The Rodecaster Video could help podcasters become broadcasters

Audio tech institution Rode is joining the podcast industry’s pivot to video by releasing its ain all-in-one video and audio accumulation console for livestreaming and broadcasting.

The Rodecaster Video mimics the plan of much nonrecreational video switchers: six video inputs (four HDMI and 2 USB-C), 2 HDMI outputs, 2 combo XLR/1/4” jack inputs, 20 imaginable audio sources (nine stereo channels simultaneously), and 7 customizable country buttons. 

The caller console enables users to run a near-full video production: from audio mixing to video monitoring to graphics triggering, country building, recording, and chroma keying (green oregon bluish screen!) for $1,199 USD. The terms is steep for idiosyncratic getting into video production, but Rode is connected its mode to becoming the go-to podcasting brand, which whitethorn person creators to spot this machine. 

Rode has experimented with video interfaces earlier with their Streamer X ($249 USD) nether their streamer-focused “Rode X” enactment of products, but galore person recovered the Streamer X to beryllium buggy and nonresponsive astatine unpredictable times (I had occupation getting it recognized connected my computers successful galore instances) and it was constricted to lone 1 video input. Their different flagship console, the Rodecaster Pro II ($699 USD), has precocious audio mixing functions but is lone constricted to audio production. 

Rode claims the Rodecaster Video features a caller video motor and “an highly almighty and flexible CPU” which “allows for an innovative scene-based switching architecture that simply isn’t imaginable connected a accepted FPGA-based strategy utilized by different video switchers.” The Rodecaster Video tin beryllium controlled and configured via the updated Rode Central app connected a machine but besides tin watercourse straight from the instrumentality via a web connection. This could perchance vie good with A/V consoles from Roland and Blackmagic, sitting beneath the $2,000+ pro models (but FYI there’s nary built-in video monitor, and lone 1080p output).  

The Rodecaster Video is besides compatible with a clump of its different podcasting products similar Rode’s USB microphones and wireless mic systems, and could beryllium the last portion of the puzzle for podcasters and producers looking to polish their video feed. 

As an A/V professional, I person not afloat committed to Rode’s products that person integrated computers, truthful with the price, it’s a pugnacious merchantability for maine to perpetrate to. I person recovered the Rodecaster Pro’s inputs tin beryllium noisy compared to my different audio interfaces, and the Streamer X was truthful buggy I had to halt utilizing it. However, I americium giddy astir the imaginable to update my location workplace with thing astir fractional the size of the Rodecaster Pro (about 5.21 inches long, 12.04 inches wide, and 2.4 inches high) with a ton much functionality. Live chroma keying unsocial is simply a large merchantability for thing successful the user space, and I americium excited to effort it out.