Livestreaming on the Cutting Edge—3 Teradek Video Solutions We Love
It's true when they say that streaming isn't always easy. If you, too, have answered the call of the wild, you'll be glad to know that Teradek rolled out a few incredible new streaming devices.
These video encoders address many of the top concerns of streamers of any genre: poor playback performance, lag, and a publishing pipeline more trouble than it's worth.
Twitch junkies, YouTube personalities, and mukbang artists may all find a lot to love in this revolutionary collection of streaming equipment.
Mission-critical video delivery? You haven't seen half of it yet.
A Teradek Device for Every Type of Streaming Personality
There are a myriad of ways to stream, and every streamer will inevitably need something different. Luckily, Teradek offers streaming solutions that fit the bill for a number of different scenarios—at-home streaming, on-location streaming, gaming, ASMR, and the rest.
All of the following can be configured and engaged through either the Prism web user interface or through the Prism app for both iOS and Android. Leave the heavy lifting to these all-inclusive video encoders for a superior broadcast every single time.
Teradek's Prism Flex Video Encoder
Encode. Decode. Recode. The Prism Flex is your all-in-one, broadcast-caliber streaming epicenter. It's a video codec system created specifically for this purpose: to stream ultra-high-def, low-latency video over the internet.
This multi-tool allows your audience to monitor your performance in real-time, all in pristinely-calibrated 4K. The footage is written to Teradek's Core Cloud directly, and is available immediately to everybody that you're broadcasting to.
Among its many capabilities:
- 4K HEVC and AVC encoding and decoding in real-time
- Full HDR capability
- 10-bit 4:2:2 color depth
- Stereo and 5.1 surround sound
- Publishing features and multi-destination streaming, including to platforms like Facebook Live, Youtube, and Twitch
This concept builds upon Teradek's Prism Rack Unit, or Prism RU. The RU network rack is meant to stand as a more permanent fixture within your streaming set-up.
Instead of a rack of high-performance cards, the Flex instead offers you one single chassis, which makes it much easier to take your show on the road. Travel vloggers and any other streamer unconfined to a single streaming location might find this grab-it-and-go style to be immensely freeing. If you've got access to Wi-Fi or Ethernet (or even bonding one or more cellular data connections through your phone provider), you're ready to stream.
The ability to utilize more than one connective service ensures a stable feed throughout your streaming session. 10-bit 4K HDR video up to 4:2:2 in resolution comes through loud, clear, and smooth as butter, all without the lag and frame-dropping that you might be used to with a more conventional streaming set-up.
4K is a lot to play with—casual streamers might never reach this threshold. If you're serious about your streaming enterprise, however, the quality that the Prism Flex affords you will be unforgettable. It's an incredibly reliable way to stream, all in one compact and convenient package that goes where you go.
The Teradek Spark 4K
The Spark 4K system consists of a zero-delay video transmitter and receiver. It's designed to convey 4K video instantly from any camera, straight to your streaming service. It does so through any HDI-capable source, whether that ends up being your laptop, a projector, or a switcher.
A 500 radius of wireless range gives you plenty of room to work within, all totally cable-free. Every moving part can be monitored through the Teradek Launchpad app, which makes wrangling multiple camera operators a breeze.
These lightweight receivers are the perfect investment to make for any venue or act in need of a reliable live-even production set-up. Multi-cam configurations up the ante in terms of your production value significantly. Even if you're not streaming live, it's one awesome way to create a stunning, professional archive of every gathering and performance.
Small community groups, musical acts, stage productions, wedding videographers, schools, churches, local sports teams, and more can all increase their viewership and add value to their catalog of offerings by either streaming live or sharing after the fact. The workflow is straightforward enough for anybody to master.
The Teradek Wave
Finally, we have what may very well be the most innovative streaming device in the Teradek collection: the five-in-one Teradek Wave.
The Wave is a seven-inch, daylight-viewable touchscreen display described as the most "frictionless" way to stream on-location. We have to say, we're compelled to agree. It's not just a preview monitor—it's actually a fully-fledged video encoder in its own right, as well.
Instead of linking either of the above up to your laptop or desktop, this "dual-purpose" hardware encoder steps in as possibly the most convenient viewport of your life. While you will need an external camera to lay it all down, this extremely portable device pares things down significantly.
Through Teradek's Smart Event Creation feature included with FlowOS, you can configure your streaming event ahead of time. In our opinion, this device is truly the way to go if you prefer the simplest streaming pipeline possible.
Just like any other preview monitor, you can mount the Wave to a tripod or stand just as easily as you can set it up on your desk. It's hot-swappable, as well, allowing you to stream at length without interruption.
The Video Delivery System Your Audience Deserves
Prism is the streaming platform of choice for some of the biggest names in the streaming game—-Netflix, for one, but also for the streaming divisions of companies like the BBC, NBC Universal, USA Today, and even NASA itself.
Prism simplifies your streaming workflow, allowing you to focus fully on the quality of your content. Multi-destination delivery, cloud archives, and more all come standard.
No Film School's complete coverage of NAB 2022 is brought to you by Blackmagic Design, Atomos, and Creative Solutions (makers of Teradek, Wooden Camera, and SmallHD).