Geekazine

I use my XBox more for media than I do games. But with the 500 GB drive inside this device, I kept the media on another drive. Fantom Drives has a solution to that, plus give me more USB options for keyboards, external drives and more. We’ll be unboxing and installing the XBox One Storage Hub onto my gaming machine.

Unbox Fantom Drives XBox One HD and Storage Hub

Inside the box is simply the unit – with 2TB SSHD installed (mine had a Seagate Barracuda, brands may change). You can install your own, or upgrade to a 5TB HD, or 2 TB SSD. On the front is 3 USB 3.0 ports, and the back is external power (if needed).

Install Fantom Drives Storage Hub

Installation was fairly straightforward. Simply remove the side-plate, and attach to the hub. Then reinstall both items into the XBox One.

They recommend you stand the XBox One vertically for the install. Then it’s just plugging a USB dongle into the device.

Upon restart, the drive will be found, and will be recognized on the system.

Plugging in Accessories

The SSD drive I connected was recognized and looking for media to stream from. I plugged in a keyboard, and it was recognized as well. After the video, I tested with a few other devices, all performing like you would plugging into a computer.

Overall

Setup is easy. You can be back online within a half hour. Price for the hub starts at $119.95. You can get the Fantom Drives XBox Storage Hub on Amazon. You can also check out other options, including a PS4 upgrade kit, on the Fantom Drives website.

This was part of the Geekazine LIVE! show. Check it out at YouTube, or Twitch!

I use my XBox more for media than I do games. But with the 500 GB drive inside this device, I kept the media on another drive. Fantom Drives has a solution to that, plus give me more USB options for keyboards, external drives and more. We’ll be unboxing and installing the XBox One Storage Hub onto my gaming machine.

Unbox Fantom Drives XBox One HD and Storage Hub

Inside the box is simply the unit – with 2TB SSHD installed (mine had a Seagate Barracuda, brands may change). You can install your own, or upgrade to a 5TB HD, or 2 TB SSD. On the front is 3 USB 3.0 ports, and the back is external power (if needed).

Install Fantom Drives Storage Hub

Installation was fairly straightforward. Simply remove the side-plate, and attach to the hub. Then reinstall both items into the XBox One.

They recommend you stand the XBox One vertically for the install. Then it’s just plugging a USB dongle into the device.

Upon restart, the drive will be found, and will be recognized on the system.

Plugging in Accessories

The SSD drive I connected was recognized and looking for media to stream from. I plugged in a keyboard, and it was recognized as well. After the video, I tested with a few other devices, all performing like you would plugging into a computer.

Overall

Setup is easy. You can be back online within a half hour. Price for the hub starts at $119.95. You can get the Fantom Drives XBox Storage Hub on Amazon. You can also check out other options, including a PS4 upgrade kit, on the Fantom Drives website.

This was part of the Geekazine LIVE! show. Check it out at YouTube, or Twitch!

I love streaming software programs. They can make my job easier by letting me create content live, as well as recorded for later posting. Just a couple weeks ago, Instagram stepped up their videos with IGTV – or Instagram TV. For most, you can record up to a 10 minute video, then post to the service. I already knew how to make 9:16 content in Wirecast. This was a perfect opportunity to start working in this medium more.

Don’t have Wirecast? Get it here!

*NOTE: this video is in 9:16 mode

How to Set Up Wirecast for IGTV

The first thing you want to do is open Wirecast.

OK. Now go to Output – Canvas Size – Custom. Change your settings to a 9:16 video. Instagram will take a minimum size of 720p, so you will set the video up 720 (width) by 1280 (height). You can also do 1080×1920, or higher, but keep in mind Instagram has a maximum file size (650 MB for 10 minute videos). When you hit “OK”, your video screen will reflect a 9:16 screen.

Set up the Output for 9:16

Next, you need to create a recording video output. Choose Output – Output Settings and choose Record to Disk – MP4 Simply use any pre-set profile, and save it as “IGTV” (or whatever you want). Then go into the resolution and flip the numbers to represent the 9:16 resolution. Save the new profile.

Wirecast Overlays, Audio, and More.

Like I said, I can create titles, graphics, lower 3rds, and more using this program. Therefore, I can record, then post, for almost live video.

With that, you have created your IGTV profile (or any 9:16 video format).

You can watch the Video on Instagram! (feel free to follow while you’re there…)

This week I got to review my first Chromium device in Google Pixelbook. In the end, I have to say, I was pretty impressed. Simply taking it out on Day one and having someone come up to me and ask me about it was also pretty promising.But could I see myself switching to a Pixelbook?

First Impressions of Google Pixelbook

When I took it out of the box, I was impressed how light it was. Even with the glass trackpad, and aluminum body, this only weighed in at 2.45 lbs. It also worked like any 2-in-1 laptop I’ve ever used. Tablet, tent, or laptop mode, it holds pretty much the same.

I saw some video talking about a poor touchscreen experience – especially with their Pixelbook pen. But those must have been software issues, because my pen experience was pretty flawless.

Now keep in mind, I did not have the Pixelbook pen, but I used the pen from my HP Elite X2. The Pixelbook uses the same Wacom technology, so the pens were interchangeable.

This was the i5 Pixelbook. Decent for most web stuff, but not high-end for things like video creation.

Taking the Pixelbook to Vegas and Infocomm

I brought the device to Infocomm 2018, along with my Macbook Pro (which I use for video processing on the road). It was light enough to put into my Case Logic camera bag while I roamed the halls of the event. With the 10 hour battery, I didn’t have to take the wall plug, but still could send out some tweets, write a couple posts, and check socials. I am not a fan of the “Block plug” – even my Macbook has the power extension so I’m not hogging 3-4 plugs for my laptop.

BTW – there is no SIM card, but if you have a Google Pixel, it will create a special pair so you can use it easily. I can also pair my iPhone to it, so an extra SIM is not necessary.

There are two USB-C ports, and a 3-pole headphone jack to connect to. It is not Thunderbolt 3, which I feel is a small let-down. Especially if I wanted to dock the laptop for displaying 2 – 4k monitors, or attach external devices like a capture card. But the 12 MB passthrough does allow me to copy to and from a hard drive at good speed, or connect to a single 4k monitor.

Overall Thoughts

It’s a great device to have – especially if you are all-in on Chromium. Web surfing and email is a breeze. Apps download fine. I could play some of my favorite Android games, such as Clash of Clans, in laptop or tablet mode.

The price is a little high for the machine, even after the price drop during WDCC. In fact, the price went up since to $824 on Amazon for Pixelbook. But one thing I’ve found is that fans are willing to pay a little more for the device they want. Still, a standard i5 with the same specs is $529, and you can easily install Chromium OS on any device you purchase.

Get Pixelbook at Verizon

Streaming to Facebook and YouTube is getting easier. I feel even more proud when I can make it look better with production behind it. But I know that sometimes you just need to hook the camera up and stream or record. With the Epiphan Webcaster x2, I can stream to either YouTube, Facebook, or the Cloud through AVStudio. All within a few minutes.

How Webcaster x2 Works

This is a stand-alone unit that – with a push of a button – will stream to either YouTube, Facebook, or AVStudio in resolutions up to 1080p. The device can be wired, or run wireless with 2.4 Ghz wireless.

Connect a video camera (Web camera connection is available, but in BETA at this time), and configure your settings to stream out.

Connect Webcaster x2 for a Better Wirecast, OBS, or vMix Solution

If you can split out tasks to other devices, you find less choppiness, and better videos. The Webcaster is meant to do one thing – stream video. When you don’t have to put the load on your computer, the processor runs a little less.

How I’ll be Using the Webcaster x2 Next Week

Every year, I go to HPE Discover to record and stream the coffee talks. My travel machine is not as powerful as the home desktop, but with this modular setup, I can relieve the computer of all it’s tasks so it can switch video sources.

Another item in my gear bag this trip is the Blackmagic Video Assist. This device will be recording the video through the HDMI port. A cable will then go to the Webcaster x2, where it will be streaming to YouTube.

Here is where it gets cooler – I will be capturing the video on the home studio streaming computer, then sending that video through Geekazine LIVE on YouTube, and Twitch. Three places to watch the live action can help with traffic.

Cons of Webcaster x2

You will need a USB mouse and HDMI monitor when you need to reconfigure the device. Setting it up with the default Live stream will alleviate this, but if you do a lot of streaming – especially going from Facebook to YouTube – you’ll need to configure.

After recording the unbox video, I found the AV, MicroSD Card slot, and optical audio are not being used at this time. They are in the unit and active, so that leads me to believe it may be upgraded in the future.

Overall

Price of this device is $299.95, which is a good low-end alternative. Considering other devices like this will start at $1,500 or more, you could even get two webcaster x2 if you want to stream to YouTube and Facebook.

The AVStudio cloud service does more than re-aggregate the stream to other services. You could have clients receiving the video minutes after record, or editors taking the video to make highlights and feature episodes from their homes.

For more information, check out Epiphan’s website.

*Geekazine purchased this product.

 

What if your sound panels held a design? What if your video background didn’t look like wood, or brick anymore. Designer sound panels and sound rooms are what ViCoustic does.

ViCoustic Flat Panel VMT

This is a 2×2′ panel that can be customized to any pattern you would like. The Flat Panel VMT is made from VicPET, which is recycled plastic. These panels are thin, and can reduce the sound of a room. The best part is you can customize them with your own patterns. Create a Vector image with your brand or logo, then put them up into your studio for 2 solutions in one.

If you’re looking to spruce up your living room, bedroom, or other, you can choose from multiple patterns, and turn your room into whatever design you desire.

Other ViCoustic Panels

ViCoustic makes other types of sound panels – from those you would identify as such, to patterns that give your music studio the right amount of bounce to make a recording hit the sweet spot.

This includes the Multifuser – a panel that is using the Quadratic Diffuser pattern (QFD), which scatters sounds so it dissipates quickly.

ViCoustic Sound Booth

We also walked into the VicBooth Premium – a modular booth that will minimize the outside sounds, along with creating privacy barriers inside. Sound will leak only if you want it to.

Prices for Flat Panel VMT start at $45 – covering an area could cost you $300-400, but for a pattern that you design, it’s well worth it Keep in mind, it’s an 8-12 week process for custom panels.

Check out Vicoustic.com for more information.

Our friends at Epiphan joined us at Geekazine LIVE Infocomm 2018 to talk about all the cool products They released. This includes the new Pearl Mini recorder.

About Epiphan Pearl Mini

This is an all-in-one system for your livestream needs. We saw the mini at NAB during Geekazine LIVE. This week, the device is shipping to pre-orders. The Mini gives you 2 HDMI inputs, 1 SDI input, 2 USB ports, audio inputs, Ethernet, and an HDMI out port.

This can allow you to switch between multiple video sources, or do a side-by-side layer for when you need it.

The Mini starts at $3495. Check out more capture products from Epipan.

If you want to start your own video show, or your job asks you to put a video rig together for recording or live streaming content, then PTZOptics has a system for you. Paul came back on Geekazine LIVE at Infocomm to talk about their Producer Kit – This is a solution that gives you everything you need to start a live stream, or recording session.

What is in the Producer Kit

PTZOptics camera, PTZOptics joystick, capture device, cables, and Skull Canyon NUC computer. You will need a computer monitor, keyboard/mouse (or laptop with Remote control options), and your favorite streaming software (like OBS, Wirecast, or vMix) to finish up the kit.

With a PTZOptics camera, you can set scenes so if your presenter moves, you can move with them. The joystick helps in getting a more precise move.

You can get your PTZOptics Producer Kit here.

In a class room, when the teacher turns to the chalk board (or white board), they cannot see if a student is getting confused with what they are writing. In a video, who wants to continually see the presenter’s back? Learning Glass creates a great solution with the Learning Glass Light Board – where they can teach in a forward manner.

What is Learning Glass?

This uses the same technology Lighted erase marker boards use. Instead of a coated back glass, the presenter can see right through it. They simply write like they normally do. The camera flips the image to look like they have the ability to write backwards.

The students would watch the presentation on a screen with the image flipped. The presenter can control the light, so they can see more of the text, or presenter when needed.

Learning Glass offers a few options starting at $2,200. You get the tempered glass board with adjustable LED lights, and the software to run through your computer.

Learn More at Learning.Glass

XKeys joined Geekazine LIVE at Infocomm 2018 to show off their offerings for programmable keypads. The XKeys system allows you to create shortcuts and macros onto one button so you can make your workflow easier.

The XKeys system is modular – use and arrange the included plunger buttons to a configuration that works for you. Add-ons such as joysticks, spin wheels, faders, and more give you other functionality to what you need.

XKeys can work with PC, Mac, Linux, Android, and Microsoft Surface. Input devices range from the keypads Miranda talked about, to foot pedals, switch interfaces, and more. Perfect for making a multi-button tablet Kiosk, or a switching device for your live stream machine.

Miranda showed off the XK-24 USB Keypad, the new Wirecast Control Surface, and an even newer rack-mountable two-row 40 key switch (coming soon).

The XK-24 is $145.95 and available here. You can also go to XKeys.com for more information.