All-in-One (AIO) Production Tablet Live-Streaming Devices

A studio in your pocket. That’s essentially what an all-in-one (AIO) live production tablet offers. The latest AIO devices promise to do some or all of the following:

• Multi-camera capture
• Cutting between sources
• Generating graphics
• Playing back video
• Generating sports scoreboards
• Integrating viewer comments into the program
• Mixing audio
• Creating PIPs and multiviews
• Internal recording, encoding, and streaming

Some will even allow you to automate tasks by attaching titles to scenes or let you build a custom scene with several layers. There’s also the possibility of automating the switch, either in sequence or based on audio levels.

Back in 2019, I wrote about some iPad tablet software that can do all of these things, but those were essentially closed systems because there was no way to plug your fancy DLSR into the tablet itself. While that capability is arguable now, this article focuses on tablets that are specifically engineered for live production, with physical ports for cameras, Ethernet, USB, and more, rather than an app running on general purpose consumer tablets.

Laptops and myriad production software applications for Mac, PC, and Linux enable users to have a powerful, portable production studio. You just need a well-spec’d (gaming) laptop with a sturdy power supply, and then you add the external hardware to capture cameras, a USB audio interface, and ... Nobody puts all that in their pocket.

This article focuses on AIO tablets for live production and streaming—devices so little that you really can put the smallest of them in your back pocket. The larger ones will travel well in a jacket pocket. The only thing they don’t include is the cameras.

Early Days

In late 2017, YoloLiv launched its first YoloBox on Kickstarter. The company worked through manufacturing and other issues to deliver the YoloBox in 2018 and into 2019. It was the first standalone, dedicated device for video production and streaming. It defined what an AIO streaming appliance should do. YoloLiv later released the YoloBox Pro and the YoloBox Mini, which added additional features and capabilities. At the end of 2023, Magewell became the second manufacturer in the market with the release of the Director Mini. OBSBOT and others entered the market in 2024.

Now, AIO devices are maturing with competition. Our cellphones and tablets are quite powerful indeed. These AIO production tablets add the physical hardware I/O producers need to leverage today’s mobile processors. So, let’s take a look at the current crop of AIO live production tablets.

YoloLiv

As of early 2025, YoloLiv currently has four active YoloBoxes. All of them feature an internal cellular modem, WiFi, and an Ethernet port for networking. They all use USB-C for power and charging the internal battery. They have analog audio in for mic and line audio and a headphone jack for monitoring. They all feature an HDMI port for monitoring, as well as a multi-function USB-A port that can be used to plug in a USB stick for media playback and recording, a USB modem, or a video to USB capture for an additional camera. They also all have an SD card slot that can be used for media playback and recording. Internal batteries, active cooling, and a 1/4-20 threaded hole for camera-top mounting round out the features.

The original YoloBox has been discontinued, replaced by the Pro, which has three HDMI inputs and two USB-C connections. That second USB-C can be used to send a UVC (webcam) of the program feed to a computer to be used in a business chat application like Microsoft Teams, Webex, or Zoom. It’s also recently been updated to receive one NDI input (with an activation fee). The Pro is HD only, as is the Mini. They do not understand 4K inputs.

The Mini literally is a “fit in your pocket” model with just one HDMI input. It has a single USB-C for charging, but the one USB-A can be pressed into service for a webcam or USB capture device. The interface is a bit different because, with a compact 5" screen, it always operates in “fullscreen” mode (an option on the other YoloBoxes), and any feature you want to access overlays the program screen.

YoloLiv’s current flagship is the YoloBox Ultra (see Figure 1), featuring four HDMI inputs and three USB connections. But the key to the Ultra is that it is designed for 4K. The processing chips inside are a big step up to deal with 4K, so if you choose to produce in HD, it can ISO record multiple channels and more. The Ultra is capable of operating in horizontal or vertical production modes, but just one or the other, not both at the same time.

Figure 1. The YoloLiv YoloBox Ultra streaming studio with recorder

The Ultra has been the focus of YoloLiv’s engineering for 2025. The added processing power was leveraged for a complete overhaul of the audio, enabling mix minus and much better metering than any other YoloBox. Control of the Ultra is possible from another device on the same local area network. And YoloLiv introduced its own USB control surface for the Ultra, the YoloDeck, which has programmable buttons for tactile control of specific features.

The fourth “Box” is actually called the Instream. This is a two-HDMI vertical production tool that only operates in vertical mode. The entire operating system and production orientation are vertical. This makes sense when you consider that the entire graphics engine and processing have to adjust to 1920 pixels tall by 1080 pixels across. The operating system is app-based, so you run the Instagram and TikTok apps (potentially even both at the same time) for distribution of your vertical content. The design of the Instream even has 1/4-20 holes on either side of the box for easier vertical orienting on the desk. There is no second USB-C for UVC output.

YoloLiv has announced, and shown at IBC 2024, a forthcoming YoloBox Extreme with a huge 11" OLED screen, a whopping eight HDMI inputs, and two HDMI outputs. We’ll be sure to cover this more in depth when it is released.

In addition to the YoloBoxes, YoloLiv offers its own bonding service to work across all three internal connections and even utilize a USB stick modem. Multicasting from a single stream is common across all YoloBoxes and uses YoloLiv’s servers to send a single stream to three destinations. This means true bonding without external hardware. YoloLiv also has the ability to invite and bring in remote guests via invitations sent directly from the YoloBoxes. In addition, YoloLiv offers the YoloCast service as a bespoke CDN, giving users full control of delivery.

Magewell

In 2023, Magewell released the first serious competitor to the YoloBox, the Magewell Director Mini (see Figure 2). This very diminutive 5.4" (350-nit) screen device was even smaller than the one-HDMI YoloBox Mini because of smaller bezels. While it can accept and understand a 4K input, it’s immediately downscaled to HD for internal mixing. The Director Mini has two HDMI inputs, as well as two USB inputs that can be used for two more cameras. The Director Mini was further differentiated by coming from a long-established broadcast production hardware company.

Figure 2. Magewell Director Mini

Magewell ensured that when the Director Mini was released, it offered numerous capabilities the 5-year-old YoloBoxes didn't have, including ISO record, instant replay, an extensive and powerful internal audio mixer, a telestrator, PTZ control, internal recording storage, savable and exportable project files, and programmable shortcuts. It integrates NDI, SRT, RTSP, and RTMP, as well as a direct HTML page as a source. It can be rotated to do vertical or horizontal productions, but it lacks a direct app tie-in to Instagram or TikTok.

From Day 1, Magewell also delivered iOS and Android apps for remote operation of the Director Mini. The apps can make three cellphones into wireless cameras on the local area network. In addition to the apps, you can control the Director Mini via a web browser on the local area network. If the Director Mini is registered to a Magewell Control Hub (cloud) subscription, it can be operated from anywhere in the world.

The device has a dual-channel instant replay with various playback options, as well as copious scene design help with guides and snapping. It also boasts internal graphics, including animated lower-thirds, an exclusive in this category right now. Internally generated sports scoreboards offer a decent variety, and there is the ability to use almost any still or video as your background as you build your scenes.

The Director Mini utilizes two NP-F batteries on the back, using each one in turn, for battery power. This means you can change batteries whenever you want. It also takes 12V 3A external power. In addition, the device uses a single USB-C port as a hub, or it can be converted to HDMI out for your monitor. There’s no internal cellular, but the Director Mini has an Ethernet port and WiFi, as you can use the two USB ports for modems. Bonding is provided through Speedify, so you would create an account with that company for your bonding service.

There is no integrated multicasting service, but the Director Mini can send two streams at the same time. It has two encoders that you can set separately for a high-quality program record and a low-bitrate stream, or two high-quality records (main and ISO), or two low-bitrate streams. The Director Mini can take in three NDI sources, including alpha channel support, and send NDI as well, at no additional charge. Magewell also has a native plugin for the Elgato Stream Deck control surface, or you can use native Bluetooth devices and programmable shortcuts for a wireless solution. OSC control is also supported, as well as an API for third-party developers.

In March 2025, Magewell released the Director One, which builds on the features of the Director Mini with a larger (7") and brighter AMOLED screen; the addition of an internal 4G cellular capability; a dedicated HDMI output, and external antennas for cellular and Wi-Fi. This addresses the desires of those who love the Director Mini’s features, but wanted more of everything.

OBSBOT

 In 2024, OBSBOT released the Talent multi-cam live-streaming studio (see Figure 3). On the box, and the device itself, it notes that it is “Powered by Magewell.” The Talent is essentially the Magewell Director Mini but with operating system tweaks that put more focus on integrating the Talent with the rest of the OBSBOT ecosystem of cameras, like the Tail Air, which I reviewed in 2024. For instance, with the Talent, you get the ability to reach into an OBSBOT camera and turn face-tracking on and off. Even the PTZ controls for OBSBOT cameras look different than the standard NDI PTZ controls.

Figure 3. OBSBOT Talent multi-cam live-streaming studio

As OBSBOT updates the operating system of the Talent to cater more to its cameras, Magewell has updated the Director with enhanced features that are different from what the Talent offers. The Director Utility app that can be used to provide up to three cellphone cameras on the local area network is not available on the Talent. Neither is bonding or cloud control. More differentiation between the two devices will happen as we move forward.

Epiphan Video

Sort of an OG, as it came out in 2018, but not necessarily a “tablet” per se, the Pearl Mini (see Figure 4) is a tabletop touchscreen live production device. It offers enough similarity that I thought it worth including here. Featuring multi-camera ingest via HDMI, SDI, or UVC, the Pearl Mini can accept RTSP, SRT, or NDI-HX, as well as a web browser-based source. It also has XLR audio input and offers internal recording to an SD card and RTMP out as well as HDMI out. The Pearl devices focus primarily on business and educational markets, so you will find integrations with Extron, Panopto, Kaltura, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.

Figure 4. The Epiphan Video Pearl Mini

The 7" touchscreen offers a comfortable space to build multiview scenes to switch between. It shows a program view as well as the prebuilt scenes. It can also be run via Epiphan’s web browser-based access, and via Epiphan Cloud, over the internet.  It’s essentially a two-to-three input mixer, enabling schools or conference rooms to have regular events recorded or streamed with ease because of the prebuilt scenes.

There’s no audio mixer on the Pearl Mini that’s comparable to what you find on other devices in this space. You can activate or deactivate an audio input and see the audio levels on the program meters, but there’s no way to adjust the levels of different audio inputs within the Pearl Mini itself. The device offers a very basic time and event stamp that is self-generated for regular class events, but not the sort of fancy internal titler found on the other units discussed here.

Custom graphics would be leveraged from a web graphics source, rather than generated internally. This usually necessitates a second device to be able to change graphics, but, again, you can be doing the switch on the Pearl Mini from the web browser too. So, the Pearl Mini might not have anyone actually touching the screen to run it.

There’s no battery capability unless you adapt an external battery to the 12V 5A DC input. Design of the multiview layouts is most easily done on a network-connected computer, where you can access all of the Pearl Mini’s functions and settings. Moreover, it can be integrated with conference rooms or classrooms, so that the recording or even video switching can be managed by the same control panels that control the rest of the room AV.

CineTreak

I came across the CineTreak Mixer Live (see Figure 5) at NAB 2024, and this little unit is the smallest and lightest there is. CineTreak makes several video mixers, with and without screens, so the company understands video hardware and mixing. The Mixer Live is a 5.5"- (1500 nit) screen device powered by two NP-F batteries on the back. It touts PTZ control, 4K inputs, 3D LUTs, and filmmaking tools, but after testing it, I found a few caveats.

 

Figure 5. The CineTreak Mixer Live

The 3D LUT capability, exposure assist, and focus assist are filmmaker tools designed for the Mixer Live to be used as a cinema camera monitor, not a live multi-camera production tool. While it can play back files, it’s just to view them, not as part of a live stream. It does not produce or stream in 4K, and the streaming RTMP is manually entered—there are no APIs for YouTube, Facebook, etc. It can do various transitions and greenscreen, but with just two inputs, the flexibility of the greenscreen is limited.

Tasks like sports scoreboard and on-screen titles are enabled by scanning the device’s QR code and using a second device to run the graphics. It does offer the ability to design multiviews, but I daresay that doing this on the Mixer Live is cumbersome at best. It has two HDMI inputs that accept 4K, but processing and delivery are HD-only. It also offers an external antenna for Wi-Fi, potentially giving it greater ability to reach other devices, but there’s no companion app to use as a remote camera.

The Mixer Live feels like a device that started as a monitor for cinema production and then had additional hardware and features added to it, giving it more capabilities, but not in a unified way for easy live production.

RGBlink

RGBlink has been making video gadgets for several years, and now it also makes an AIO production tablet. The company’s TAO 1pro (see Figure 6) is another 5.5" (450cd) screen that features two HD-HDMI and two UVC inputs, as well as one HDMI out. It has an NDI decoder and encoder. While there’s no SD card slot, you can leverage USB storage. It can stream up to four destinations at once, but there’s no single-stream multicasting, so you’re going to send 4x whatever your streaming data rate is. The Ethernet port also assists with direct networking. In addition, there’s a 1pro-S model with one HDMI and one SDI input.

Figure 6. The RGBlink TAO 1pro

Trying to launch a stream with the TAO 1pro is the first time you’ll realize that it’s not as “all in one” as some of the other models. To stream, you need to save your RTMP destination to a text file on a USB stick that you connect to the TAO 1pro and then load the destination into the TAO 1pro. There are no APIs for the usual streaming destinations, like YouTube.

TAO 1pro operation is unusual in that you don’t get to see active previews of your connected devices. You tap the screen to bring up four icons for your sources, and the input number circled in red is the active source in your program. Tapping another source once lets you see it on the screen, but it’s still not in program. This way, you can tap through and see the feed from the other sources, and then tapping it a second time “takes” it to program. That certainly is one way to deal with limited space on a 5" screen.

The TAO 1pro can be powered by a USB-C input at 9V 2A, and it has two different battery mounts on the back: one NP-F, and the other looks to be a Canon battery. I haven’t had an opportunity to put hands on this one yet, but it’s clear that there are no built-in graphics, titles, or scoreboards. There’s also no audio mixer, viewer comments, video playback, still image playback, or other sources, and no remote guests or local area networked cameras.

Sprolink

At NAB 2024, I had the opportunity to visit the Sprolink booth and see its MD2-4K dual channel presentation switcher (see Figure 7) It’s yet another 5.5" display-sized touchscreen device with two 4K inputs that are downsampled to HD for internal use. It can record and stream at the same time, but appears to have just one encoder. It uses dual external NP-F batteries for power or a 12V 2A DC power supply. It has analog audio in, as well as a headphone output. There’s a jack on top for a Wi-Fi antenna, and an SD card slot and a USB-A port for media round out the connections.

Figure 7. The Sprolink MD2-4K dual channel presentation switcher

As a monitor, the Sprolink offers Waveform and Vectorscope, as well as focus peaking, false color, and LUTs. It also features a loop through for one of the HDMI inputs (which is handy if you don’t have a splitter) and HDMI out for the switched program, or HDMI-1 or -2. As the name suggests, it supports dual-channel stream encoding. It can also output program to USB-C for UVC to a computer for your business chat application of choice.

With just two inputs, there’s not a lot you can do in terms of bringing in sources, but the MD2-4K makes the most of it, with various PIP and side-by-side window arrangements and fancy little DVE moves between preset arrangements. There are no built-in graphics, titles, or scoreboards. Nor is there an audio mixer, viewer comments, video playback, still image playback, or other sources, and no remote guests, networked cameras, or NDI.

Sprolink also makes the MC-4K virtual camera switcher. While not an AIO tablet per se, it is a similar little 5.5"-screen device that takes in a single 4K feed and then lets you crop into it as much as you want for up to five “virtual” shots from a single camera. If you leverage two of these MC-4Ks with two 4K cameras, you can feed 10 different shots into the two inputs of the MD2-4K. Of course, you could use one YoloBox Ultra and get this capability in a single device, along with all of the other streaming capabilities the YoloBox offers.

Conclusion

There are many ways to do live production, and I see these AIO tablets being used in more and more places—most often when someone needs to produce a show but also needs to be able to move the “studio” from one place to another without having to pack it up and then set it up again. You might do this with a multicam streamed funeral service that starts inside then immediately goes somewhere else or a wedding service that starts outside and then goes inside. Having a “studio” you can clip onto the camera tripod means you can literally pick it up and move everything while playing back a video so the live stream doesn’t stop.

This opens up live streaming to completely new situations in which a table full of gear simply doesn’t work, and the limitations of an AIO live production tablet don’t really restrict your production. What these devices enable can far outweigh the limits these little tablets have. Those advantages have caused this segment of the market to grow quickly since the first device hit in 2019. As the technology continues to improve, we can expect these devices to become more capable and more reliable for the producers who need them.

Review: Magewell Director Mini

Magewell's new Director Mini is a mini marvel. This 5.5" "all-in-one" production tool with a $1,299 street price can mix multiple inputs and do picture-in-picture graphics, audio mixing, recording, streaming, and more, as IEBA's Anthony Burokas explains in this in-depth review.

05 Jan 2024