Review: Paladin flypack

Wirecast

A year ago, I saw Paladin Innovators offering both Wirecast and Livestream software options. This year, it looks like Wirecast is the preferred solution, although the Paladin box is essentially a small-form-factor PC, their web site lists more than 31 supported applications--nearly all relating to video editing, producing, and streaming. So you can look at this as more than just a video mixer.

It was my first opportunity to use the new Wirecast 6 which had just been released the week before I received my flypack in preparation for Streaming Media West. I was familiar with older version so I understood how Wirecast worked, but it took a bit of time to understand the new design methodology.

One issue I had was getting audio into the computer to stay as my audio source no matter what camera I chose. Computer audio input selections--handled by two different control panels, coupled with Wirecast's preferences--proved a challenge for me. So I went for Plan B and ran my audio into my DSLR, which fed HDMI to the external HDMI to HD-SDI converter box which was connected to the computer via SDI. Then I selected the same source of audio for each of cameras so it wouldn't change when I switched cameras.

I know there are better ways to do this; I just didn't have time to figure them out before I had to leave for the conference. So when the audio worked, no matter the method, I moved on to other tasks that needed attention.

At Streaming Media West, I saw others using Wirecast expertly, including making motion graphics and lower-thirds that would animate on and off the screen in a professional broadcast fashion. I had thought about adding titles, as well as the open and close graphics so that, when finished with the interview, the video would be ready to upload for distribution. However, with 13 different interviewees, three different interviewers, and numerous other production tasks I needed to handle at the show, I felt it safer to not put graphics on at all, rather than put them on, and get a name wrong. Better safe than sorry.

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Another challenge I encountered was that I tried to adjust the data rate of the recording from what the presets had built into them. It took a few attempts but I soon realized that I needed to save my adjustments to a new preset, because when I closed the one I adjusted, it would always revert back to the settings it came with. Once I saved my own, I leveraged a much higher-bitrate recording to minimize compression artifacts and provide cleaner video for editing.

In editing, I realized the benefit of having camera operators each operating their own real production cameras, and the value of having time to set up and adjust multiple cameras between multiple interviews. Most of my interviews were scheduled back to back. So, with just one person to set up and adjust all three cameras, and the lack of scopes in Wirecast, it was challenging to match the disparate cameras I was using as adjustments needed to be made for each interviewee. I saw these discrepancies in post far more than I could see or assess them on the production floor.

Conclusion

With the Paladin flypack, as with any production tool, it takes time and effort to become familiar with its strengths and limitations, build workarounds, and to set up your own personal settings and resources so that it does what you need it to do with minimal effort. In the short time I had with the Paladin flypack, I felt it was able to do what I needed it to do, and the limitation was only my time available to master the tool in front of me.

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Unlike a broadcast mixer that does what it does, software-based tools have several layers of complexity that make them more powerful as you delve into them deeper. Like the difference between using one of the included template titles, or diving in and building your own graphics that really tie into the look and feel of your brand. Time and effort really create a lot of polish in your final production.

The Paladin is a good little home in which to use Wirecast for your productions. Do note that the internal storage is solid state, so if your project requires gobs of space, you'll need an external USB 3.0 drive. You can upgrade the Paladin to 1 TB of solid state storage, but an external USB 3.0 drive is plenty fast, and far cheaper. Plus, you can cycle through them as needed for different clients and projects.

If you want to build your own flypack, you can use any computer, but Paladin Innovators have already integrated solutions for wireless cameras coming into the Paladin over WiFi, wireless remote control of switching with an iOS device, and more. So the Paladin is worth checking out if you're new to building these type of solutions and want a package that's ready to go out of the box.