Anyone Using Anything Similar to a MEVO with Wirecast?
Yesterday, we did an on-location Facebook Live stream for World Day Experience in Houston. We used 2 MEVOs with Livestream Studio for multi-camera switching and logo overlays. The setup includes a POE access point, POE switch, and Ethernet connectivity for one camera while wireless for the roaming one (that we move periodically). We use the MEVO app on an iPad to do the virtual PTZ on either camera.
Is anyone using any camera that has similar capabilities including a similar price point that works well with Wirecast? We'd love to ditch the monthly subscription cost for Livestream and these propitiatory cameras (since it appears that they won't open them up for RTMP/RTSP use) and use Wirecast in our mobile setup.
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In theory if you had a 4K camera and capture device you'd then divide up the camera into 720 or 1080 sized shots. You could then cut between the shots in Wirecast or, if you use the Smooth transition, can pan between shots.
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CraigS Could you please explain the steps to accomplish this with a 4K camera to 3 720 videos and also a 1080 camera split to 2 720 videos.
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CraigS I am trying to setup 1 4K or 1080 camera at a hockey rink, and then be able to follow the play, by switching between each 720p video to follow the play, similar what I could do with the Mevo. Any suggestions on how to setup something like that in Wirecast?
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TP Make sure input is 4K. Make sure canvas is set to 720. This gives you a lot of room to reposition the shots in the canvas using scale and position. Set up the shots you like. The same 4K camera with different scaling and position in each shot as you like it. You can use Smooth transition if you want it to look like camera pans.
Use these controls
An example:
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CraigS Thank you for the help! If I have it split into just 2 shots, is it possible to setup a quick key on the keyboard to switch between the two shots, without having to click on the next shot and hit spacebar?
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TP Absolutely. We support custom key commands for shots and some are using the Elgato Streamdeck as well so it's as simple as a button push.
Streamdeck
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CraigS What about the ability to bring in the signal over wifi or ethernet? Any cameras that come to mind with those capabilities that have been tested in Wirecast?
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Garry Lee I would never trust HD video over wifi at the base 2.4 Ghz or even 5Ghz (future looks promising thought). Instead, I bought a low end low-latency wireless HDMI solution ( https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00DMRSS84?tag=kit-gl-ca-20 ) which I have used a couple times. VERY low latency but not the range of some of the more high-end models. This won't solve all your issues but if you have a camera already, it does help with roaming.
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Garry Lee Wirecast support NDI, IP, has Webstream plugin.
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Matthew Potter of course on the higher end there's Teradek Bolt.
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Matthew Potter yeah I'm more focused on an ethernet connection since I get a couple of hundred feet if need be.
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CraigS True. I need to know of a camera that has those traits though. Any suggestion around that $500 price point of a MEVO with similar features.
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Garry Lee You could use a 4K webcam. Logitech Brio might be a possibility but some users are reporting some issues with it.
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I'm still happy with my Wonwoo MB308 camera. It has webstream over RJ45, CVBS, HDMI and HD-SDI output. All running concurrently. So you can use a HDMI monitor and use the SDI for the long run. Or just use the network. They are POE powered :-) An alternative is the Newtek Spark converting the Cam into NDI which will work over the network as well. If you need to bridge and roam there is a wireless wire https://mikrotik.com/product/wireless_wire in the 60 GHz range that works pretty good.
Matthew Potter the IDX isn't that bad. I love it and it's comparable to the small bolt. I didn't notice a big difference comparing both. ANd it has standard USB power. That makes it easy to power them with a powerbank. If you place the receiver at an exposed place with good line of sight to the camera you have a very good setup. And log operation times given the powerbank.
There are very cheap (40$) servo pan/tilt kits available if you want to play with an RC controller and light weight cams. It works better than one would think. I mounted it on a jib (CF surfmast) and had great fun.
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Key, for me, in duplicating what the MEVO does is being to use a single 4K camera to divide into multiple 1080 or 720 shots. So you'd only need one camera.
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CraigS But what makes the MEVO stand out is that 1) its battery powered and extended with the additional battery, you can connect to it over wifi or ethernet (with the extended battery), and you can stream to your workstation WHILE using the app to handle PTZ and give you a preview screen. The 4K res is just a bonus to me compared to all these other features. That's what I want to replicate.
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Garry Lee Wirecast 9.0.1 can control PTZOptics over ethernet directly in Wirecast (no IPad or separate controller needed). See this thread
And PTZOptics does have an iOS controller app if that's your preference. -
CraigS yep but the price point and lack of portability though...
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Garry Lee MEVO is certainly in an unusual price class.
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Mevo was a nightmare for us. Like the guys above said, get a 4k camera and duplicate shots as many times you need to create different angles. I do it all the time (even without 4k) It makes a 3 camera production look like 6-10 and doesn't seem to take up any extra CPU
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Marc Odien I am way late in replying to this but interested in what resolution you are using with your cameras if not 4K? Set the input at 1080 and canvas at 720?
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Steve Vick I think he's saying get a 4k camera si I assume that's what he'd be using.
One very simple way to do this is use a recent iPhone and Newtek NDI HX Camera app (about $20) which send 4K to Wirecast. Of course any way you can get a 4K camera connected to Wirecast would work.
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Marc Odien That's all Mevo does anyway... Wirecast basically has Mevo built into it
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Marc Odien apples and oranges but I do understand what you're saying from a feature perspective.
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What makes the setup so sweet is that I don't need any capture cards for my mobile setup. Never any cpu spikes. I run multiple MEVOs at $500 a pop and I'll I need is a switch and AP for the wireless iPad connections. Check our Instagram stories I put up a minute ago for a brief look at it. @ TheSphereTV
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Garry Lee Hey I was wondering how things are coming along with your setup. I am looking to possibly use 1 or 2 mevos to augment my (currently single camera) livestream setup through wirecast. I am looking at 4K webcams and the mevo for the primary function of being able to create multiple 1080 or 720 camera angles with one camera, but super curious about the mevo's ability to break away for a self contained, mobile solution for off site projects. I am made wary, however, by many reviews and warnings about connectivity issues with the Mevo. I would love to know what your setup is like and how it is working for you.
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James Mackessy no luck with mevo and WireCast. Had to use Livestream for my mobile setup and now dynamic studio. Can't beat video over IP at the price point. Plus last year's models are $200 on eBay.
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MEVO is more or less a locked as Livestream/Vimeo designed software. It's not designed for third party integration. You can do something similar in Wirecast with a 4K camera and a 4K capture device but that would be at a higher price point.
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Thanks CraigS . That is what I was suspecting. I did however find this video about integrating MEVO with livestream. Do you think this is a possibility in wirecast 7?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s03ae_mUo2M
Garry Lee how is the MEVO in general though? I have read reviews about it having poor image quality and losing connectivity. Has any of that hounded you during your varied MEVO integrations?
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James Mackessy That looks like a dedicated proprietary detection feature.
Perhaps if one could "hack" the link you could use Wirecast Webstream (people have done that with older GoPros for example to grab the signal it sends to a phone for monitoring) but obviously that would involve having the technical wherewithal to find that information and still hope for compatibility.
James Mackessy said:
I have read reviews about it having poor image quality and losing connectivityConsider the price point. Also any wireless device may be subject to WiFi LAN conditions.
With Wirecast one could buy a good 4K camera and use a 4K capture card and crop the source into multiple 720 or 1080 shots.
There are consumer 4K HDMI cameras starting at around $600 and more professional cameras starting at around $1200. HDMI to USB3 capture devices are around $400 I believe. -
I realize I am jumping in late on this thread, but I have a similar want/need as the OP.
So here is my suggestion, what about using a wireless security camera like this one, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076HLT53N/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5. It does not have
- 4K video
- Zoom ability
- No Audio-out
- No battery
But at $100 each, you can by three of them, broadcast at 1080p, control the pan/tilt and connect via IP. Just have to figure out how to mount it to a tripod.
Thoughts on this?
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Here is another option that might work. Even have audio in/out. Still needs a powersource though. https://amcrest.com/amcrest-ultrahd-4mp-dual-band-wifi-video-security-ip-camera-pt-white-ip4m-1051w.html
