简化您的便携式流媒体系统, 第一部分:流媒体软件, 捕捉卡, 和信号转换器

作为创始人和所有者 Mobeon, 专门从事流媒体制作的公司, I’m always looking for ways to streamline my kit and simplify my workflow to give my client the best stream possible regardless of the venue. At Mobeon we handle a vast range of events events varying from small- to large-scale, and our clients run the gamut from Fortune 100 companies to startups to and non-profit organizations. 借鉴这些经验, in this series I'll explore some of the latest gear for doing mobile and portable streaming production, 高清和扩展到4K. You can achieve a lot with minimal resources and still travel lightly when you have jobs across the U.S.

I’ll begin this first installment by describing two software-based streaming solutions that enable you to deliver professional-quality streams from your PC or Mac.

基于软件的流

我们都知道流媒体是一个增长型行业. The tools have become much more accessible and more portable as the popularity and feasibility of live streaming has grown. 市面上有更多支持流媒体的硬件和软件, 而对于我们这些懂得如何利用它的人来说，机会也比以往任何时候都多.

Telestream Wirecast Pro

在许多事件中，我都和魔本一起拍摄和直播过, 我曾广泛使用过Telestream的Wirecast Pro (下面的图1)，这是一个兼容Mac和windows的流媒体应用程序，现在是版本6. 它有两个版本. The Studio version is more of a starter piece of software, which is why we prefer the Pro version.

Figure 1. Telestream Wirecast Pro 6

Telestream has introduced some new things in this latest iteration of Wirecast Pro. 现在它有一个重放按钮, which is fantastic because previously this option was limited to higher-end systems such as NewTek’s 3Play. The replay ability allows you to capture and replay some clips from sporting events, 让你创造一些亮点等等, which is groundbreaking in a software-only application that runs on your Mac or PC.

Wirecast 6 Pro还集成了Twitter社交媒体. 你所要做的就是提供你的Twitter账号并登录, and you can actually select certain tweets that you want presented in your stream. This implementation gives you moderation capabilities so that you can select and choose what you want to appear in the stream itself. Plus, it has other capabilities and functions such as drag-and-drop for playlists, and it’s quite versatile in enabling you go into and configure your ouput for various content delivery networks.

At Mobeon, we’ve use almost all the different hardware and software solutions available, but Wirecast had been a saving grace in a lot of events because of the flexibility it provides for working in changing environments. 当你的客户在最后一刻做出改变或提出要求时, 有时候你必须能够适应他们, and working in a versatile application like Wirecast makes that easier to do.

Wirecast allows us to stream to most streaming platforms, and serves other purposes as well. It serves as a titling program through its recent integration with NewBlue Titler Pro (下面的图2)，这是一个允许您动态添加标题的插件. This is a big step forward from earlier versions in which the titling capabilities were much more limited. Now you can add and alter lower-thirds graphics in mid-stream, so to speak. For many events where titling is of key importance, this is a critical feature.

Figure 2. NewBlue Titler Pro

带有Wirecast Pro的MacBook Pro视网膜系统

图3(下面) 显示了基于MacBook Pro Retina系统的Wirecast Pro的设置. 这包括三台佳能XA25相机(见 本系列的第2部分 for more detail on the XA25) mixed in with the Blackmagic Ultra Studio recorders. This allows you to have a three-camera input switching system with the MacBook Pro Retina.

Figure 3. 运行Telestream Wirecast Pro的MacBook Retina流媒体系统. 单击图像以查看其全尺寸.

让这个系统运转起来, you need to get a USB-to-Ethernet adapter since the MacBook Pro Retinas don’t have an Ethernet connection, and the number one rule of streaming is that you must always have a hardline connection to the Internet, 你不应该依赖任何无线或WiFi.

这是一个很好的便携式设备. 你几乎可以装进你的背包, and that's ultimately what we’d like to create: The ability to put both your camera and switching systems in a bag and jump on a plane and be off to the races to stream for your event. We've actually used these in certain critical situations where we didn't have the time or the the manpower to do a larger-scale production. We were able to put this system together, transport it to the event, and deploy it with much success.

图4(下面) 显示CalDigit迅雷站, 它是一种小巧的装置，可以扩展Mac笔记本电脑的输入. That's something that I do recommend getting because of the fact that it adds additional USB ports. 它没有增加任何额外的Thunderbolt接口，因为, again, 由于Thunderbolt的限制, 不幸的是, 这是不允许的. 它确实为Mac笔记本电脑增加了另一个HDMI输出, and it's something I would highly recommend in getting and adding to your kit as well.

Figure 4. 加州数字雷电站. 单击图像以查看其全尺寸.

vMix高清和4K

Another excellent option for software-based live production and streaming is vMix, 高清版售价320美元，4K版售价630美元(下面的图5).

Figure 5. vMix HD

vMix功能非常强大. 随着带宽的增长，它对4K的支持变得越来越重要, 支持4k的相机将成为主流, Netflix和其他公司则为消费者提供4K流媒体服务. We have some clients that are now requesting 4K, and vMix 4K helps us to deliver it when we need it.