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ATEN Disclaimer: The manufacturer provided NewTechReview with a unit of this product for review. Reviewed by Scott R. Garrigus | ||
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 "Providing the most fluid video streaming workflow for dual camera / single operator setups, CAMLIVE PRO is a video capture and switch device that can turn any professional 4K camera, camcorder, or GoPro into an HDMI video source for a computer or mobile device to stream, coupled with the incredibly feature-rich DVE (Digital Video Effect) options and chroma keyer. Just connect a camera, mic, and laptop, and you are ready to stream and switch between two video inputs." That is the official description for the UC3022 CAMLIVE PRO Video Capture device, now available from ATEN, which has provided NewTechReview with a unit for review.The CAMLIVE PRO is housed in a basic 5.12 x 5.98 x 1.67 enclosure that weighs approximately 1.5 lbs, but don't let its modest appearance fool you, this unit is packed with a lot of power. The front provides status LEDs for the HDMI and Analog video / audio connections, as well as a Bluetooth link button (which we'll discuss later). The back of the unit provides connections for the power adapter, a PC or mobile device, two analog audio sources (one as mono XLR and the other as stereo RCA), two HDMI inputs, and an HDMI output. There is also a HDCP switch and a Kensington lock (to prevent theft when you're at a remote location). Setting Up for a Session In addition to the CAMLIVE PRO itself, the package includes two USB cables (a USB-B to USB-C and a USB-B to USB-A) for connecting the unit to a PC or mobile device. This is required for either recording or streaming. The package also includes a power adapter, user instructions, as well as a camera mount adapter so that you can mount the CAMLIVE PRO on a tripod when doing remote broadcasting. What the package doesn't contain are cables for the HDMI and audio connections, which is understandable since this would add significant cost to the product and not everyone will be using the device in the same way. For a typical broadcast session that utilizes all the CAMLIVE PRO connections, you'll need to do the following: 1. Connect a microphone to the XLR audio input using a XLR cable for the purpose of providing a voice-over. 2. Connect a stereo audio device (such as an audio mixer) to the Left and Right RCA audio inputs for the purpose of providing background music or some other audio content. 3. Connect a camera to the HDMI 1 input for the purpose of providing a picture-in-picture webcam display that is commonly used in most streaming situations. 4. Connect another video source to the HDMI 2 input for the purpose of providing content for the stream. This can be anything from a gaming PC or console, another camera, or perhaps a video playback device. If you want to stream encrypted content, you can turn on the HDCP switch, however, keep in mind that this will not protect from copyright strikes such as when streaming on YouTube. 5. Connect a video display to the PGM HDMI output so that you can monitor the output of the stream and see what your audience is viewing. 6. Connect a PC or mobile device to the CAMLIVE PRO using one of the included USB cables. The CAMLIVE PRO is a plug-and-play device, which means when you connect it to a PC, for example, it will show up in the Device Manager as a video device in the Camera category and an audio device in the Sound, Video And Game Controllers category. From here, it's up to you how you would like to use the CAMLIVE PRO for recording or streaming. By this I mean that the CAMLIVE PRO doesn't include any actual streaming software, but it supports all of the common choices. You can stream directly from online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Zoom, Skype or Twitch, and you can also utilize recording / streaming software such as OBS Studio. Controlling the CAMLIVE with OnAir LIte During your stream, you can control the CAMLIVE PRO with the included OnAir Lite app, which is available on both the App Store and Google Play. Once you've connected the app and the device via Bluetooth (using the Bluetooth link button mentioned earlier), the app allows you to control a myriad of features provided by the CAMLIVE PRO. The four main pages of the app consist of Video, Audio, Remote Deck, and Settings. On the Video page, you can control which of the video sources is displayed on stream and you can utilize and create Scenes to quickly switch between different scenarios, such as video from a single source, video from both sources, as well as picture-in-picture. You can also crop, size and position the video sources in a Scene. You also have the ability to create either Cut or Fade transitions when switching between Scenes, and you utilize effects such as Chroma Keying (green screen background). The Audio page provides an on-screen mixer that lets you control the various aspects of each audio channel on the CAMLIVE PRO including HDMI 1, HDMI 2, Analog 1 (RCA), Analog 2 (XLR) and the PGM HDMI output. You can turn each channel on / off as well as adjust the volume level and panning. The Settings pages lets you access a wide range of settings for the CAMLIVE PRO, which are aptly covered in the user manual. One of the main reasons you'll be accessing this page is to adjust the Chroma Key effect. You can choose what video source will provide a background that will be overlayed on the green screen, you can choose the color of the chroma (it doesn't have to be green, although that's the most common), and you can adjust the Color Range and Threshold to create the perfect chroma key effect. The OnAir Lite app also provides a Remote Deck page, which lets you create up to 18 virtual on-screen buttons that can be used to trigger actions in your streaming software (like OBS). These can be anything from a keyboard shortcut, media playback (such as sound effects), or pretty much anything the software supports. Professional Screen Capture, Presentation and Streaming As you can see from its vast feature set, the CAMLIVE PRO provides all the tools you need for video streaming, recording, live presentations and shows, and even professional podcasts. The fact that it is a plug-and-play device, gives you the freedom and flexibility to choose how you want to utilize its set of features. The compact design of the CAMLIVE PRO means you can easily fit the device into your current setup or use it for remote broadcasting. Anyone looking to create video content, should definitely consider adding the CAMLIVE PRO to their studio for one of the easiest methods of streaming and recording. For more information, visit: ATEN.com |
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