Magewell Ultra Stream HDMI

About this product

The Ultra Stream HDMI is for churches, schools, clubs and small businesses that want to go live without learning streaming software or tying up a computer. Plug in a camera or laptop over HDMI, set the box up once from a phone app or a browser, and from then on starting and stopping is done on the unit itself or in the app. It is a small standalone hardware streaming encoder and recorder for one HDMI source, with no computer in the chain.

What goes in

• Video. One HDMI input (HDMI 1.4a, DVI-D compatible), accepting up to 4096×2160 at 60 frames per second in 4:2:0, or at 30 frames per second in 4:4:4 or 4:2:2, so a 4K camera or laptop can be connected as it is. An HDMI loop-through passes the picture on to a monitor or projector.
• Audio. Up to eight channels embedded in the HDMI signal arrive on the same cable, or you can plug a microphone into the 3.5 mm input. A 3.5 mm headphone output lets you listen to the HDMI audio and confirm there is sound before you go live.

What comes out

• Streaming. Facebook, Twitch and YouTube are supported natively, which saves working out server addresses for the platforms most people use. It also streams to any server that uses RTMP or RTMPS, and supports RTSP. It runs two streaming sessions at the same time, for example two platforms.
• Encoding. H.264 or H.265 (HEVC), up to 1920×1080 at 60 frames per second. A 4K source is accepted and scaled down to HD for the stream. The main stream goes up to 8 Mbps and a sub stream up to 2 Mbps. Audio is two-channel AAC.
• Recording. To the 32 GB of internal storage, a USB flash drive, or a paired mobile device, and it can record to these simultaneously. Files are MP4 or MOV, ready for editing or sharing. Recordings can be uploaded to an FTP server, Dropbox or Google Drive, so you can pass them on without carrying a drive back to the office.

Why choose it

• Simple to operate. Once it is set up, starting and stopping is done on the unit itself or in the app. Indicator lights show the input signal, network, Wi-Fi, USB drive and whether it is recording or streaming, so the operator can see at a glance that all is well.
• A recording as well as a stream. The stream depends on the internet connection. A recording made in the box at the same time is kept safe whatever the connection does.
• The room screen carries on. The loop-through output feeds a screen or projector while the unit streams, so the audience in the room and the audience online see the same source.
• Wired or wireless. Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) are built in, so you can stream where there is no network socket nearby. A 3G / 4G USB modem, bought separately, is also supported.
• Small and low power. 94.2 × 94.2 × 22.3 mm, running from the supplied 5 V adapter and drawing about 9.6 W at most. It fits in a camera bag.

Is it the right model?

Choose the Ultra Stream HDMI when you want HD streaming over RTMP, RTMPS or RTSP to one or two destinations, with a recording alongside, and controls you can hand to a volunteer. For SRT, NDI or more simultaneous destinations, see the Ultra Encode range below.

Set up from your phone

• Use Magewell’s smartphone app or the Web UI in a browser, so there is nothing to install on a computer. The unit has Bluetooth 4.0 BLE as well as Wi-Fi.
• Units can be registered with Magewell Control Hub for central management, which suits a school or organisation with several rooms.
• HTTP APIs are provided for integration with other systems.

Where it sits in the range

For an SDI source there is the Ultra Stream SDI. If you need SRT, NDI or more simultaneous destinations, look at the Ultra Encode HDMI and the rest of the Ultra Encode range, which offer those protocols. Both Ultra Stream models are on the Ultra Stream page.