Magewell Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI multi-protocol, SRT-compatible streaming media decoder
"I need to stream our worship service to the nursery on the other side of the building. How would I do that?" That's one of the most common questions you hear about live streaming in the church tech groups online.
Putting aside that the best way to get video from one side of the church building to another is not live streaming, it's sending the video directly from the source via SDI, HD-Base-T, or even NDI. If you can’t send video one of those ways, how could you get the church's live stream onto a TV in the nursery?
Most people would press a tablet or computer into service and hook that up to the TV.
There are several down-sides with that approach, though.
First, either of those options will need regular maintenance, like OS updates and even the occasional reboot. Even when all of that is running correctly, someone might need to navigate to the appropriate web page or app from time to time to make sure the live-stream is actually running.
Then there are pop-ups. If you have a digital signage system, you know it's only a matter of time before you get a message from Windows telling the admin to do something. Sometimes, it's just "click okay to continue.” Sometimes it's a blue screen of death (or other screen, like that). That's a lot to deal with on a Sunday morning when you're probably already busy with other things.
Some churches might feel the temptation to double-use a tablet or computer that has another purpose during the week. So, it might not be a dedicated machine, but one that has to be set up every week.
What else can you do? Take a look at the new Magewell ProConvert H.26x to HDMI converter.
Imagine that you had a tiny box that you plug into an ethernet port on one side and HDMI on the other to the TV. That's it. It can get both the data and power from the ethernet port (with POE) or you could power it with a USB cable and standard USB power brick, like you'd use to charge your phone.
In addition to showing both H.264 and H.265 (the H.26x listed in the name of the device), it can also decode video in any of these formats: RTSP, HTTP, RTMP Pull/Push and TS over UDP/SRT/RTP. So really, this is the perfect device to show live streams (which are often RTMP) anywhere with an ethernet connection.
With more and more TVs shipping capable of showing higher than 1080p resolution, the fact that the ProConvert H.26x converter can decode up to 2,560 x 1,440 at 60 fps means it’s essentially future-proof, too.
Other than it being a smaller, POE-powered device that is purpose built for showing video on a TV, what other advantages does it have?
Well, depending on the computer or tablet, it might be less expensive, too. With an MSRP of $399, it's priced similarly to other video converters that you might buy to do things like convert resolutions or signal type.
If you want the cheapest bargain basement solution, there are tablets and low-end computers that could compete with that price. But keep in mind that you'll be putting in work to keep them running and current, while this unit, since it's purpose-built, won't need as much tweaking and updating.
So, first impressions. The Magewell ProConvert H.26x to HDMI converter can easily show video from your live stream (and a few other sources, like H.26x video) anywhere with a video display and a hardwired network connection.
If you need to set up a live stream for your nursery workers across the building, set up temporary video over flow in the fellowship hall, show a live stream on your main room without tying up a computer, or even watch church remotely in a group during a camp or mission trip, having a $400 device that fits into your pocket is hard to beat.
There might be situations where you want to do it a different way, but in most circumstances, having one of these in your church tech tool kit could really be a godsend for times when you need it.
These are just first impressions, but if it lives up to its promise, the Magewell ProConvert H.26x to HDMI converter is likely something you'll see in all sorts of places, filling in all sorts of gaps in various church productions.
