回顾:切换器工作室

切换器工作室 is an iDevice-based app that can mix up to four inputs and stream them to any RTMP-based service, 为Facebook Live等常见输出提供模板, YouTube生活, 转播画面, 和Ustream.tv. The software is exceptionally simple to use while offering features like picture-in-picture and graphic overlay, 并在我测试的iPad Mini 2 A1490上表现良好. The service costs $25/month, with a free 7-day trial, or you can pay $299 for an entire year.

郑重声明, 不过切换器工作室可以在iPhone上运行, 该公司建议在iPad上调音, 他们为我的测试提供了iPad Mini 2. 根据苹果的规格，Mini 2配有1.3 GHz Cyclone CPU和PowerVR G6430四核显卡.

切换器工作室是如何工作的

图1(下面) 显示程序，它的外观和工作方式像大多数视频混音器. On the top right is the live feed that’s streamed and recorded; on the top left is the preview feed. On the bottom left are the four inputs I worked with during my tests, while the bottom right contains all configuration options and major controls.

图1. 切换工作室与四个输入

在输入来源方面, 如果你不是苹果迷的话, 你的选择非常有限, 因为唯一的输入是iOS设备和mac电脑. Input 1 is the front-facing camera of the iPad I’m running the software on, which has to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as all other video sources.

图2(下面) is a PowerPoint screen from the display of a Mac also running on the same network, which can serve as an input source courtesy of a free download called 切换器投. In addition to the Mac’s screen, you can input a webcam from a connected Mac, which is input 4. 完成图片, 输入3来自同一Wi-Fi网络的iPhone, 通过在手机上安装切换器工作室来启用.

图2. 选择输入

一般的操作

一般操作简单，遵循完善的规范. Specifically, to input a source into the preview window, you touch it. To take it live, you touch the Preview to Live text on the bottom left of the preview window. 差不多就是这样了.

为设置, you access most effects and controls via the toolbar on the bottom right, 第一个图标控制输入(图2).

连接到一个iDevice, 你必须输入设备的URL, which is displayed by the 切换器工作室 app once you place it in remote camera mode. Because you’re running on an internal network, it’s usually a simple string like 10.0.0.149，一旦输入，你就可以选择以后使用. The screen and webcam inputs from the Mac simply appear, all you have to do is enable them.

第二个图标控制输出, which you can setup from the 切换器工作室 website or within the program itself (下面的图3). The software has presets for most popular services; for these, all you have to do is log in and choose some service-specific parameters, 质量水平. With custom RTMP services, you can create your own encoding parameters. 当然, you can run Speedtest from 切换器工作室 and it will test your bandwidth and choose the appropriate configuration.

图3. 选择输出

切换相机角度时, 切换器工作室允许您从四种过渡中选择一种, 淡入淡出, 擦, 多维数据集, 和扭, 您可以根据持续时间自定义哪个, 或者直接剪个口子. More exciting is the ability to create the picture-in-picture shown in 图4(下面), or otherwise display two cameras simultaneously in side-by-side and several other modes. 在图中图模式显示, you can move and resize the video window freely using gesture controls while setting the shot up in the preview window. It’s a pretty sexy feature which the iPad I tested on pulled off without a hitch.

图4. 软件支持画中画模式

The next icon on the bottom right enables camera adjustment controls for focus, 曝光, 白平衡, 诸如此类, 你应该决定手动操作吗. The next shows audio levels from the iDevice hosting the software, and all other inputs. Note that the only audio stream that you can push with the live video stream is that captured by the host device itself, 不是任何远程监控的音频. This works well for a concert or other event with centralized audio near the switching station, but not for events where remote commentary or other remote audio input is desired.

The final icon is a repository for full frame or overlay images (下面的图5), which you can import from the device’s photo library or photo stream. 切换器工作室 offers several presets like that shown in the figure that will be useful for all productions.

图5. You can insert pictures (but not VOD videos) into the stream or position them as overlays

切换器工作室 can’t currently incorporate VOD videos from the mixer device, 不过你也可以在Mac上播放视频并进行广播. 然而, 该公司计划加入这一功能, 加上对相机控制的一些改进, 将于2017年3月发布.