Stream Live Video on a Budget with Teradek

The Cube by Teradek lets people stream live video to the Net, but it didn't start out that way. Company CEO Nicol Verheem explained at a Streaming Media West red carpet interview that it was created for more modest goals.

"Originally we targeted this at cinema applications. So this is a wireless video transmitter that transmits HD video using H.264, high profile H.264, so it's full 1080p, over Wi-Fi," says Verheem. Those cinema applications include streaming video to nearby iPads, so that monitoring video recording was easier. The Cube also let film crews quickly monitor dailies.

When customers suggested that the compact Cube (it's the size of a deck of cards and attaches to any video camera) would be an excellent tool for live streaming online, Teradek listened. It added streaming functionality that lets users send live video to their CDNs (content delivery networks) for streaming across the Web.

The Cube can stream over a cellular connection, but the problem is that cellular networks aren't all that reliable. Anyone with a cell phone knows that dropped calls are hardly a rarity.

Teradek's solution was to create the Bond, which Verheem showed for the first time at the Streaming Media West conference. The Bond allows the Cube to transmit using up to five cell networks. While users will want to use different networks for greater reliability, Verheem emphasizes that even using two cell modems with the same carrier greatly improves reliability, as the modems rarely go out at the same time. When a modem goes down, the Bond instantly routes all traffic to the modem or modems still functioning.

The Bond will go on sale later this year, Verheem said. In January, it will gain Livestream integration, letting users easily send live video over their Livestream accounts. The Bond will work with other live streaming sites, but will require manual configuration for them.

To view more on Teradek, scroll down to watch the interview.

These Streaming Media Red Carpet Interviews are sponsored by Front Porch Digital.

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net