I’m kind of new to the field and have been assigned a project that I figured you guys would be able to help with. I’ve been researching a ton and I’m just not getting anywhere. Here’s my project watered down for simplicity.

Streaming a tournament on location for each station that requires the following:

1. Capturing of the HD TV output (this is not a console game but a coin op that uses a HD tv)
2. Capture the output of two camera’s
a. #1 camera is facing the player that stands in front of the tv about 3ft away
b. #2 camera needs to be above the player looking down at the pedestal that he uses for a joy-stick or track ball so the audience can see his hand motions (this is an optional cam)
3. These three video captures need to be sent to my machine so that I can prep them and stream them and or record them for later play-back online.
4. Needs to be no less than 720i

*A Station is defined as: 1 HDTV with HDMI, and 2 cameras that must be small and high quality.

Obviously this is not a hard task but what makes it difficult for me is 1) I need to do this for 2, 4 or maybe even 8 stations. Again each station has 3 video sources. And 2) I can’t always be right next to these stations but understand if I have no choice. Trying to have a nice clean kit that’s is mobile for me setting these up when I travel across country.

I found all kinds of ways to accomplish this but none really fit the bill. Currently I’m using game captures with HDMI splitters and running long USB3 cables with webcams into a USB hub then where I run vMix to stream them out. I’m doing this for just one station and already see the nightmare if I was to do this for 4 or even 8!

I’ve been looking at Magewell HDMI-USB units which are $300 each and turning all the TV’s into webcams without the crappy quality loss and using camcorders with Teradek Cubes ($1600!) but those are all pretty damn expensive. So I’m open to any type of camera, system anything to use with vMix since I already bought it 

So I really don’t know what’s the best solution or what’s even an option since a lot of stuff I found that might work didn’t have HDMI output or didn’t capture live or something. So what would be your idea if money wasn’t an option and what would you have if money was? Kind of like a cheap solution that would work for 2 stations now but what you really need to do is this when you have the cash?
I’m really open to anything this is a new world for me I’m normally a software developer so it’s also exciting.

Thanks in advance

-Rich

NiB/Curt

We have 4 of those Magewell cameras that Curt uses, we use them for cage cameras in MMA and goal cams for hockey.

They run really hot, and the SDI output on them is janky.
I have also had 2 power supplies go belly up on them, so you might want to have something else as your main cameras if at all possible.
We use Sony NX3 or 5

Why not HDMI into the PC instead of USB?
Get a 4 input HDMI card.
I have run 100' of HDMI to my truck from a wireless TX/RX, so long runs can be done. Mine are 1080i/59.9

looks like the site isn't available but keep me posted. were new which means we like to try new things. could be a problem solver for us on the really long stretches where we can build our own intranet but not run long cables.

The NDI converter is from Bird Dog at www.bird-dog.tv. They are taking pre-orders at this time.

BTW: I've been using the Magewell HD-SDI USB3.0 dongle for quite a while with no problems. Since it's USB3.0 powered, there is no power supply. But it does get warm. But, I doubt that I would use 4 of them @ $300 each. Rather get a 4-port HD-SDI card for $900. Then use my extra $300 to take Curt to dinner.