Live multi-camera shooting, an area usually reserved for television studios and large events with expensive equipment, is being brought within reach of mere mortals by Movi, with its Live Event Camera debuting this week at CES. Leveraging the experience of the brains behind Livestream, the Live Event Camera combines recording and streaming facilities with live switching.
Spec-wise, Movi built the Live Event Camera around a 4K sensor, which sits behind a 150-degree field-of-view lens for a wide recording area. We’ve heard this all featured before in action cameras, but what makes the Live Event Camera special? Well, to say it’s just a camera is somewhat misleading. The Live Event Camera is operated via a free iOS app, and inside this app is where all the magic hidden inside the camera comes to life. With all the functionality packed into the app, this diminutive camera, smaller than half the size of a common beverage can, becomes a micro TV studio powerhouse that leverages the 4K sensor for live-switching up to 9 virtual camera angles at 720p resolution, with each angle composed of part of the full 4K image.
The app allows you to cut between the virtual cameras and provides real-time virtual camera controls, like panning, tilting, and zooming, which can be done in real time with simple touchscreen gestures. The final product is recorded to a micro SD card and can be sent back to your phone for immediate uploading or sharing. If you have a subscription to Livestream’s professional streaming service, you can broadcast your event in real time using a Wi-Fi network or your Phone’s LTE connection.
The camera body itself is purpose-built for live events. The bottom of the camera is tilted for tabletop placement. The tilt angles the lens away from the table so the surface itself doesn’t dominate your shooting area. Using the included mounting accessory, the camera can be placed on a standard microphone stand or a photo or video tripod. The low-profile body design, which will be available in Black or White, is unobtrusive, so this camera might even find its way into a wedding or corporate videographer’s bag.
Movi will also be bringing out the Boost, which is an extension that fits on the bottom of the Live Event Camera. The Boost extends the battery life of the camera to approximately 10 hours, and also makes the camera weather resistant to IPX-4 standards. Professionals will notice the inclusion of a hardware Ethernet port for a more reliable network connection, and a USB port for connecting an LTE modem. The USB port can also be used to power your iDevice while using the app .
With its new and innovative design, and live-switching functionality, the Live Event Camera provides consumers with a way to create professional-looking videos in real time.
