constraints. So to help you with that, we’ve compiled a list of people on set who would benefit most from having a personal monitor, as well as the type of monitoring best suited for them.

1. Director - 703 Bolt / Bolt 500, 1000, 3000

The Director needs everything to be perfect, and what better way than having a personal wireless monitor? Handheld wireless systems are key to ensuring that the Director doesn’t have to fight for space in overcrowded video villages, as well as doing time-consuming back n’ forth walk just to see the shot.

The 703 Bolt is ideal for Directors, who benefit greatly from seeing an instant, visually lossless video feed. Its small and lightweight form factor makes it easy to move around on set without having to carry a hefty monitoring rig around, and are perfect for Directors who like to stay in close proximity to the talent. It can also detect all Bolt 500, 1000 and 3000 signals from up to 300 ft. away, making it easy to marry with existing Bolt workflows that have another wireless feed going to the video village.

The 703 Bolt also features a 3000 nit display, making it the brightest monitor in the market. Filming in direct sunlight? No problem. Even on a bright, sunny day, the 703 Bolt can display every detail of the shot so users won’t miss anything during filming.

2. 1st AC - 703 Bolt

The camera guy’s best friend on set, 1st ACs are the ones who need reliable, instant wireless monitoring the most on productions, especially when pulling focus wirelessly or checking for camera anomalies. While seasoned 1st ACs are experts at measuring distance with the naked eye, having a personal monitor to do their job better can’t be understated.

On any project where the camera needs to be fully mobile, a zero-delay wireless monitor goes hand-in-hand with other 1st AC tools like Teradek RT’s wireless follow focus. This allows him to manage lens control while being able to look both into the scene and at the monitor simultaneously.

The best solution for the 1st AC is also a 703 Bolt. Hovering around the camera means needing a lot of space as well as an instant live feed of the shot. By mounting the 703 Bolt together with a remote focus controller, 1st ACs won’t need to be tethered to the camera, and won’t need rig several pieces of monitoring tools together.

In addition to the 3000 nit display, the 703 Bolt operates under SmallHD’s Pagebuilder OS, which features a suite of cinematic tools for 1st ACs like focus assist, focus peaking, image framing and much more.

3. Gaffer - Serv Pro / iOS

Everybody who has worked on a set knows that the most important resource is time. Time needs to be used efficiently, especially with 1st ADs and executives breathing down your neck .

If there’s one guy who could really save their team some time, it’s the gaffer. When gaffers are fixing lights around the set, collaborating with the DP via shouting and blind adjusting can be a pretty time-consuming process, not to mention disruptive to the rest of the crew. Instead, they would really benefit from having a personal, portable monitoring solution. Serv Pro will be excellent for them.

Why Serv Pro? 2 reasons: mobility and cost. The Serv Pro allows up to 10 people on set to monitor the shot, but instead of needing heavy & expensive field monitors, it goes straight to an iPhone or iPad. Additionally, each iOS unit can monitor up to 4 Serv Pro feeds at the same time, which is great for gaffers to check if any of their lights are creeping into frame.

At just 2 frames of latency, this near-zero wireless feed is perfect for members who don’t need a critically live feed, but could still really benefit from seeing the shot for referencing.

With an iOS monitor, gaffers could make adjustments without needing excessive help from camera ops or the DP, and allows the team to move faster between takes while keeping monitoring costs low compared to traditional monitoring setups.

4. Script Supervisor - Serv Pro / iOS

Just like gaffers, script supervisors also don’t require a zero-delay view of the shot, but still benefit tremendously from having a personal monitor. Script supervisors are typically one of the last priorities when it comes to proper monitoring, considering that they have the important task of maintaining creative continuity. Fighting for space in the video village is essentially fighting an uphill battle.

With iOS monitoring though, the days of fighting for space is over. Serv Pro lets Script Supervisors monitor, take notes, and most importantly, take frame grabs through native integration with the ScriptE app. This lets them move around freely within up to 1000 ft. of range while still being able to get their job done.

5. Hair & Makeup - Serv Pro / iOS

Continuity is essential, and the hair & makeup team is vital to keeping the looks consistent throughout the entire project. Production crews might brush off the makeup team as people who just apply the cosmetics, but maintaining the look is more important than it seems, and a monitor gives them some serious advantages. The best part? It doesn’t have to cost an arm & a leg.

Serv Pro would be their weapon of choice. Since they have no need for a live or pristine, color-corrected shot, seeing a feed from their iOS devices is actually better for their roles. In addition, the monitoring app VUER comes loaded with professional features suited for makeup artists including frame grab and LUT preview so they can see what the makeup might look like after color grading. They could even do a 2-up to compare a previous shot to a live one side-by-side.

6. Clients & Executives - Serv Pro / iOS

The clients want their product to come out right, and their jobs are to make sure the footage accurately represents their brand. But instead of hovering around the camera or occupying space in video village though, they could just as easily be relaxing on a couch in the back and monitoring on an iPad!

Since each Serv Pro can connect to up to 10 iOS devices, this one’s a no-brainer. With VUER, they can monitor the shot, capture screen grabs, check emails and most importantly allow more space for the film crew to do their work. Also, if audio is piped into the Serv Pro, clients can even monitor dialogues.

Just instruct them to download an app, connect to the Serv Pro’s WiFi network and they’re good to go!

7. Boom Ops - Serv Pro / iOS

Finding that golden frame line to hold the boom is the ultimate frustration of every sound guy ever. Is it in the frame? How much time is this wasting? This is yet another job for the versatile Serv Pro!

By strapping an iPhone or iPod Touch to his/her arm or mounting it somewhere nearby, boom ops won’t need to rely on the AC or fellow crew to call out adjustments. Just simply look at the framing between takes (or use VUER's frame lines feature) and find that safe zone. This helps the whole production save time between takes and saves a ton of headache for the sound team.

Conclusion

While only a select few people on set absolutely need zero-delay monitoring, giving other personnel on set their own personal monitors can only serve to improve creative collaboration. And luckily, tech like the 703 Bolt and Serv Pro were designed specifically with these roles in mind, making wireless devices not only more convenient to have on set, but also making them cost-effective solutions for productions large and small. By helping to cut production time, you end up saving tons of money. So start off your 2018 cinematography work on the right track and get your crew the gear they need to succeed!

“The Navy SEAL Foundation is committed to presenting the most accurate depiction of SEALs and those we serve in all of our video productions. To that end, we trust Ironclad to produce authentic content for us. A big part of their ability to do that involves keeping up with the incredible tempo that these guys move while filming in some pretty dicey environments. We can’t thank SmallHD and Teradek enough for providing equipment that kept pace with both the crew and the “SEALs” on our recent shoot.” –Sara Berry, Director of Marketing and Communications, Navy SEAL Foundation.

Filming mobile, fast-paced tactical action can be both daunting and exciting, especially when you have to film the most elite special ops force in the world. To get those special kinds of shots worthy to represent the Navy SEALs, you need a special group of battle-hardened cinematographers. That’s where Director Jeremy Carey, and his Virginia-based production house Ironclad, comes in.

Commissioned by the Navy SEAL Foundation (a national nonprofit organization serving the Naval Special Warfare community and its families), Carey was tasked with acquiring video that the Foundation would use for all of 2018 campaigning. This included some intense action shots that required rapid maneuvering from one location to another, an explosion here and there, and lots of mobile cameras to capture it all perfectly.

“We specialize in commercial work for action sports, sportswear and tactical content that require a lot of movement in run-and-gun environments,” said Carey. “The Foundation wanted us to capture the battle-style B-roll of Navy SEALs in the field, and produce an authentic story with the integrity that the SEALs deserve.”

Geared Up

Tactical content is filmed from scene to scene in quick succession, meaning Carey’s setup had to be 100% mobile to keep up. From several mobile cameras to a roaming video village, nothing can be tethered as to reduce filming time on set. Here’s what they used:

• 1x RED Epic 6K
• 2x RED Scarlet-W 5K
• 3x Teradek Bolt 3000s (one on each camera)
• 3x 703 Bolts
• 2x Teradek Sidekick IIs on Inovativ cart
• 1x SmallHD 1703
• 1x MoVI Pro
• 1x EZ Rig
• 1x Handheld

Each RED camera had a Bolt 3000 unit connected via 3G-SDI, sending visually lossless, zero-delay video feeds to the 703 Bolt monitors in Carey’s hands and the Bolt receiver on the Inovativ video village (each Tx can be sent to up to 4 Rx).

With 2 mobile cameras at any time capturing the action as the SEALs run through the field, clear rooms, and set off explosions, Carey held up to 2x 703 Bolt monitors to view the feeds. He and his crew would follow as the set moved to the next spot.

The SmallHD 1703 on the Innovativ also acted as video village/camera cart. Cam A and B fed into the Sidekick IIs, which went directly to the SmallHD 1703 for monitoring.

A Good Change

Before the 703 Bolt, Carey was using a handheld director’s monitor rig comprising of a SmallHD 703 monitor with a Bolt receiver mounted behind. While similar in design, the biggest issue was cabling between the monitor and receiver, which would loosen throughout the day of shooting. Since the 703 Bolt is a fully-integrated unit, Carey had no worries on the cabling of the units.

“The old monitoring system had us checking for cabling between each take, which took a lot of time,” explained Carey. “When we’re working with famous Olympians, Navy SEALs or any fast-paced shoots, we have to be able to get in-and-out without holding up production. We expect a lot from our gear, and that’s why we trusted the 703 Bolt.”

Having the all-in-one monitor allowed Carey to see the shot from anywhere on set, letting him to freely maneuver and make adjustments accordingly. This saves precious time from having to check and realign gear in between takes. And when producing content for clients like the Navy SEAL Foundation, there's nothing more important than getting it done right.

“The grips on the 703 Bolt are incredibly solid, not to mention super lightweight too. I feel like the unit combined the endurance of SmallHD with the performance of Teradek into this super efficient system that’s perfect for our needs.”

“As a hands-on director, the last thing I want to do is fiddle with systems to make sure they’re connected properly and working. The 703 Bolt fixes that issue completely. I could monitor the action and have that peace of mind that it works flawlessly. It’s a must-have for my kit.”

Check out more of Ironclad Media Alliance’s awesome commercial productions here.

Live streaming is one of the fastest growing forms of new media, but let’s be honest, most streams you see on Facebook and live platforms are choppy videos of your friends holding smartphones to their faces. This gets the content online easily and reliably, but is very rudimentary in execution and oftentimes results in some low-quality videos.

So while we see a lot of live streams are being created by your average independent content creator, rarely do we see more advanced applications of live streaming such as multi-camera, live-switched productions. And for good reason - traditionally, the tools needed to achieve high-end broadcasts were expensive and bulky, making them inaccessible for the majority of people.

But with the widespread use of social media, mass adoption of handsets and implementation of quick-and-easy live video, anyone in the world with a current-generation smartphone can go live from anywhere. This presents an opportunity to create professional live streams in an economical and creative way. That’s where Live:Air Action comes in!

What is Live:Air Action?

Live:Air Action is a live switching app available for iPads. It offers an entire suite of tools traditionally only found on enterprise broadcast switchers such as switching, graphics, lower-thirds, looping in pre-recorded videos and much more. But instead of being a giant hardware switcher, Live:Air Action has all of these bundled into an app!

How Does It Work?

It uses the iPad’s built-in back camera to capture video and allows you to add various built-in or custom-designed graphics. Once the video is ready, you can select any live streaming platform (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, etc.) and go live directly from your iPad.

However, the best and most unique feature included in the Live:Air Action app is the ability to feed in multiple remote cameras wirelessly. Using other iOS devices (iPads, iPhones, iPod Touches) as camera sources, Live:Air Action can receive the feeds from up to 6 cameras and allow you to switch between them on the control surface. This gives more character to your production and makes for more engaging streams.

What Are The Features?

1. Multi-Cam Switching

There are 2 ways to do this:

1. Other iOS devices with the Live:Air Remote app.
2. Professional cameras w/ VidiU Pro encoder connected via HDMI.

Under the same WiFi network, other iOS devices can use Live:Air Remote to send their camera feeds directly into Live:Air Action. Every connected iOS source will populate on the main interface, where you can click to choose which feed to occupy the stream screen.

Similarly, if you want to stream a higher-quality image and own a professional video camera, connecting a VidiU Pro to the camera allows Live:Air Action to receive the camera’s feed and stream with it. This allows you to forego the iOS built-in back camera and use a high-def video camera instead.

The free edition includes switching between 3 external camera sources. Additional camera sources can be purchased in-app.

2. Lower-Thirds

Lower-thirds are texts that display on the bottom of a video feed, like the name of a reporter or brief text describing the subject of the broadcast. Adding lower-thirds helps viewers tuning in understand what’s going on, especially in broadcasts like interviews, news and sports games.

Live:Air Action makes this easy. Simply choose one of the built-in lower-third designs, type in the text you want and place it into the video. It can also be changed/removed at any time with just the tap of a button.

3. Scoreboards

A tool for all of the sports streamers out there, scoreboards can be easily added and constantly updated every time your favorite team earns a point. The app gives you the option of listing teams as Home / Away, or simply inputting the team names yourself.

4. Pre-Recorded Video

One noticeable thing you see on TV broadcasts like news or sports is the way they can overlay pre-recorded footage into a broadcast. Whether it’s commercials, pre-recorded interviews, sports recaps or whatever you need, Live:Air Action allows you to pull videos directly from the iPad’s Camera Roll into the app and play them over the video feed.

5. Transitions

You can’t overlay videos without smooth transitions though, and the app offers a collection of built-in transitions to choose from. This allows you to create a nice separation between program and commercial (or whichever video you choose to overlay).

6. Images

Many users enjoy adding images like custom-designed logos to their broadcast, which give their streams more character and identity. Live:Air Action makes this very easy too. Simply load any images into your iPad’s photo storage and load them into the app. You can have up to 4 images in your feed at the same time.

7. Recording

Ever see a good play in a sports game and wish you had recorded it? While streaming, Live:Air Action gives you the option to “clip” the last 30 seconds of the stream into your iPad’s camera roll. Use it as a replay later, post-production VOD or simply keep it for the memories!

8. URL

This new feature is for all of the Twitch streamers out there. Integrated with Streamlabs, the URL function adds a funky icon that pops up everytime you get a new subscriber or donation. This can be rearranged and resized to anywhere on the screen. Just copy your Widget URL into Live:Air Action, choose a cool image/gif for your stream, and go live.

And Much More

Chroma key (green screen), audio mixing, gif overlays, iOS delay info, and multi-destination streaming are more of the many other features available within Live:Air Action. The most popular features in traditional hardware switchers can be done from the palm of your hands.

Conclusion

Heavy, expensive switching solutions are a thing of the past. With Live:Air Action, you can live stream production-level content in an affordable and convenient way. Try it out for free on the App Store today.

Video is growing tremendously in the education system, and for many universities, live streaming has become both an academic asset and a community-building tool. From graduations to recitals to even NCAA sports, live streaming opens up so many opportunities for universities to expand their outreach and create a brand image for their schools.

Just take a look at Wilmington University. A private, nonprofit university in Delaware that’s host to some 20,000 students, Wilmington University has made video integration an essential aspect of their school, offering thousands of recorded lectures for online courses and live videos for special events. In fact, the university even has an entire department dedicated to managing and improving their technology adoption: the Department of Educational Technology & Multimedia.

“Our department handles faculty training and administration for our LMS (Learning Management System) Blackboard and the tools that interact with it, including web conferencing, student authentication, e-portfolios, and video integrations,” says Russell Lichterman, Director of the department.  

“Educational Technology and Multimedia offers workshops and webinars, and creates training materials to support faculty in their use of these tools, including Kaltura, the Online Video Platform that integrates directly with Blackboard. Video integration is an enormous part of our online learning experience, and our university community has created over 60,000 videos related to instruction inside our LMS.”

Simple & Professional Live Stream Setup

Check out their commencement live stream:

Aside from academic video, Russell and his multimedia team also participate in live streaming major school events. This includes their biggest live streams of each year, the commencement ceremony, which occurs twice a year, as well as guest speaker, panel discussion and concert events.

Thes commencement streams typically reach over 1,000 views, with friends & family from all over the world tuning in. Since many international students attend Wilmington University, the live streams are the only opportunities for people far away to see their students graduate.

Here’s the university’s multicam streaming setup:

3x Panasonic PX270 video camera

1x Datavideo SE-1200MU switcher

1x Teradek VidiU

Allen and Heath ZED Audio Mixer

Shure SLX Wireless Audio

DPA, Countryman and Shure mics

720p 2Mbps stream to Kaltura

 

3 Panasonic PX270 cameras are hardwired into the Datavideo SE-1200MU, which is a low-cost professional 4 SDI / 2 HDMI input switcher. After adding basic graphics, the live feed is pushed to the VidiU encoder. This gets streamed to Kaltura, which is the university’s online video portal for shared multimedia learning content & social videos.

So why do they stream to Kaltura instead of Facebook or YouTube? It’s all about maintenance, branding & vetting. Streaming to Kaltura allows the university to develop its own image, as well as keep archived videos organized for their own needs. Also, instead of having to rely on 3rd-party platforms for maintaining the uplink (FB & YT are known to have dropped streams without warning), Kaltura allows them to use their own backend for publishing.

A Budget Friendly Solution

Coming from a broadcast TV background at Comcast & NBC, Russell’s goal was to achieve broadcast-quality video on a university budget. That’s when he stumbled upon the VidiU. It fit perfectly into the entry-level portable studio that he was creating for live streaming special events on campus, and made professional multi-cam productions very affordable for his crew.

“We’re an educational institution so we were very price-conscious. I was looking for a simple standalone hardware H.264 encoder that was affordable and had a web-based interface,” says Russell. “Being able to do an RTMP stream as well as set the resolution & bitrates all through the web interface was phenomenal. We could remote into the encoder and adjust the settings however we wanted.”

Thanks to the VidiU and Russell’s expertise in broadcasting, the department has been able to bring live high-def video of major school events to viewers around the world. This not only helps to build a stronger community around the university, but also highlights Wilmington University’s commitment to the future of online education, an area where the school has seen enormous growth with continued expansion every year..

“We’ve had the VidiU for 3 years now, and have used it for every commencement, panel discussion and guest speaker event with zero issues. There isn’t anything else out there that offers as much functionality as the VidiU at that price point.”

Russ Lichterman is Director of Educational Technology & Multimedia at Wilmington University. He can be reached at [email protected]. Visit WilmU Online on the web at www.wilmu.edu/online and explore Wilmington University’s public-facing video portal at http://wilmu.edu/wilmutube.

In light of the new year, we decided to start off 2018 with a bang! The 703 Bolt is Teradek’s latest product to hit the cinema market, and one of the many great innovations we have planned for the year. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits:

What Is It?

Partnering the ingenuity between Teradek & SmallHD, we’ve combined the Bolt Sidekick II (500 ft. receiver) with the 703 Monitor to create the 703 Bolt, an All-In-One wireless monitoring solution designed with convenience, performance and portability in mind.

What Does It Do?

The 703 Bolt offers some major benefits for cinematographers, most prominent of them being the built-in wireless monitoring. Compatible with all Bolt 500, 1000 and 3000 systems, the 703 Bolt can receive visually lossless video feeds over RF instantly with a range of 500 ft.

Its 7” LCD screen is also daylight viewable, with a powerful 3000 nit output (brightest monitor in the market) on a 1920x1080 resolution display. This helps to see a color- & detail-accurate view of the shot even in the brightest of outdoor settings.

The monitor also sports dual-view functionality, which means you can either monitor a single camera or two cameras simultaneously (via SDI input). This will require a separate receiver, which you can mount with the Wooden Camera Monitor Cage. You can also use it to view pre & post LUT footage. 

In addition, its lightweight form factor and detachable side handles make it very easy to carry around on set, making for a truly untethered system.

Who Is It For?

Anyone who needs an instant, precise view of the shot without being tied down to video village. This will most likely be Directors & 1st ACs, but can even include others like DPs and script supervisors.

Director: Minimizes the time-consuming back n’ forth walk between the set and video village. Perfect for Directors who like to stay in close proximity to the talent.

1st AC: Makes for an excellent companion to remote follow focus systems like Teradek RT. Mount the 703 to the lens controller and you can monitor and adjust FIZ settings.

Additional Features

• Pagebuilder OS
• HD Waveform & Scopes
• Colorflow 3D LUT engine

Getting permission to offer a broadcasting course 9 years ago wasn’t easy for Corner Canyon High School (CCHS). With budget constraints forcing schools to optimize their spending strategies, the district superintendent at the time saw no value in creating a course devoted to production, opting for the core curriculums and other, more common electives for all of the K-12 schools in the district.

But luckily for teacher Daron Connelly, the principal of CCHS did see the value, and found room in the budget that allowed him to begin offering two courses: TV Broadcasting and Video Production. This gave the school an opportunity to try new things like morning announcement shows, live sportscasting & broadcasting, and post-production editing.

“In TV Broadcasting, my students learn all of the essentials of creating live TV content,” said Daron Connelly, who is also Athletic Director at the school. “Video tech is a huge passion of mine, and my hope is to pass off these passions and skills onto the students. To produce something that each student can be proud of.”

Small Budgets

But broadcasting class isn’t as simple as dishing out textbooks and writing lectures on a chalkboard (do schools still use those?). Broadcasting requires hands-on learning and a ton of high-end production equipment, all of which cost more than an arm and a leg.

“As educators, I’m always thinking about what we can afford. On one hand, I have to keep costs low. On the other, the class needs to be educational enough to stay relevant and retain funding. So what’s the best way to spend the money?”

Since broadcasting is predominantly hands-on, one excellent way to give students the experience of live broadcasting is through publishing the high school’s sports games. This would not only give exposure to the school’s athletic department, but also give Mr. Connelly’s students an opportunity to learn live broadcasting. In the beginning though, this wasn’t an easy task.

“In the first 2 years of the course, we did everything hardwired. At our school’s home games, we hauled a huge Tricaster from our production studio all the way to the stadium or field every time, ran 100 ft. of RCA cables and exhausted ourselves. By the 3rd game of the season, the students lost interest in broadcasting because of how redundant it was.”

Streaming for Students

Not wanting to reuse the same curriculum year after year, Mr. Connelly decided to incorporate wireless live streaming into the sports games. He needed a solution that could stream directly from the field through WiFi and offer professional switching as wel, all at a price that’s feasible for a school. For this, he chose Teradek’s Live:Air Action app.

Connelly’s class broadcasts at all major home games and some away games as well, including men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, football, etc. For these projects, they produce multi-cam live streams by using Live:Air Action, an iPad-based switcher app which offers a professional suite of production tools like graphics, scoreboards, transitions, and most importantly live switching. Here’s the setup:

• Netgear Nighthawk X6 WiFi router that covers the broadcasting station.
• Sony AX2000 camcorder with Teradek VidiU Pro encoder as secondary camera source.
• iPod Touch 6 using Live:Air Remote app as secondary camera source.
• iPad Pro with Live:Air Action app as primary camera source.
• Plantronics Rig 400 audio headset for sportscasting.

You might be wondering: if the setup is completely wireless, how do they get the feeds to the switcher app? That’s the beauty of Live:Air Action. By connecting every device to the same WiFi network as the the iPad Pro, Live:Air Action will automatically receive the live feeds and populate on the app’s control surface.

The Sony AX2000 is mounted to a tripod and positioned on one side, while the iPod Touch 6 is mounted to a monopod and positioned on the other. Once all 3 cameras (Sony, iPod & iPad rear cameras) are populated on Live:Air Action’s control surface, Connelly adds custom graphics created and imported from the iPad, a scoreboard, and throws in pre-recorded footage all within the app.

Audio is brought in using a Plantronics Rig 400 headset via the 3.5mm headphone jack, which gets mixed into the live stream as well. When the game starts, the feed is live streamed directly from the iPad to the city’s local news station KSL.com, which offers CCHS free use of its live stream platform.

His wireless signal is provided by his Nighthawk X6 router, which he brings to events to get his own personal WiFi connection. We should mention that while most schools’ IP networks allow for live streaming, some schools may have strict firewalls in place that block the stream from passing through. In these cases, we’ve written a guide for IT departments to follow here.

Affordable and Reliable

Having the ability to publish professional live streams from an iPad is crucial for CCHS. With a slim budget and need for high-tech broadcasting solutions for the class, Connelly had to keep spending low while offering the right tools to educate his students. By using Live:Air Action with low-cost remote cameras like the AX2000 or iPod Touch 6, Connelly is able to deliver professional multi-cam coverage of their games. These broadcasts can reach thousands of views in a night.

 

“The low cost of the app means I don’t have to spend money to get another tricaster to teach my kids the concept of switching and graphics. It also means I don’t need to invest in overly-expensive cameras and live streaming tech because we could do it all through the app.”

Live streaming can have tremendous value for schools of all levels. Connelly’s TV Broadcasting course teaches students the different aspects of live production, giving them hands-on experience in quick decision-making, teamwork, and of course learning how to use one of the fastest-growing forms of modern multimedia.

Furthermore, it also benefits the school by helping to engage with the high school community. Family and friends who aren’t able to attend special events (sports games, graduation, etc.) can watch them from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. This means mom & dad at work can tune in to watch their kids play ball, or grandpa in Florida can watch his grandkid’s commencement ceremony. If there was ever an easy way to appease students’ parents, this is the way to do it!

“Whenever I need a new broadcasting solution, I always check Teradek before anybody else. I’ve been a Teradek user since the old Cube days, and their streaming tech is second to none. With them, we could keep our costs low and still accomplish everything we need for our class. That’s the most important to me.”

Live:Air Action is free to download and use. Additional features are available for purchase.

Live:Air Action Bundle includes all features and future releases. A 50% discount with bulk purchase is available for Apple Education accounts.

For more information, our team is happy to help. Call us at (888) 941‑2111.