With a price tag of just $699, Vidiu X is clearly targeted at churches with smaller budgets and simpler video production systems. For these users, Vidiu X is an impressive value.
Complex challenges rarely have simple solutions, though companies throw untold money and resources to try and create them. Take live streaming, for example. Video codecs, social media protocols, bandwidth, bitrate, ISP connections and the like don't lend themselves to a simple, one-box solution. Or do they?
Vidiu X is not a video switcher or processor--it's designed to sit downstream of all that. Think of Vidiu X as being where your video plugs into the internet.
Teradek believes one little box can solve a complex technical problem. That box is Vidiu X, a streaming encoder designed to handle all the nerdery required to give your church a solid, stable link to your online congregation. Vidiu X is not a video switcher or processor--it's designed to sit downstream of all that. Think of Vidiu X as being where your video plugs into the internet.
Small enough to fit in the palm of one hand, USB-powered Vidiu X sports just one HDMI input and one HDMI output. An ethernet port allows for a hard-wired connection to your ISP. A USB port will work either as a stream recorder (with USB drive attached) or modem interface for a compatible cell data modem. An SD card slot also allows for recording of your video program if the USB port is populated. Whether you choose SD card or USB, Vidiu X is picky about the size and format of the media you attach. It may take a few tries before you find media it will recognize.
Three LEDs sit above the display to show video input, cloud connection and live stream. That last one is great for checking the status of your stream with quick glance. Nice touch.
The HDMI output's sole purpose is to monitor the current stream. Vidiu X overlays no menu or interface on the video output. Instead, you control Vidiu X through its front-panel interface, a browser interface or an app on your phone or tablet. Though small, Vidiu X's OLED display is sharp, bright and very high in contrast. Teradek has clearly refined the on-board display and interface over the years, as many of their products sport them. Three LEDs sit above the display to show video input, cloud connection and live stream. That last one is great for checking the status of your stream with quick glance. Nice touch.
A small up/down/left/right joystick sits to the right of the display, and a push in on the joystick selects the option. A simple menu system gets the job done, allowing you to access video and audio encoding settings, choose your target network, connect to a wi-fi network and more. Controls on the box itself are mirrored almost identically on the rudimentary Vidiu X app. The app's interface and appearance could use some polish, but it earns points for displaying the live stream along with helpful status indicators and stats. The Vidiu X web interface is well implemented, and will likely be the way most churches control the device.
Out of the box, Vidiu X will stream to Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo,Wowza or any RTMP(S) destination. With Sharelink, that list grows...
A stream is only as good as its internet connection, and here Vidiu X shines. In its basic configuration, you can connect the encoder by ethernet cable, wi-fi 6 or a USB cellular modem (compatible models from AT&T, Alcatel or Novatel). With a Sharelink cloud subscription, the conjunction in that previous sentence becomes and. Sharelink "bonds" multiple upload data connections into a single stream, which means your upload bandwidth is the sum of your ethernet, wi-fi and cellular modem bandwidth. If one of those drops out, the other two will still carry the bits. Most churches will likely use an ethernet connection to their main ISP plus a cellular modem or phone hotspot (over wi-fi). This isn't quite as bulletproof as three connections, but it proves to be worlds better than just one.
Out of the box, Vidiu X will stream to Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo,Wowza or any RTMP(S) destination. More notable is the fact that a Sharelink subscription allows Vidiu X to stream to multiple services at the same time. Point Vidiu X to the Sharelink cloud, then use the web-based interface to select multiple "channels" for your stream. When you make your stream live, they all go live.
With a price tag of just $699 and no SDI video connectivity, Vidiu X is clearly targeted at churches with smaller budgets and simpler video production systems. For these users, Vidiu X is an impressive value. Add in a Sharelink subscription (starting at $24.99/month or $2/GB), and the capabilities of this little box take a significant jump to include multiple data streams feeding multiple streaming services.
Did Teradek succeed in creating a simple solution for the complex challenge of video streaming? Only you can be the judge of that for your church, but for modest video production systems it appears the answer is yes.
For more information, visit here.
