STREET PRICE: $2,495
Matrox is a well known company in the video production industry; maker of capture cards, video-over-IP devices, and most notably the TripleHead2Go external multi-display adapter. Most companies and churches I’ve worked with have a TripleHead2Go, even if it’s not currently in use. While that may be the product Matrox is best known for, the company does bring more to the table, especially in the way of streaming. A few years back Matrox introduced the Monarch HD encoder, which is a truly solid product. Since then they have grown the Monarch family by making different versions of the device. The most recent addition to the family is the Monarch LCS video content capture encoder. The Monarch LCS is being billed as a “lecture capture appliance” which, while accurate, doesn’t really do it justice.
What it does
The Monarch LCS is equipped with two inputs: input A is HDMI or SDI, input B is HDMI. It also features an HDMI and SDI out for monitoring. To round out the I/O the Monarch LCS also has LAN, RS232, and analog audio. On the storage side, it features an SD card slot and two USB ports. What it does with all this I/O and storage is very cool; since it has multiple inputs, as you might have guessed, it can stream or record multiple sources. However, where it becomes interesting is it can also combine those sources or switch them while it’s streaming and recording. The most practical examples of where this would work best is with an instructor using a PowerPoint, or a pastor referencing the Bible, using a camera with your talent as one input and a computer with the PowerPoint as the other. This device also has a built-in feature that is a really big win for the church market. It can store and forward what has been recorded on the SD card. So rather than try and push your podcast out when all the congregation has their smart phones on your public Wifi using all of your bandwidth, you can set the Monarch to retrieve the files recorded on the SD card or USB attached storage. Then it can transfer the files over the network, or via FTP/sFTP protocols to cloud-based servers at a later time. This transfer can be triggered manually or automatically at a scheduled time.
The two on-board encoders can be designated to either record or stream, meaning they could stream two different versions of a presentation, record two versions of a presentation, or stream a version and record a version.
How it works
The Monarch LCS is equipped with two encoders. Each of those encoders can be designated to either record or stream, meaning that you could stream two versions of a presentation, record two versions of a presentation, or stream a version and record a version. There are some options of what those versions look like. The Monarch LCS has a few different operational modes; it can function in picture-in-picture mode, side-by-side mode, dual isolation mode or switched mode. In picture-in-picture and side-by-side mode there are several visual layouts for each mode that can be predefined. The other two modes, dual isolation and switched, do exactly what it sounds like. Dual isolation lets you have one input go to one encoder and the other go to the other. Switcher mode lets you switch between the two inputs. This give you some serious flexibility in how you want to present or record your final product. There is a possibility not really mentioned anywhere in the documentation that is another good use for this product, and that’s using two camera sources. This opens the option for taking a program IMAG feed off your switcher as one source and adding a wide crowd camera or crowd reaction camera as the other source. This allows you to cut a show for your online audience without taking anything away from your local audience. I think this could be a good fit for smaller churches that are looking to take their broadcast one step beyond their current IMAG feed.In dual isolated mode there is an option that requires a little work, but really makes this product increasingly interesting. When utilizing a compatible third party player, there is the option for viewer defined layouts. Meaning all the predefined layouts are available to be selected by the viewer.
While I didn’t get a chance to test this feature during my demo, Matrox has an interactive demo on its site: http://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/monarch_lcs/.
How it was to use
Once it’s set up, the Monarch LCS is really user friendly. It has an intuitive GUI that gives you full access to control the device. It can also be controlled from the buttons on the front panel, especially in switcher mode. If that isn’t enough there is also the option to schedule the device so that no one needs to interface with it at all. The set up left a little to be desired, out of the box one of the first things you will want to do is update the firmware. Matrox pushes out firmware updates that add features or enhance current workflows. The latest update added improved file transfer and scheduling features that were previously unavailable. The firmware update process is not difficult, but it is multi stepped and not intuitive. The good news is Matrox always includes step-by-step instructions, which if followed will navigate you through the process. If that isn’t enough, they do have a great support team that will spend as much time on the phone with you as it takes to get the job done. I had the pleasure of availing myself of this service for the review and was very pleased with the support. The issue I had was quickly identified and fixed, so this is not as much a knock on the firmware as it is a testament to the quality of the support. Once I had the Monarch LCS functioning, it was very solid--no issues with dropouts or loss. When changing operational modes in the GUI it does take a few seconds for the mode to be applied, so this needs to be viewed as pre-defined options rather than dynamic selections. The small form factor makes the Monarch perfect for rack mounting in one RU two-wide configuration. All of this comes at the reasonable price of $2,495. While the price may seem high, keep in mind this product boasts a feature set that is more robust than any other all-in-one streaming recorder on the market.
