Hardware Switcher Information

[Steven Digges]

One more point to William's post. Always know if the HDMI/SDI (or any other) output port on ALL your devices is a true pass through port or if it is post processing. For example, the output port on a monitor may be a pass through and not affect the signal in a detectable way. If it is not pass through it will add the delay for sure. Obviously I am not talking about the processed outputs you hooked it up for. Do not believe it when people tell you generation loss does not apply to digital signals. The ones and zeros must arrive as they were sent, but the signal as a whole is a different story. Process all signals as little as possible, the more efficiently you do that the safer you will be.

Charles, Good point about saving a hundred bucks on the Decmator without the test pattern generator. That would not matter to most guys in this thread but it is more than a convenience to me. I use it for several things. Especially projection.

Steve

[Josh Chesarek]

I used to use the ATEM line but I switched last year to Datavideo using the HS line the 1200 in particular. The main reason for change at the time was the need for Picture in Picture for lecture style events, hardware control surface, and a intercom/tally solution .

Datavideo Categories: Mobile Studios

They dont have scalers but I use the MD-cross listed above and have not had any issues that were not fixable :)

[Bill Strehl]

Originally Posted by Steven Digges

I knew this would get long. I hope someone finds at least something useful here.

Kind Regards,

Steve

Thanks for starting this thread. I just started looking at switchers for use in live streaming in December of last year and the comments in this thread and your comments have been helpful. It would be great if when people comment they would include the current cost of equipment so that it isn't necessary to search for the cost.

[Bill Strehl]

Originally Posted by Josh Chesarek

I used to use the ATEM line but I switched last year to Datavideo using the HS line the 1200 in particular. The main reason for change at the time was the need for Picture in Picture for lecture style events, hardware control surface, and a intercom/tally solution .

Datavideo Categories: Mobile Studios

They dont have scalers but I use the MD-cross listed above and have not had any issues that were not fixable :)

In looking at the products discussed in this thread I see that the ATEM Television Studio HD Charles Papert mentioned has picture in picture. Did you consider this product prior to getting the Datavideo HS-1200?

[Bill Strehl]

Originally Posted by Charles Papert

Couple of notes--Steven noted above the good results he'd gotten using the $395 Decimator MD-Cross for input format conversion. Thought it was worth mentioning that Decimator makes a similar unit for $295, the MD-HX, which omits the test pattern generator but has the same scaling engine.

For my application I use a Blackmagic ATEM Television Studio which as Steven notes does require all inputs to be the same format (their recently released version does accommodate many more formats the original version, but still has that uniform requirement). And indeed it does require a laptop if you don't want to use their full sized hardware component. I've augmented with an X-Keys stick which works well for cuts-only switching. Any function of the ATEM that can be controlled with a keystroke can be mapped to the X-Keys, which are quite affordable.

Any reason you chose the Television Studio over the ATEM Production Studio 4K?

[Charles Papert]

Originally Posted by Bill Strehl

Any reason you chose the Television Studio over the ATEM Production Studio 4K?

I bought the ATEM Television Studio before the 4K versions came out (and didn't need the features of the higher end switchers in the line at the time). Was interested in the 4K version but read a few reviews that said the fan was notably loud in it. That's a dealbreaker for my application as I'm sometimes in the same room that we are shooting in.

The new version of the ATEM is mildly enticing for my purposes in that it can manage multiple formats of HD, although sadly still not 23.98psf which is a typical monitoring format for my type of work. So I'd still need the Decimators to convert that to 23.98p--although that would be a significant advantage over 59.94i. Not enough of a reason for me to upgrade just yet. Almost all of the other features of the new Television Studio such as the front panel controls are N/A for me since I'd be mounting it in a rack backwards so I could access the connectors. Blackmagic used to get that the controls should be on a separate rackmountable panel, which they had with the routers, but they've moved away from that and it's baffling.

[Charlie Steiner]

I use a Tricaster but looking for a 2nd system simpler and more portable. there are several switchers that would work for me but I need to have a logo/bug onscreen at all times and I need to both record and stream the switcher output. any suggestions?

[Josh Chesarek]

Originally Posted by Bill Strehl

In looking at the products discussed in this thread I see that the ATEM Television Studio HD Charles Papert mentioned has picture in picture. Did you consider this product prior to getting the Datavideo HS-1200?

It did not exist at the time but if it did I would still go the HS route due to the form factor having a built in 17" screen. It then also had a full control surface which is kinda sorta there on the new ATEM but I wouldn't wanna switch a show or sporting event on it.

I mix a lot of imag stuff. No recording etc, straight up vision mixing. I walk in with a suitcase case and I am done. My old ATEM TV studio fly pack was a gator case + laptop connected over Ethernet. Much quicker now. Both were reliable and good, I just like this setup more.

[Josh Chesarek]

Originally Posted by Charlie Steiner

I use a Tricaster but looking for a 2nd system simpler and more portable. there are several switchers that would work for me but I need to have a logo/bug onscreen at all times and I need to both record and stream the switcher output. any suggestions?

Livewedge is an all in one but has some limitations. I use the hs-1200 with an external recorder/streamer (liveshell x). The 1200 can do a pip of a still frame which you can use as a logo bug anywhere you want on screen.

[William Hohauser]

Originally Posted by Charlie Steiner

I use a Tricaster but looking for a 2nd system simpler and more portable. there are several switchers that would work for me but I need to have a logo/bug onscreen at all times and I need to both record and stream the switcher output. any suggestions?

My weekly live streaming job didn't happen but you could contemplate the set up I was going to use:

Roland V1-HD switcher to
BlackMagic UltraStudio MiniRecorder into the computer and
WireCast streaming software
with a small 7" LCD to use as a multi-cam preview monitor from the Roland.

The entire setup listed here fits into a backpack with room to spare for a laptop and small audio mixer. The WireCast software allows you to place a logo bug on the switched signal, stream and record to the hard drive.

[Giroud Francois]

the problem with real hardware switcher is they are always short in feature.
So either they are not real hardware only (like the blackmagic ATEM wich requires a computer to properly operate), or they are just several in/one out and you need to bring a lot more equipement in the equation (like a Pc with an a capture card for recording or streaming).
When a switcher/mixer is usally needed, expectation is also to be able to mix/overlay/key/picture in picture/record/stream/convert etc... that is way out of reach from basic hardware mixers.
So you are stuck to stack racks of equipement , connect tons of cable to get features that a software mixer can bring just by checking a box in a menu.
I use VMIX and frankly, there is nothing out of reach with it.

-read lots of different sources, and especially the ones that come from non video sources like computers/tablet/smartphone.
-send signal to lot of target, including non video target (wireless streaming, NDI, screen/projector using VGA/DVI or resolution that are not at "video" standard.
-allowing features like slow motion, replay, realtime picture tracking.

[Charlie Steiner]

VMIX is software. how do you get video into it? I have SDI and HDMI cameras.

[Chris Harding]

Input cards in the computer ..the most common are Black Magic cards which normally have an SDI input on them, Depending on the software you really need to make sure that the software works with that particular card You always need hardware to support a software switcher unless you are using simple stuff like webcams or PTZ cameras which are USB outputs so the computer already has the hardware built-in

Supported Hardware | vMix