Hak5 APB: Video Mixer (Live Switcher) software

[Darren Kitchen]

Calling all geeks!

We're in need of a software based video mixer, sometimes called a live switcher. We're looking for it to use Firewire as input from 3 DV camera sources. The basic overview is to plug 3 cameras into a PC's 1394/Firewire ports and switch between each camera live and save the output to file for later editing. Compositing, keying, graphics, lower thirds, etc are all optional.

So far this is what we have found:

http://www.tekgia.com/product_info.php/cPa...products_id/202

However, it doesn't work. But basically something like that, that works, and doesnt cost $5,000 like the TriCaster or Video Toaster is what we need.

We've been on a google marathon with limited success, so I'm putting out this all points bulletin in hopes of finding the proper video mixing software solution.

[moonlit]

Dunno if this would affect your success rate but:

Windows actually blocks you from using more than one input at a time on most Firewire I/O boards. (Kinda crazy thing to do if you ask me)

I've spoken with NewTek Development and you should be able to use multiple Firewire cards and have one camera running into each card..

That still doesn't resolve the native latency that is part of Firewire.

Good luck with the quest!

[jool]

Yeah I can confirm that using several firewire cameras streaming live into one machine can be very flakey, it's not really Windows fault though. The firewire protocol was just not designed with multiple live video streams in mind. Windows itself doesn't care how many devices you hook up as long as the drivers and hardware can handle it.

The reason I know this is that I'm currently coding almost exactly what you are describing and have been testing with different types of inputs on different systems.

However, it is not even really in an proper alpha or beta state (missing ui parts and other "small" things like that) so I can't really help you... yet. When it's done it will either be cheap or never publicly released (due to cha-ching reasons).

[Darren Kitchen]

Our savior comes with the name of Wirecast

http://www.varasoft.com/products/wirecast/

[moonlit]

Sweet! That looks like an awesome app, I'd try it if I had enough cameras...

Not all that expensive either, considering ^_^

[jool]

I have enough cameras and it is quite impressive. The only problem is the high risk of going nuts with all the transitions and scene setups and wasting hours and hours just watching everything twirl around. :)

[Darren Kitchen]

Nah I think if you've watched Hak5 enough you know that we're not all about the "swirlies". Hard cuts, good info, packaged with some good tunes and graphics. Anything more is just glitter.

If we can't get this done easily in software, our backup choice is this:

http://www.edirol.com/products/v1/index.html

Add svideo cables for all 3 cameras, capture card for PC, and a few monitors and it could get a little expensive but it's what we would need to upgrade from set to studio.

[thetron]

Our savior comes with the name of Wirecast

http://www.varasoft.com/products/wirecast/

Wirecast looks excellent. I've been waiting for a program like this

WTB: Wirecast 3 licence

[jool]

Yeah I'm sure the final product will be fine, just know from experience that some people are easily hypnotised by swirling, glittery things and that can cause delays. I'm sure your resistance to such distractions is sufficient though. :)

If you go for the hardware mixer make sure that you can either try it first or return it because some are just horrible. I was trying one out where the image quality of the output was so bad we thought it was broken. We sent it in for repairs and got it back a couple of weeks later with a note explaining that it was just fine. It still had the same massive amount of grain and minor distortions that it had before.

[Darren Kitchen]

Yeah I'm sure the final product will be fine, just know from experience that some people are easily hypnotised by swirling, glittery things and that can cause delays. I'm sure your resistance to such distractions is sufficient though. :)

If you go for the hardware mixer make sure that you can either try it first or return it because some are just horrible. I was trying one out where the image quality of the output was so bad we thought it was broken. We sent it in for repairs and got it back a couple of weeks later with a note explaining that it was just fine. It still had the same massive amount of grain and minor distortions that it had before.

What video mixer was it? I've heard to stay away from the MX1. The Edirol V1 looks like it would do just what we want without a bunch of fancy expensive features we'd never use. Though we'd need a seperate piece of hardware to do live CG like lower thirds, overlays, etc. But that can be done in post easily, and later brought into the mix with an additional piece of hardware. I think the V1 can do keying on the 4th channel.

[jool]

It was a focus mx-4, it tries to do some fancy things and my guess is that there was where it failed. Trying to get a cheapish video processor to do advanced things. So if you avoid the ones that try to do everything for less money than it should cost you're probably better off.

Disclaimer so that focus doesn't sue me for slander or other sillyness: It might work perfectly for other people and it might even have been improved by now but for us it failed miserably.

[thetron]

I might beta test some of these software based video mixers. If you haven't already and get back to you!

Maybe test the live streaming feature over a LAN. I only have 256k UP so i can't push the content online

[thetron]

http://www.djmart.com/numark-nuvj-mixer.html

DUVJ. It isn't out until December

Mainly intended for Video DJ's, It only has two inputs. Lets use both firewire and possibly USB