If everybody truly does get 15 minutes of fame, it's best to make sure that it's streamed live on the web.
That's the purpose of these devices: plug in a camcorder or camera, hit a button and you are live on the Internet. It could be a school play you're broadcasting to grandparents abroad, a concert friends can't attend, or a street-level view of a political protest.
Of course, you can use a smartphone and one of a handful of apps to broadcast a video stream, but these dedicated devices let you it at a much higher quality. Foremost, you're not limited by your phone's camera; you can use a DSLR, a camcorder, or a compact camera with a special lens. Also, given the ability to fine-tune variables like bitrate and compression, you get more control over the file output. Best of all, with one of these small boxes, you don't have to fiddle with software or arcane commands. Each device makes it painless, converting the video into an H.264 stream and sending it out over a Wi-Fi or 4G connection. Interested viewers can watch your broadcast either on the video services run by the companies who make the boxes, or in some cases, supported third-party services like YouTube. We looked at three of these devices: the $695 VidiU and the $1,590 Cube 255, both from Teradek, and the $495 Livestream Broadcaster.
All of these devices are about the size of a cigarette pack, but the Cube has two external Wi-Fi antennas. The streamer boxes are designed to fit on top of a camera or camcorder, and include clips to attach to a standard flash shoe or tripod socket. They then connect to the Internet over a built-in Ethernet cable socket or 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi networks (the VidiU and Cube also support the faster and less-crowded 802.11a standard). All three devices also have USB ports that work with a selection of 4G USB modems for the ultimate streaming setup: one that is portable and works anywhere with Wi-Fi or cell network coverage.
The three devices are similar when it comes to ease of use, with all offering a small display and simple buttons. You can control the device completely using these hardware buttons, but the easier option is to use each device's web browser interface, especially when it comes to things like typing in passwords.
All three devices also offer you plenty of control over the resolution and bandwidth of the video and audio. They also offer bandwidth tests that will recommend settings based on the speed of your connection. In my tests with a fast home connection, I had no problems streaming HD video to YouTube and Livestream.com over a fast home connection, but I did find that when using a 4G connection, I had to throttle the bandwidth down to get a reliable connection. But even given lower bandwidth, all three devices produced sharp, clear video in my tests. It was here the external antennas of the Cube proved to be an advantage: the device did a better job of keeping a Wi-Fi connection at a further distance from the router. This is an important factor if you're building a roving camera setup, or sending video a long distance.
Both Teradek and Livestream offer apps for controlling these devices from a phone or tablet. Livestream's app (for iOS and Android) allows you to control the Broadcaster remotely, as well as broadcasting video from your device. The TeraCentral app (iOS) allows you to view video from, and control multiple VidiU and Cube devices, but not to broadcast from your iDevice. Teradek does offer an Android viewing app (TeraView, Android 4.2 or above), but this can't control Teraview's products. It's just for monitoring.
The main limitation of these devices is battery life. All three devices include batteries (internal Li-Ion for the Cube and VidiU, three AAs for the Broadcaster), but can only run for short periods on battery power. The Cube managed to keep a connection going for just over an hour and a half, while the VidiU last about an hour and 15 minutes. The Broadcaster managed an impressive 2 hours and 23 minutes when streaming over Wi-Fi with a set of EverReady Advanced Lithium disposable batteries. The device doesn't officially support rechargeable batteries, but they worked. Your mileage may vary, though, especially if using a 4G USB modem that has to be powered by the device itself.
All of the devices allow you to extend this battery life by using an external power source, which can range from 6 to 12V for the VidiU, 6-18V for the Broadcaster and 6 to 28V for the Cube. That instantly makes them compatible with a wide range of external batteries designed to power camcorders and other devices. In addition, the Cube can be powered over USB, so you can use a USB battery pack to extend its battery life.
The Broadcaster is the cheapest of these devices, but that's because it is tied in with the Livestream service: it won't work with other video streaming services. The VidiU and Cube will work with Livestream, YouTube Live, UStream and any other service that supports the RTMP streaming protocol. The Cube also adds support for the alternative MPEG-TS video codec and point-to-point systems, where you integrate the device into a larger video setup such as a NewTek Tricaster switching system. The Cube also allows you to view the live video on an iOS device on the same network, so you can preview the video as it is transmitted. The Broadcaster integrates with the companies own Livestream Studio software system, but not with other video systems.
If you use the Livestream service (or don't mind having that as your only option) the Broadcaster is a great pick. It's simple to use, performs well and integrates well with the other services that Livestream offers, like support for broadcasting from Google Glass. But it is limited: you are locked into Livestream. Your viewers will have a possibly unfamiliar web address to remember instead of good old YouTube, UStream and the like.
The VidiU offers the same features, but with wider video streaming service support including YouTube, UStream and the RTSP protocol used by most other services. Most users won't need the extra features of the Cube (such as the support for 1080p and higher bit rate video) so the VidiU is our pick for those who want to pick up a camera, plug in and broadcast a live event to YouTube or other streaming video services over Wi-Fi. If you roam further afield, the bigger antennas and wider range of bandwidth controls might make the Cube worth the extra cost.
Livestream Broadcaster
Teradek VidiU
Teradek Cube 255
Price
$495
$699
$1,590
Supported Web Services
Livestream
Livestream, YouTube, Ustream, RTSP/RTMP
Livestream, YouTube, Ustream, Facebook, RTSP/RTMP, MPEG-TS
Wi-Fi support
802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 & 5GHz
802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 & 5GHz
Streamed Video Format & Resolution/Bitrate range
H.264 @720p 2.3Mbps
H.264 @720p 250kbps to 5Mbps
H.264, MPEG2-TS @720p 250kbps to 10Mbps
Tested Battery Life
93 minutes
75 minutes
143 minutes
