Tutorial: How to Stream Reliably from Anywhere with the Teradek VidiU Go
By Adam Noyes
In the video below Paul Schmutzler demonstrates how to deliver a solid stream from any location with the Teradek VidiU Go.
This tutorial is sponsored by Teradek.
Have you ever been on location for a live shoot and found that the internet just isn’t fast enough to provide the bandwidth you need for your livestream? Or maybe you’re in a challenging area, and the internet connection keeps going in and out.
If you’re relying on a single connection to livestream your video, you’re doing it wrong. The answer to unreliable internet is network bonding.
Simply put, bonding is the process of taking multiple separate internet connections and combining them into one large data pipe. This is by far the most robust and sensible solution for any mission-critical shoot, and whether you’re a professional producer or a YouTuber, every shoot is mission-critical.
Say you’re in a place like this soccer park. You’ll have at least 3-5 cameras scattered around the fields, and you’ll be live switching them from a booth, but this place could get really crowded with all the people showing up and using Facebook Live to stream it to their friends.
If you’re relying on a single 4G modem for your stream, what are you going to do when the network congestion turns your 1080 stream into a 480 stream? Or worse, your stream drops entirely?
The good news is that the Teradek VidiU Go can bond multiple internet sources together into a single robust internet connection for you to stream over. Ethernet, Wi-Fi, two 4G USB hotspots, and even iPhone hotspots can all be combined. You can even use multiple 4G modems from different carriers. This way, if most of the audience is on one carrier hogging the bandwidth, your other modem can do most of the heavy lifting.
If you don’t already have a 4G SIM or you’re looking for an out-of-the-box cellular internet solution, check out the VidiU Go Deluxe Kit, which includes Teradek node modems and Telna SIMs. With this kit, there’s no contract leash connecting you to AT&T or Verizon. You can pay as you need. No activation fees and no running around each carrier store to get set up.
Nodes attach seamlessly to the VidiU Go and offer enhanced connectivity and durability for 4G LTE wherever you go. They also have universal SIM compatibility so you aren’t limited to a specific carrier modem. Now that I’ve connected the node modems with the SIM cards and added a friend’s phone for additional bandwidth, you can see how all the sources are bonding and provide one robust, rock-solid internet connection to stream my video into Core.
Don’t risk your entire livestream on a single internet connection. Take the Teradek VidiU Go and the node modems with you, and make sure you produce a stream that will have your clients calling back again and again.