As the excitement about live streaming for ministry continues to build in churches across the country, many tech teams today are experiencing an increased growth in the demand for support of these new opportunities. Whereas weekend worship has been the engine to introduce streaming to local congregations, ministry leaders are now beginning to experiment with the power of targeted classes, events and initiatives designed specifically for live streaming to social media platforms.
Tech team staff time is valuable, and effective tech directors understand just how powerful emerging technologies can be in freeing up high-capacity professionals and volunteers to do what only they can do. Which is why the announcement of the Magewell Ultra Stream HDMI was so quick to catch our attention. Any device that promises quality results without the need for direct professional oversight is the kind of tool that can make a big difference in helping tech directors succeed in their overall mission.
The Magewell Ultra Stream HDMI is a stand-alone unit that utilizes the power of hardware-based streaming without the need for a laptop or desktop computer. Its designed to make the process of streaming simple and accessible to non-professional users, and while this is a first impression article, meaning that we haven’t had a chance to put the device through its paces ourselves, we’re still excited about what it could promise for church tech teams.
Seeing the (little) picture
Right away one of the most striking aspects of the Magewell Ultra Stream HDMI is just how small the unit itself is. Coming in at 3.7” square by just over 1” high its packed to the gills with features for such a tiny device. The Ultra Stream HDMI boasts 1080/60p live streaming and includes an 1/8” audio input for recording voiceover and 1/8” audio out for headphone monitoring or independently recording podcast audio. The device not only down-converts 4K signal delivered over HDMI, it also includes a second HDMI connection for passing the clean 4K signal through, making it possible to incorporate anywhere along your current signal chain.
The Ultra Stream HDMI incorporates dedicated buttons for live streaming and recording, as well as indicator lights for HDMI signal, Ethernet, Wi-Fi connection and USB recording. Other features and streaming setups can be controlled via dedicated Android and Apple devices such as phones and tablets. The app also provides users with real time monitoring of the HDMI signal.
The device is designed to stream natively to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch or custom RTMP server such as Wowza and Red5 over Wi-Fi or Ethernet-based internet connections. It’s even capable of streaming to multiple services simultaneously.
The device is designed to stream natively to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch or custom RTMP server such as Wowza and Red5 over Wi-Fi or Ethernet-based internet connections. It’s even capable of streaming to multiple services simultaneously. In additional, 1080/30p H.264 video files can be recorded directly to a USB thumb drive inserted directly into the unit, or wireless to the Android and Apple app at 720/30p. HEVC format recording is planned for a future update.
A device like this could mean the difference in being able to lead with a "yes" to requests for smaller scale streaming opportunities like classes, affinity groups, and social media events.
Moving forward
As mentioned earlier, this is a first impression and not intended to serve as a full hands-on review. With that said, the Magewell Ultra Stream HDMI could well prove to be immensely useful for tech directors needing to expand their live streaming capacity without adversely impacting their workflows. A device like this could mean the difference in being able to lead with a "yes" to requests for smaller scale streaming opportunities like classes, affinity groups, and social media events. Given the attention the Ultra Stream HD garnered at this year’s InfoComm we’re definitely optimistic that it’s something to keep a close eye on moving into the near future.
Visit magewell.com for more information about the Magewell Ultra Stream HDMI.
