Postmodern Jukebox is a rotating musical collective known for reworking popular modern music into different vintage genres such as swing and jazz. Each week, Postmodern Jukebox posts a new video on YouTube and over time have amassed more than 1 billion YouTube views and 3.6 million subscribers.

In honor of their one billionth YouTube view, Postmodern Jukebox held a livestream event using SlingStudio as their platform of choice. We recently sat down with Matt Telford, production manager and audio engineer for Postmodern Jukebox, to see what he had to say about multi-camera livestreaming and video production with SlingStudio.

Matt and Scott Bradlee, founder of Postmodern Jukebox, first started streaming to the internet a few years back with a complicated system requiring lots of time to set up.

“This whole entire streaming thing started when my friend Scott said instead of doing a video we’re going to start streaming content to the internet,” said Telford. “We started off with a really complex system that involved a ton of wires, a ton of work, and just a ton of headaches.”

One day Scott showed up with SlingStudio stating, “this is the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen.” Matt was skeptical at first because he knew how complex their first set up was and didn’t think a simple system would work…read more

System integrators and Elite NewTek resellers Key Code Media worked with the City of Highland Park, IL, to move up from SD production to a mobile HD studio. Home to a variety of festivals and events that the city production team covers, and a local government that values live broadcast and streaming of meetings and sessions, mobile production made sense. Key Code saw to ensuring future-proof production by making the 4K-capable All-IP NewTek TriCaster® TC1 the heart of the live production suite. The TC1 system is the most complete multi-camera live production system on the planet, providing the backbone switching, live streaming, recording, graphics, digital effects, keying, layering, virtual sets and social media publishing tools to produce a modern broadcast from studio or onsite.

The suite includes Panasonic PTZ robotic cameras, which can be placed anywhere and remotely controlled by the technical director operating the TriCaster, or by one camera operator at a dedicated control station. An AJA Video Systems Kumo Router allows access to a larger complement of cameras and devices. A Castus QuickCast is used for scheduling and playout for the government access channel. The entire system was built inside a Bigfoot Mobile case with industrial wheels, allowing the system to be easily transported as a unit and rolled onsite to different locations…read more

How project options affect SlingStudio maximum disk recording times

This table of maximum disk recording times, based on different recording options, can give you an idea how your choices affect the quantity of video that can fit on a disk.

The SlingStudio project options that you choose can play a significant role in the amount of video that you can store on the recording media that you’re using.

While it is impossible to list all of the possibilities and combinations, the table below displays a sample of the project runtimes that are available on a newly-formatted 128 GB SD card that contains no other data.

Since the available bit rate setting values vary with the VIDEO PRODUCTION option chosen, the recording time values in the table represent bit rate settings with the VIDEO SOURCES AND PROGRAM OUTPUT SLIDER set to:

• Low (the absolute lowest setting)
• Mid (as close as possible to the middle of the range)
• High (the absolute highest setting).

A newly-formatted 128 GB SD card should offer these approximate recording times:

Again, please note: This table is not intended to be an absolute authority. It is for you to scan to get a general idea how different Video Production and Bit Rate settings can affect recording times.

For that reason, these values are estimates only, and do not necessarily represent the recording times that you might see if you recreated the settings listed here.

The scope of differing equipment and applications that have adopted NDI® is breathtaking. Everything from media storage servers to real-time graphics production systems to Microsoft’s ubiquitous calling system, Skype, is including NewTek’s bi-directional technology for IP transport of video, audio, metadata and communications. There are now hundreds of products in the hands of millions of users that include NDI, making it by far the leading standard for video over IP for production.

At the  recent InfoComm 2018 tradeshow, NewTek staff had a chance to get around the show floor and visit with some of the many vendors that have integrated NDI into their products. Here is a small sampling in pictures….read more

From Epiphan

Streaming Hardware

Streaming hardware implies a dedicated appliance designed specifically for live streaming video. In a hardware setup, the video and audio sources are connected directly to the appliance where they are processed and encoded locally. Inside, streaming hardware contains its own CPU, video processing components, and special software to perform the same tasks as streaming software does on a computer.

Features

Since streaming hardware is basically streaming software confined to a box, hardware encoders can do pretty much everything software can (see Software Features list above). For example, Epiphan’s Pearl-2 web GUI allows you to create different layouts, switch between them, add titles, and much more. On top of that, we can talk about the added factors of reliability, versatility, and ease of use.

Streaming hardware devices, such as Epiphan’s “all-in-one” Pearl-2 and Pearl Mini systems, come equipped with SDI, HDMI, and USB ports for capturing video. This means they don’t need any additional capture cards to function, making them more convenient in that sense.

Hardware form factor can be modified in order to create the best fit for each individual use case: rackmounts, desktop appliances, mobile encoders are all widely used.

Think of streaming hardware having a very narrow specialty. While software can run on a computer that can do many different things, streaming hardware was designed with one very specific goal in mind: to stream live video. All the components have been intentionally picked out and the software was customized and rigorously tested to ensure the best live streaming experience possible.

Pearl-2 encoder allows us to create all kinds of great layouts for our Live @ Epiphan show. Check out the full episode on our channel, it’s a great visual example of what high-end video streaming hardware is able to do….read more

With the advent of NDI® 3.0 and the accompanying products, NewTek NDI PTZ Camera and NewTek Connect Spark HDMI2NDI and SDI2NDI signal converters, the NewTek vision of an end-to-end IP pipeline from acquisition to delivery is now a reality. Also for the first time, a production pipeline can be all-NewTek (with a little help from a couple of great technology collaborators) from acquisition to delivery.

Key aspects of NDI that both ease production and expand the possibilities:

• NDI-enabled production tools are plug-and-play: when NDI is activated in a device or application, every NDI-aware tool on the same network sees that source automatically.
• NDI is bi-directional: Network connections expect devices to talk to one another, unlike one-way dedicated video cabling, such as SDI, and NDI is engineered to include this capability.
• NDI is multi-functional: NDI technology is not just media transport; metadata and two-way communications are also in the technology, for example PTZ control is now standard, tally information can be exchanged, and an NDI source can know which destinations are viewing it. NDI is being used to control scripted light shows and practical effects in live entertainment, for additional examples.
• Multicast Support with Forwards Error Correction
  • A single NDI source can now serve any number of destinations, limited only by network infrastructure. Multicast now supplements unicast support, enabling the best mode of operation to be implemented as appropriate.
• High Efficiency Mode – NDI|HX
  • Full resolution, full frame-rate video suitable for limited bandwidth wireless, remote, and large scale networks.

So: from acquiring the video to streaming to the audience, what are the parts available now to make your all-NewTek-NDI IP production environment?

NewTek End-to-End IP Production

Acquisition/Conversion

NewTek NDI PTZ Camera – the world’s first PTZ camera that is truly a plug-and-play video source. Built-in NDI functionality transmits full 3G 1080p 60 video directly to NDI-compatible products across a standard network, as well as tally, PTZ control, and power, all over a single Ethernet cable. With a simple driver and software download and installation, you can configure and operate the camera from any available system.

NewTek Connect Spark HDMI and SDI to NDI Converters – make any device a plug-and-play IP video source. Cameras, game consoles, computers, anything HDMI or SDI can be made NDI, and transmitted over Ethernet or wirelessly. With a simple driver and software download and installation, you can configure and operate Spark from any available system.

NewTek NC1 Studio Input Module – connect up to four 3G/HD/SD-SDI devices and make them IP sources. Supports NDI and additional IP standards, will support SMPTE-2110 when it is completed and published. Handy way to convert a multi-camera studio or truck all at once. Multiple units can be used with an NDI-enabled production system. With a monitor, mouse and keyboard, an operator can monitor, configure audio and video sources on each channel, calibrate and color-correct sources, and more.

NewTek NC1 Studio I/O Module – connect up to eight 3G/HD/SD-SDI devices or up to two 3G-SDI quadlink devices (UHD) and make them IP sources. Supports NDI and additional IP standards, will support SMPTE-2110 when it is completed and published. Multiple units can be used with an NDI-enabled production system. With a monitor, mouse and keyboard, an operator can monitor, configure audio and video sources on each channel, calibrate and color-correct sources, and more.

NewTek Connect Pro – A 4-channel software solution that can make video capture cards, webcams and stored media content on a system into IP sources. Supports NDI and additional IP standards, will support SMPTE-2110 when it is completed and published. Monitor, configure audio and video sources on each channel, calibrate and color-correct sources, and more.

Integrated Production, 4K|60p, All Channels IP-capable, Dual Streaming

NewTek IP Series – 44 external video inputs, 2 Skype TX Channels, 8 re-entrant M/Es, live and holographic virtual sets, 8 produced outputs, loads more.

NewTek TriCaster® TC1 – 16 external video inputs, 2 Skype TX Channels, 4 re-entrant M/Es, live and holographic virtual sets, dual streaming channels, loads more.

Integrated Production, HD, Multiple IP Channels In/Out, Streaming

NewTek TriCaster 8000 – 10 external video sources, 8 re-entrant M/Es, live and holographic virtual sets,

NewTek TriCaster 400 Series – 6 external video sources, 4 standard M/Es, live and holographic virtual sets,

TriCaster Mini Series – 6 external video sources, 4 standard M/Es, live and holographic virtual sets, choice of SDI or HDMI unit, world’s most complete and portable professional multi-camera video production system and presentation appliance.

Note: Optional TriCaster Advanced Edition adds complete NDI workflow with more NDI channels in and out, plus more than 100 other functions to each of the TriCaster series products in this category.

Video Replay Systems, HD, Two IP (NDI) Channels Out

3Play® Family – 8 in/2 out synchronized instant replay (3Play 4800) / 4 in/2 out synchronized instant replay (all other models), variable slow and fast motion replay, 8-channel (4800) or 4-channel recording (all other models), powerful video playback server, 4RU, 2RU and portable Mini form factors. All models integrate as sources for any NDI-enabled production switchers or tools via two NDI outputs to Ethernet.

Professional Broadcast Graphics

NewTek and Vizrt NVG1 – combines NewTek’s software-driven video technology with VizRT’s industry-leading Viz Trio character generator and Viz Engine compositing software to deliver the highest-quality CG and motion graphics into any production via NDI. Supports up to 4K|60p production.

Skype TX Additional Channels

NewTek TalkShow® VS 100 – an additional Skype TX channel for any NewTek production system. Multiple units can be used together. An operator can monitor, set a fallback image, calibrate audio and video, color-correct video, and more.

NewTek TalkShow VS 4000 – four additional Skype TX channels for any NewTek production system. Multiple units can be used together. An operator can monitor, set a fallback image, calibrate audio and video, color-correct video, and more.

Distribution

NewTek and Wowza MediaDS –