Review: TelVue GoToAir IP Video Production System

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List Price: $995

Ever since the introduction of 4K, I have been excited about the possibilities that this technology would open up in the live event market. Not because 4K is so much better than HD; I am still of the belief that for the time being 4K broadcasting isn't ready to be mainstream.

However, what excites me about the TelVue GoToAir technology is the opportunities it allows when working in 4K standard HD resolution as source material. The doors that open as a result of this higher resolution are very interesting and will enable the live production market to do more with less. 4K images are four times the resolution of HD. So it's not a problem to turn a 4K image into multiple smaller HD-resolution images. Some manufacturers still haven't jumped on the “4K means four HD sources” bandwagon yet, but any time a manufacturer takes advantage of this “resolution loophole” I pay attention.

This is why I volunteered to review the TelVue GoToAir right after I read the first impression article written by Alex Schwindt on back in August.

THE K FACTOR

For this review, I was given an hour of training via teleconference on the GoToAir live video production system. However, this system is really well designed and very intuitive. I felt very comfortable with the software about five minutes into it. Once the cameras are assigned and a resolution determined for each, the system is mostly set up. All that is left to do is assign “regions of interest” to the number pad and start the event. This “regions of interest” assignment is one of the reasons I think GoToAir is going to be good in the church market. What it allows you to do is capture the full output of ingest of a large resolution camera with HD or Ultra HD (4K) resolution, and select it for use in a smaller output raster. The delta between input and output allows the user to set up multiple “regions of interest” inside this higher resolution. Each of those areas is then recognized as an independent camera, giving you multiple “virtual cameras” from each single source. For example, if you have a 4K camera set on a wide shot of your stage you could set “regions of interest” for a tight shot of your worship leader, a wide shot of the guitar player and a wide shot of the bass player, and switch between them all from the same camera.

When it comes to cameras, there are a lot of options. For the demo we used USB webcams, so any camera that has a USB port for signal will work with GoToAir. The software can also make use of IP-based cameras, which is great for cameras that stream IP video directly. However, this also takes advantage of the new line of small streaming encoders to hit the market. Pretty much any device that lets you steam your camera can be ingested as long as the signal is encoded H.264 or MJPEG video. Telvue is also experimenting with utilizing Blackmagic Design products for ingest, as well.

IN USE

Recalling these virtual camera shots is simple. Using the an optional joystick or the laptop's number pad, frame a shot and assign it to a number on the number pad or the F1-F10 keys. Then simply select that key to recall that shot.

With two cameras it is possible to easily produce a service that looks like it is being covered with six cameras. GoToAir also integrates transparent PNGs for titles and overlays, and has a built in title generator for making graphic overlays on-the-fly. It will also import videos to the local que so they can be played from within GoToAir as well. Producing an event couldn't be easier, making this great for the needs of the church market, where volunteer operators are the norm. A non-technical end user can be brought up to speed quickly and with relative ease.

TECH SPEC

I think one of the only disappointing things I found about GoToAir is that is currently only runs on Windows PC. System requirements are substantial, but not so intensive to require a desktop. These specs can be found on many gaming quality laptops. The system will need a 2.4GHz i7 processor (second generation and above) running Windows 10, and 8 GB of Ram. The H.264 support requires an nVidia GPU graphic support card or chip set. So this configuration can be found in both laptop and desktop computers. The keyboard number pad is used for camera region of interest recall but the optional USB external joystick keypad provides a better user experience.and composition so a keyboard with a number pad is required. Right now, the Internet streaming services include Cloudcast, YouTube, and Wowza and soon Facebook Live.

For churches looking for a full featured streaming event production package, GoToAir has it all, including the budget friendly price tag of $995. The software is great for small churches that need to get started in streaming, or for medium sized churches that need a streaming solution that is separate from their local live production. For trial purposes Telvue offers a free, fully functional demo on their website. The output is watermarked until a license is purchased, however, this is a great opportunity for churches interested in GoToAir to take it for a test drive before making the commitment. Go the website , fill in some contact information and get your free trial.