End-user perspective on small office tools & technology

Bye Bye Wirecast! I Just bought vMix HD!!

My 60 day trial of vMix HD came to an end last week. My experience using vMix was so much better than recent experience with Wirecast that I decided to purchase a license.

That said, it wasn’t clear which version of vMix was appropriate. The trial license is the “Pro” version, which is all-bells-&-whistles enabled. The “Basic” version is free, but limited to SD resolution and the number of inputs that it can accept. The “Basic HD” version, just $60 USD, adds the ability to operate at resolutions up to 1920x1080p.

The company lists the limitation on the “Basic” editions to “4 Total Inputs” and 3 “Capture Inputs.” This terminology is not exactly obvious. So, I began by purchasing the Basic HD license to see if it would meet my needs.

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OnSIP: When the SPIT Hits The Phone

In a recent blog post OnSIP noted that some hosted PBX customers using Polycom SIP phones were receiving phantom calls from an internet source. Such calls are known as Spam-over-Internet-Telephony, aka “SPIT.” They have been a topic of discussion in VoIP…

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Owning The Comcast CPE

Motorola Arris SB6141 cable modemFor the past few weeks I’ve been thinking about the Comcast issued CPE that lives in my office. It’s a modem/router combination from SMC. We’ve had the service a long while. All the while we’ve been renting the device for $12.95 a month.

I can’t recall exactly when we transitioned from consumer to business class service. If I assume that it was five years ago, then we’ve paid over $750 in device rental! This for a device that can be purchased outright for under $200.

Clearly, this makes no sense at all. So last week I replaced the Comcast CPE with a Motorola/Arris SURFBoardSB6141. The choice of the SB6141 was made by consulting Comcast’s list of approved devices, and cross-referencing the SmallWall forums where Lee Sharp had some helpful advice to offer.

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Improving Online Presentations With Reflect For Chrome

Reflect Example IconWhen giving an online presentation, whether via Hangout, Webex, GotoMeeting or Jitsi Video Bridge, a screen sharing function is how the slides are presented. Screen sharing goes beyond the common death-by-PowerPoint scenario, allowing software demonstrations in real-time.

In most cases the use of screen sharing defeats a view of the presenter. This can make for a frightfully dull audience experience. I’ve long wished for a convenient way to show slides or demo software without completely losing sight of the presenter. I’ve done this myself using tools like Wirecast or vMix, but these are costly and complicated things to setup. That’s beyond the reach of most people.

In a post late last year I challenged the WebRTC community to take up this idea. WebRTC remains a battle with many fronts. They may yet bring forward such capability, but the wheels of progress turn slowly.

Happily, I’ve recently discovered an extension for Chrome called “Reflect.” Authored by Bryce Thorup, Reflect grabs your webcam stream, displaying it as an overlay on your monitor. Thus when sharing your screen, your audience can see both the slides (or software) and your webcam.

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Zoom Integrates PTZ Control of Logitech ConferenceCams

ConferenceCam_FamilyThis week the recently rebranded Logitech has launched a new program known as the Logitech Collaboration Program. The program aims to foster enhanced collaborative experience through the integration of Logitech products with various services. The program launches with Blue Jeans Network, Broadsoft, C2G, LifeSize Communications, Vidyo and Zoom as a foundation.

The first signs of life from the program come from Zoom, who have announced that they have integrated PTZ control of Logitech ConferenceCams into their online video conference platform.

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vMix HD: Tools For Desktop Video

vmix-logo-300pxFor the past several weeks I’ve been experimenting with vMix HD, a software based tool for real-time video production on the desktop. I’ve been running the free 60 day trial version of vMix HD, which runs on Windows.

It now seems very likely that I will purchase a license for the Basic HD version, since it’s very capable and costs only $60.

To understand why I’m so very appreciative of vMix HD, it helps if you know what I’ve been using in this role for the past few years…Telestream’s Wirecast.

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