回顾:Teradek Wave

Streaming producers need to make sure that their signal gets out to the internet, 无论是通过以太网线路, 细胞, 或wi - fi. 经常, 当我们局限于手机的时候, we need to bond our signal across multiple sources to push our stream through the critical first mile. We already have some very reliable industry-standard solutions that serve this purpose.

其中之一是 Teradek video Go. youtube Go (下面的图1) has modems on both sides, with nice, big antennas to make sure the cell signal gets out. It also connects to WiFi, and it has an Ethernet port on the back. The VidiU connects to Teradek’s Core and Sharelink cloud-based streaming management platforms. Of course, it can also stream directly to your destination of choice via RTMP.

图1. Teradek video Go

But one thing the VidiU Go doesn’t do is let you see is your signal, 可以通过内置显示器，也可以通过外部显示器. It has either an SDI or HDMI在put to get your signal in, but it doesn’t offer a loop-through to confirm that the input is working, 或者让你看到你的信号质量. Wouldn’t it be nice if Teradek (or someone) offered a compact unit with the full feature set of the VidiU Go that also let you see what was going in and out?

进入Teradek波(下面的图2), a new addition to Teradek’s line of bonding-capable compact streaming encoders that features a 7" integrated SmallHD monitor. 但一揽子计划还包括更多内容. Teradek calls the Wave a “5-in-1” streaming monitor because it adds encoding, “智能事件创建”,”键, 流式传输到多个目的地, 和记录.

图2. The Teradek Wave 5-in-1 Smart Streaming Monitor, front and back

畅游海浪

在测试中, I ran the Wave using two NP-F type batteries on the back, 如图2所示. 你也可以用一节NP-F电池供电, 如果一个电池没电了, 你可以不断地改变它们. If you have the USB-C adapter plugged in, it will run off the USB-C.

在波浪的顶端, you’ll find a full-sized SD card slot and a USB port where you can plug in a USB modem (下面的图3). 它还有两个Wi-Fi天线. When you first set this up, you can administer it with the Wave app, available for iOS and Android. Wave以接入点模式启动. 你可以连接到Wave，并通过应用程序. You can just start doing everything you need to set up the Wave.

图3. Top of the wave: SD slot, Wi-Fi antennae, and USB port

Teradek Wave有自己的触摸屏, so you don’t necessarily need the app running on a second device as much as you needed the app when you were dealing with the VidiU Go. VidiU的前面板显示器很小, 你可以用两个小按钮来导航吗, but the app offers a lot more options and makes them much more accessible. Tap, tap, tap, and you get all your settings at a glance (下面的图4). 你可以看到所有不同的连接, 确保它们都能正常工作, 你在它们之间发送数据. The app is very useful for accessing this 信息 and managing your settings, where four lines of LED text is not enough to do everything as easily on the VidiU. 大多数制作商将运行视频视频平台, 说, a small iPad alongside it so they can run the app with it. The Wave eliminates the need for that additional device. You can see how easy is is to get set up and ready to stream in the video that accompanies this review.

图4. Wave应用程序中的无线设置

沿着波浪的底部(下面的图5), 你会找到USB-C供电, 以太网连接, 带扭锁孔的1/4-20螺纹, HDMI在, 音频的, 把耳机拿出来, so you can plug your headphones in and monitor the audio coming in to the Wave.

图5. 海浪的底部

The right side has 带扭锁孔的1/4-20螺纹; the left side has 带扭锁孔的1/4-20螺纹 and your power button. If you're going to use USB modems, you can connect one on top and one on the bottom. There’s no internal 细胞 and no SIM card slot on the Wave, 所以你插入你想要的调制解调器.

The fact that the Wave has just has two USB jacks is not actually a downside. It means 你可以 use a USB-to-Ethernet dongle and plug in two different Ethernet connections. 或者，你可以使用任何USB调制解调器. You could also use a big hotspot as well, and connect it to the Wave via USB or Ethernet.

So, if you wanted to have your hotspot set up outside the building, and then come in via Ethernet to the wave as a second connection, 你可以. 我就是这么做的, 把调制解调器放在离流媒体设备很远的地方, 在生产卡车外. 因为生产卡车是由金属制成的, I know I’m going to get better reception outside the truck than I will inside the truck. Using ethernet to the USB dongle lets me put the hotspot where the best reception is, 把信号带回我所在的地方.

数据共享

The Teradek device also has really cool data-sharing functionality that works with the app on your cellphone. 当Wave被设置为接入点时, 它没有共享数据, and your phone will tell you there’s no internet connection. Your phone knows the internet connection is via your 细胞 signal. With the Teradek app, the cellphone will share the data to the Wave over WiFi. Even better, you can have more than one phone connected and sharing data with the Wave.

The key connecting two or more phones is that the phones share the data through the app on the phone. Thus you’re able to do share data without using the phone’s hotspot mode, 或拘束, 哪些运营商或计划可能不允许你这样做. They might also allow only a limited amount of data or a limited speed through tethering/hotspot, but the Wave’s data-sharing feature enables you to sidestep that issue, because those same carriers will have no issue with your using data in an app on the device. With this approach, you can use all the data you want.