Hasta La Gadget!

Earlier this year, Livestream quietly entered the hardware business with a real-time streaming puck known as the Broadcaster — an adequate moniker, to say the least. Now, some five months after that camera add-on made its intriguing debut, Livestream’s introducing the Studio HD500, an all-in-one video production switcher aimed at both hobbyists and pros. Most notable, however, is the fact the company’s entering this fresh market in good pricing fashion, given the Studio HD500’s appealing tag of $8,500 — which may still seem like a hefty amount, but ends up feeling light when compared to other similar tools that start off at a cool $15-$20k, such as, say, one of NewTek’s TriCaster offerings. At any rate, those near $9,000 for the Studio HD500 will get you a switcher loaded with live audio / multi-camera mixing capabilities, a built-in DVR and media player, one-click live streaming to the outfit’s own platform, plus a handful of inputs and outputs — including HD / SD, SDI, S-Video and HDMI. It’s also worth noting the Studio HD500 isn’t fully attached to Livestream’s site by any means, making it possible to use with other competing sites such as YouTube, Ustream and many more.

While kindly speaking to us, Livestream’s CEO Max Haot said, “Our goal is to get multi-camera switching equipment into as many hands as possible,” adding that the “key is to make it easier and more cost effective.” The Studio HD500 is available for pre-order today and set to start shipping on October 15th — which could be around the same time the free-of-charge, software-based variant makes an appearance, though all we know about that so far is it’ll be coming at some point “later this year.” In the meantime, there’s a couple of extra pics for your viewing pleasure down below, and the detailed presser from Livestream right after the break.

Continue reading Livestream announces Studio HD500 all-in-one video switcher, ships October 15th for $8,500

Filed under: Misc, Portable Audio/Video, Internet

Livestream announces Studio HD500 all-in-one video switcher, ships October 15th for $8,500 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can’t get enough coverage of the US presidential race even with YouTube in the mix? Microsoft’s Election 2012 Hub for Xbox Live may be able to satisfy your inner political junkie. Redmond’s initiative will provide video of town hall events at both the Democratic and Republican national conventions, daily content from NBC and full coverage of results as ballots are cast and counted on November 6th. Throughout live streams of the debates, users will be able to rate the performances of public office hopefuls and see what marks other viewers give them in real-time. Information on voter registration, politicians and their take on issues will also be included. According to Microsoft, roughly 40 percent of Xbox-owning voters surveyed aren’t concretely committed to a candidate running for the Oval Office, placing them in the highly-prized swing voter category. The service won’t launch until the Grand Old Party’s powwow kicks off on August 27th, but we hear there’s plenty of relevant reading to keep you busy until then.

Continue reading US presidential campaign trail winds its way to Xbox Live on August 27th with Election 2012 Hub

US presidential campaign trail winds its way to Xbox Live on August 27th with Election 2012 Hub originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yes! Good news are in for those of you who were affected by the ongoing kerfuffle between Dish and AMC: the TV network just announced it’ll be live streaming the return of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman on its website. As you’re likely aware, this announcement comes shortly after Dish Network revealed it was dropping the home of Breaking Bad and Mad Men from its lineup, after both parties couldn’t reach a deal to keep the channel in place — if there ever was one on the table to begin with. Nevertheless, AMC’s taken it to the interwebs to stand its ground, and has rolled out a page inviting Dish customers to sign up for the free live stream of the season premiere this Sunday. Notably, TechCrunch reports an AMC rep told the site that “there’s no real way for the network to verify that viewers are actually Dish subscribers,” which pretty much opens the doors to anyone wanting to join the Season Five fun. The link to the nice streaming gesture is down below, so give it a bookmark if you’re planning on tuning in.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet

AMC to live stream Breaking Bad season premiere on its site, Dish customers rejoice originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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