Tutorial: Capturing and Streaming Live Presentations with the Epiphan珍珠

Epiphan珍珠(4美元),875列表)是一个小的, 双输入, touchscreen-driven video recording and streaming device for lecture or presentation capture. In this tutorial, I'll detail how to stream and capture a presentation with Pearl.

第一步:插上电源和以太网

你可以看到 图1(下面)在美国，珍珠是一个相对较小的单位(11.5"x7.5"x3.25") with a touchscreen confidence monitor for browsing through channels and starting and stopping recording and encoding. The unit has a web interface where you do most of the configuration. Accessing the unit is simple; just plug it into your LAN and press the information button on the touchscreen to view the IP address. Type that into the address bar of your browser, and you’re in.

图1. Pearl is about the size of a toner cartridge box, has a touchscreen monitor, and runs very quiet. 单击图像以查看其全尺寸.

Note that you can configure Pearl in your office via the web interface, and then operate solely via touchscreen in the field. This makes it really simple for non-technical users to use the system in the field. 如果他们能插上电源, 以太网, 和AV输入, and press a few buttons on a touchscreen, they can capture and stream a live event.

虽然珍珠有一个冷却风扇, it’s one of the quietest streaming encoders that I’ve worked with, so you’ll easily be able to stream or a record a in a boardroom, 沉积, or other venue where a noisy unit would not be tolerated.

步骤2:创建一个或多个通道

Pearl uses the concept of channels to work with single or multiple audio and video inputs. 举个例子, 在本教程中, I’m going to stream a talking head and PowerPoint presentation to YouTube Live, mixed together into a 1280x720 (720p) presentation. 您将在本文后面看到, 为了创造这种混合, I create an configure a channel for these inputs and configuration.

What if I wanted to capture just the video and audio—say, for later editing or archiving? What if I needed a 1080p version of the mixed presentation for later editing or uploading for VOD viewing? 或两个? 带着珠儿, 我会创建额外的通道, 只配置这些输入, 选择新的编码参数, 并将内容记录到磁盘上.

另外, 你可以 configure another channel to send the stream to Livestream, or to the Wowza Media Server for further distribution. 从软件的角度来看, there is no limit to the number of channels that you can configure and simultaneously deploy, though you may be CPU- or outbound bandwidth-limited if you get too ambitious.

步骤3:选择您的通道输入

珀尔可以输入两段视频, 可以是VGA, SDI, 或HDMI, with component input available via a component to VGA adapter, 没有提供. The unit can support VESA inputs up to 2650x1600, and SDI/HDMI/component input up to 1920x1080. Audio inputs include 2 sets of 1/4" TRS audio connectors, plus the audio coming in with the SDI 或HDMI video signals. While there are a bunch of cables in the box, 它们都有三英尺长, so count on needing to supply your own VGA, HDMI, SDI, 还有网络电缆.

图2(下面) shows the multiple input channel that I’m streaming to YouTube Live. The talking head (sans talking head) is on the left; the PowerPoint on the right. You can see that I choose the video inputs at the top of the design window via drop-down menus, and that you can choose one or more audio inputs via the checkboxes beneath the design window.

图2. Choosing and configuring audio and video inputs

Just to state the obvious, your VGA inputs are not limited to PowerPoint or still-image graphics. So if you wanted to play a video on your computer, 然后流式传输, 你可以, though you’d have to run the audio through the standalone audio inputs, since it obviously wouldn’t come in through the VGA input.