Last year, the live event world shifted from physical event venues to online platforms. By now we’re all used to virtual conferences, concerts, and trade shows. Yet many of us are craving a return to “reality.” Thankfully, with global vaccination efforts in full swing, it’s not long before the gradual journey back to in-person events kicks off. But what will live events look like in between?
Remote video production and virtual events aren’t new concepts. Even before the pandemic, both offered real benefits but were widely seen as niche solutions. But in the context of a global pandemic, virtual event and remote production services became essential. Companies engaged in video production, live streaming, webcasting, and event production – as well as new players – all rushed to help translate in-person events to virtual ones. In 2020, they invested heavily into developing remote workflows, defining their offerings, and managing client expectations.
Key players in the remote production industry and their pandemic journeys
Online webcasting platforms
Self-service virtual event platforms like ON24, Crowdcast, Socio, and Hopin arguably had the smoothest transition to the “new normal.” These platforms were already established with a web-based infrastructure to host virtual events with remote participants and stream live video to a large online audience.
At the beginning of the pandemic, virtual event platforms were the first place businesses turned to stay connected with customers through online summits, virtual conferences, and webinars. Because of the sudden influx of new users, some platforms experienced stream interruptions. Reputation matters, so service providers that were able to scale up fast enough to meet demand saw the most success.
After the initial rush, webcasting service providers began looking at ways to expand their offerings. Some started offering run-of-show and production assistance services. Others focused on improving the overall social experience and viewer engagement. For example, a company called Sococo introduced a visual way to represent virtual breakout rooms, making them feel more like a real office.
The initial pandemic surge gave online webcasting platforms a huge boost. To maintain the positive trend, service providers will need to focus on improving the customer experience and expand their feature sets. A few ways to do this is to offer more advanced approaches to video production and video quality and look at more reliable methods for remote contribution. Timing is key, so instead of building from the ground up, webcasting platforms should expand their integrations and partnerships to help meet these needs.
"I could program [Pearl Nano] and mail it and a decent audio solution to different people that I want to interview, have them set it up, and do interviews. Can you do the same thing with OBS and a crappy laptop? Yes, you absolutely can, but it’s going to age you prematurely because supporting that is going to take a lot of your time. The technological debt of building a solution like that is not going to be pretty.”
Curtis Judd – Best indexed video
Curtis Judd is a filmmaker, photographer, and live streaming enthusiast. Curtis runs his own YouTube channel, “Learn Light and Sound,” where he gives useful tips on choosing audio gear, lighting, as well as live streaming setups. We were lucky enough to host Curtis on Live @ Epiphan. He gave some great insights into live video production – definitely worth checking out as well.
In his review, Curtis takes an in-depth look at Pearl Nano as a single-channel video encoder for corporate and education environments. He dissects every feature and use case in amazing detail, resulting in the most detailed video index we’ve ever seen!
Aaron Parecki – Short, sweet, and straight to the point
Aaron’s channel is all about helping his viewers improve their live video production skills. In just seven minutes, Aaron covers everything from Nano’s broad streaming protocol support to its streaming and recording functions. In Aaron’s opinion, Pearl Nano is the perfect video encoder for worship and education-type settings because it’s easy to use:
“I can tell you for sure I would not set up an ATEM Mini in a classroom and expect people to know how to use it without a bunch of training. The Pearl Nano on the other hand is set up for one-button or automatic recording, streaming, and even uploading of content in classrooms and meeting rooms.”
Geeky Nerdy Techy – A geeky, nerdy, techy review
On his channel, Shane covers many different technology-related topics, including live streaming. In just 14 minutes, he manages to go over most features of the Pearl Nano video encoder (including detailed video chapters for quick navigation). Shane points out that while Pearl Nano is not a solution for live switching, it is a great video encoding solution for those interested in using SRT or need CMS integration for streaming and recording.
“The Pearl Nano replaces a computer when it comes to encoding, so you don’t need to have everything going through the computer, then out to the web, or then being recorded externally in another way. This will handle all that for you”
Shane is excited to continue using the device as well as the upcoming 4K streaming support feature.
John Moore – Expert opinion from a Microsoft MVP
Cerner Lead Technology Architect and Microsoft MVP John Moore knows a lot about using Pearl Mini in a remote work environment. We chatted about it with him on Live @ Epiphan.
Now, John shares his first impressions using Pearl Nano. He gives an overview of the capabilities of the device, his personal setup, and a few ideas on how the device can fit into a live event production workflow.
VideoGuys – The unboxing video
Fans of unboxing videos rejoice. VideoGuys video production specialist Adam Noyes methodically goes through every item in the box, unveiling the included quick-start guide, cables, outlet adapters, and, of course, Pearl Nano itself. For exact device measurements, Adam brings out a measuring tape and demonstrates: it is really as compact as we say.
“This system is the perfect set-it-and-forget-it unit built for one channel live streaming! The Pearl Nano is amazing for – but not limited to – your house of worship, or school environment for mixed or online classes.”
Holdan – Best visuals
Here is a review from Holdan, a pan-European technology distributor for the professional video, broadcast, and media industry. Holdan has built a reputation for a friendly and honest approach, and this video is a prime example.
The Holdan team prides itself on knowing the products they represent and understanding the customers that use the equipment. Holdan product demo videos are detailed and visual, yet approachable and easy to understand. Watch Kriss dive deep into Pearl Web UI and Epiphan Cloud UI features, and set up and show you how to configure an SRT stream in under a minute. Here is likely one of our favorite Epiphan Pearl Nano reviews from a visual standpoint:
HuddleCam and Pearl Nano – A powerful tech combo for education
This short, four-minute video presents Pearl Nano as the perfect companion to the HuddleCam SimplTrack2 Camera for use at schools and universities for automated, hands-off lecture capture, streaming, and recording.
In a bonus video, Paul Richards (HuddleCam, PTZ Optics, StreamGeeks) chats with Epiphan’s George Herbert, expanding on the possibilities of using Pearl Nano with SimplTrack2 Camera.
The choice for flawless virtual event streaming
You can rely on Pearl hardware encoders to help you produce polished, high-quality live streams for your virtual and hybrid events.
Get product detailsThere we go! We hope you found these Epiphan Pearl Nano reviews helpful, informative, and resourceful. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions about Pearl Nano’s broad streaming protocol support, streaming and recording functions, or anything else.
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