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RØDECaster Video: finally a video switcher-recorder-streamer that is serious about audio too

Allan Tépper

RØDECaster Video: finally a video switcher-recorder-streamer that is serious about audio too 1

I have been using video mixers (SEGs/switchers) and seen their evolution since the eighties. I have reviewed many of these devices here in ProVideo Coalition magazine. The very first one I used was greyscale (monochromatic, «black and white»), the the ECHOlab SE/1 Special Effects Generator. Then they were models with color with composite video, later with component analog video (Y, R-Y, B-Y and similar names) and most recently with component digital video, via HDMI or SDI. Nowadays, they even include built-in video recorders, video players and inboard webstreaming encoders. Sadly, most of them have not been very serious about audio, requiring one of several possible compromises to allow the use of professional balanced XLR microphones and connection of remote participants or phone callers. The new US$1199 RØDECaster Video changes that, with high-quality microphone preamps, 2 inboard balanced XLR/combo with line level or mic-level inputs with switchable phantom power, 2 inboard wireless audio receivers and 2 USB audio inputs for connection of certain RØDE USB mics or even any recent audio RØDECaster. In total, we can have up to 20 audio sources and 6 live camera sources (4 HDMI and 2 USB). But there is much more goodness to share about the RØDECaster Video, as you’ll see ahead.

Video basics with the RØDECaster Video

The RØDECaster Video delivers 1080p (progressive 1920×1080), whether recording to an attached USB drive (exFAT) or streaming to the Internet via Ethernet, wifi or USB (details ahead). The RØDECaster Video comes with presets for Facebook Live, Twitch Live, Twitter/X Live and Youtube Live, as well as custom settings for other services.

The RØDECaster Video also includes both chromakey (for either green or blue) and graphic overlays from a PNG with transparency. The HDMI outputs can be set to show Program output or Multiview.

The live camera sources include 4 HDMI sources (any rate from 23.976 up until 59.94 (or even exact 60), which can be progressive 1080p (or interlaced 1080i for HDMI-only) and 2 1080p USB/UVC camera sources, for a total of 6 live camera inputs.

Local recording must be to a connected USB drive (not included) formatted for exFAT at any of the selected global framerates selected on the front panel (or remotely via RØDE Central software). At least with the current version, the RØDECaster Video, all local recordings are done with H.264. Here are the overall bit rates I got at different framerates at 1080p as displayed in the Invisor app. (The compression settings are not adjustable by the operator as far as I can tell, but work fine.):

The above overall bit rates I measured are with the current ßeta firmware and are subject to change with upcoming versions. I am including this to give you a rough idea of the approximate bit rates to expect.

I love how framerates work with the RØDECaster Video (almost)

Although it is not the fault of video mixer manufacturers (but the fault of camera manufacturers) as I have documented in many past articles, many 1080p cameras are sadly «shy», meaning that even though they are designed to shoot and record internally at the user’s desired progressive framerate, often they are incapable of delivering it natively over HDMI or even over SDI. I’ll talk about that more (and how the RØDECaster Video can often save the day) in the upcoming sections.

In a world with shy 1080p cameras, the competitive Blackmagic ATEM Mini series’ default method of matching whatever camera input 1 delivers is not ideal, since the ATEM Mini is way too frequently deceived by a «shy» camera. Also, Blackmagic’s override method is not so ideal either, since it requires connecting an ATEM Mini to a computer to override and manually set the framerate. Here comes the first thing that I love about how framerates are handled with the RØDECaster Video: we set them directly on the front panel and see the rate on the internal screen. (Look Ma, No computer required to set the desired framerate!) But that is only the beginning of what I love about how framerates work with the RØDECaster Video.

As indicated earlier, the RØDECaster Video offers 6 live camera inputs: 4 HDMI and 2 USB-UVC uncompressed. (I love the inclusion of the USB-UVC options, since many of the recent USB cameras now offer very high quality when used with proper lighting.) With both of the input types, the RØDECaster Video attempts to negotiate or force the camera to deliver the global rate set in the RØDECaster Video. In the case of HDMI cameras, it attempts to negotiate via the EDID protocol, although in the case of the HDMI cameras, the camera has the last word about that (based upon the manual settings of the camera and its degree of camera shyness over HDMI). In the case of compatible uncompressed USB-UVC cameras, they are nearly always «forced» to deliver that global rate set in the RØDECaster Video unless the USB-UVC camera is incapable of delivering a specific rate.

Only in those exceptional cases when the camera doesn’t deliver the desired rate will the RØDECaster Video then adjust it, with the same cadence in same cases and by changing the original cadence in others, as explained in the upcoming sections. When required, the changes happen thanks to the inboard frame synchronizers for each camera source.

How the RØDECaster Video can completely cure type 3 camera shyness

As covered in many past articles, many 1080p cameras that suffer from Type 3 shyness, so when set to shoot and record internally at 1080/25p they sadly double the live HDMI output framerate to 1080/50p… and when set to shoot and record internally at 1080/29.97p they sadly output live 1080/59.94p. Both are a terrible waste of bandwidth (when we only wanted either 25 or 29.97 fps) and in some cases, can sadly make each frame suffer from extra compression artifacts downstream just because of a colossal misunderstanding. (This is the fault of the shy 1080p camera manufacturers, not the fault of video mixer manufacturers. but fortunately, the RØDECaster Video can completely cure it in the case of Type 3 shyness).

After setting the type-3 shyness 1080p camera to the desired lower framerate (25 or 29.97), all you have to do set the desired lower rate like 29.97 or 25 in the RØDECaster Video. After doing that, even though your type-3 shy 1080p camera outputs repeated frames (like 1080/25p sent as 1080/50p or 1080/29.97p sent as 1080/59.94p), the RØDECaster Pro will fortunately remove the repeated frames and output the desired 1080/25p or 1080/29.97p, thus avoiding the waste of bandwidth and extra compression artifacts suffered.

In the case of type 3 shyness, even the current version of the RØDECaster Video can do the best possible job since it does not have to change the cadence or affect the coveted relationship between shutter speed/shutter angle and desired framerate in the final delivered signal.

How the RØDECaster Video can resolve type 1 and 2 camera shyness

Type 1 shyness is when an a 1080p camera only delivers PsF (progressive segmented frame) over HDMI as a quasi-interlace signal, even when set to image and record internally at a progressive rate. Since there is no flag or other indicator via HDMI that it is PsF, the RØDECaster Video will sadly detect the PsF signal as if it were true interlaced video and therefore have to de-interlace it the best it can, at least with the current version. (See My wish list for the RØDECaster Video ahead for my related suggestion to RØDE for this situation).

Type 2 shyness is when a 1080p camera set to 23.976 or exact 24 fps refuses to send it out natively and instead sends it via telecine. Telecine performs a complex assignment to make pieces of the original frames «fit» into ≈59.94 fields, some of which contain the same temporal information and others don’t.

The telecine process is illustrated in the above animated graphic, which I created in 2008 to illustrate my very first article in ProVideo Coalition magazine. The instructions for the pulldown (i.e. «Put the first progressive frame in both fields of the first interlaced video frame. Now, put the second progressive frame in both fields of the second video frame in the first field of the third video frame, then…») seem as twisted as the Twister game which dates back to 1966.

Since there is no flag or other indicator via HDMI that it is telecine, the RØDECaster Video will detect the PsF signal as if it were a true interlaced video and therefore have to de-interlace it the best it can, at least with the RØDECaster Video current version. The cadence will undoubtedly suffer, so I would think twice about using an HDMI 1080p known to be shy at 23.976 or exact 24 fps with the RØDECaster Video at either of those rates. With the current version of the RØDECaster Video, I would choose a different suitable rate unless you know that your camera is actually «outgoing», meaning that it can deliver the 23.976 or exact 24 fps natively over HDMI. (See My wish list for the RØDECaster Video ahead to see my different suggestion to RØDE for this situation).

The only part where I am not (yet) happy about the framerate deliverability with the RØDECaster Video

As stated earlier, I love the the RØDECaster Video handles framerate selection, its handling with most 1080p HDMI cameras (including those cameras which suffer from type 3 shyness, excepting those which suffer from type 1 or type 2 shyness), the way the RØDECaster Video streams video at any desired framerate and the way the RØDECaster Video records it to a USB formatted as exFAT. However, I am not (yet) completely happy with the way the RØDECaster Video treats certain framerates over HDMI. Which framerates? The non-integer ones still used in ex-NTSC regions of the world on broadcast television, like 23.976, 29.97 and 59.94 fps. The reason is that (with the current version of the RØDECaster Video I have been testing), the HDMI outputs currently round to the closest integer on the HDMI output. This is not so terrible if you are only feeding a monitor. However, this is terrible in certain situations I know about in the non-integer ex-NTSC traditional broadcast world:

  1. If the user wants to record using an external video recorder like those offered by Átomos and Blackmagic using a higher-bit códec like any of the Apple ProRes422 variants. This can be either for higher quality or to be compatible with an older editing system or cart system that does not support H.264. Recording at 30 (when we really need 29.97) or recording 60 (when we really need 59.94) is no good.
  2. If within a conventional broadcast TV station, the user wants to take the HDMI program output and (likely after a non-invasive conversion to SDI) send it to Master Control for live broadcast, we also need the rate must match the broadcast standard of the channel, i.e. 29.97 or 59.94.
  3. If at a remote event, the user wants to send the output of the RØDECaster Video to a microwave or satellite uplink to the TV network or TV station which demands a non-integer rate like 29.97 or 59.94 fps, we have the same issue

If you are considering the RØDECaster Video for use in any of those applications in a region where these non-integer rates are the standard, this will matter to you (at least until RØDE does a firmware update to make the HDMI outputs deliver the desired non-integer rate, when request). However, if you are in a region where integer rates are supported (i.e. 25 and 50 in ex-PAL regions), then this is will never an issue for you. Also, if you are fine only to record to H.264 or to stream live via Ethernet or wifi, there is no problem either, since with all of those outputs, the non-integer rates are already supported properly. I hope and expect RØDE to do the right thing with the HDMI outputs in a future firmware update.

Three different ways to webstream

As already explained, the two first ways to carry about live 1080p web streaming using the RTMP/RTMPS protocols with the RØDECaster Video are via either the inboard Ethernet (10/100/1000 BaseT) RJ-45 jack and wifi 6 (2.4 and 5GHz). Either of those two ways, the RØDECaster Video can stream without the need of any external computer. (Look Ma, No computer required to stream!) However, if you want to use the RØDECaster Video to feed a computer running any conferencing software/service (i.e. Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Jitsi, WebEx, Zoom) or professional production software/services (i.e. Call In Studio, Cleanfeed, Ecamm Live, Riverside.fm, SquadCast-now part of Descript, StreamYard), no problem! The RØDECaster Video USB1 port can connect to a computer, where it pretends to be a standard webcam, sending audio and video to any of the above programs/software/services. That is the third possible way to webstream.

Uses of the RØDECaster Video’s USB 2

In the prior section, I already covered how the USB 1 output can work. USB 2 is used to control and configure the RØDECaster Video when connected to a computer running the free RØDE Central application. USB 2 also functions as a secondary audio interface and is MFi-certified, meaning that it’s ideal for connecting to secondary computers, iOS and Android phones. If desired, you can also connect both USB 1 and USB 2 to the same computer for even greater flexibility.

Uses of the RØDECaster Video’s USB 3

USB 3 is used for connecting USB storage devices, like thumb drives, external hard drives or even a hardware RAID as long as it is formatted as exFAT. This is where your video and audio files will be recorded, either as single files or multitrack (ISO) files.

Let’s count the audio features/benefits of the RØDECaster Video compared with the competition

Most (if not all) competitive video mixers in the price range of the RØDECaster Video are very weak in audio. They either don’t have any dedicated microphone inputs at all (expecting us to plug in our professional balanced XLR mics into the camera XLR input, which frequently have poor audio preamps, in general and especially when used with dynamic microphones). Others (like the ATEM Mini offerings from Blackmagic) also offer a microphone input, but it is sadly just a 3.5 mm unbalanced input offering only bias voltage (aka «plugin power»), not a balanced XLR input. On the other hand, in addition to the option of using embedded audio from camera sources, the RØDECaster Video can also accept 2 microphone sources with its internal XLR combo jacks, with premium preamps we already know to be excellent from the acclaimed RØDECaster audio lineup. If that were enough, the RØDECaster Video also features two wireless audio receivers which are compatible with all series IV wireless microphones from RØDE. Beyond that, the RØDECaster Video can even accept up to two of certain RØDE USB mics via USB and even recent audio RØDECaster units via USB if you really need more microphone inputs than those already listed.

In addition to the local live inputs for local microphones, you can also mix other audio sources live, including: video clips, prerecorded sounds (carts), bluetooth audio, 3 USB audio interfaces (computers).

In total, there can be up to 20 possible audio sources (9 stereo channels simultaneously). All of the audio-only recordings are 48 kHz/24-bit.

RØDECaster Video inboard audio effects/processing

The RØDECaster Video includes a trademark feature called VoxLab which we first met in the audio-only RØDECaster Pro II. VoxLab is the default audio processing editor for the RØDECaster Video. In the Input Settings window, we can click Processing to enable the effects and simply adjust the three knobs to taste – Depth, Sparkle and Punch. This simple interface (already proven in the RØDECaster Pro II) is incredibly intuitive and allows us to achieve professional sound quality with ease, with each control adjusting multiple parameters on multiple processors.

Master fade to black with simultaneous audio fadeout

Pressing the Master fade to black button will transition to a blank, black screen, overriding the current Program feed, and will also fade out any playing audio. This is useful if you quickly need to cut a live feed or wish to fade to black to end a show or segment. The time it takes for this fade out is set by the transition timing.

If desired, you can disable this feature in the settings of the RØDECaster Video.

My wish list for the RØDECaster Video (with the current hardware)

I am very happy even with the current offering of the RØDECaster Video. However, With the current hardware, I have the following suggestions for RØDE to improve the RØDECaster Video, hopefully via upcoming firmware updates, which happen via Ethernet or wifi. These are in order of priority, in my opinion:

  1. Please make the HDMI outputs respect the framerate when the global framerate is set to 29.97 or 59.94. This is very important for all of the reasons indicated in the article above, which are even more reasons than the ones I initially wrote to you via email.
  2. On each HDMI camera input setting, please add a 3 way toggle with the following three options: AUTO (the default, as it works currently), PsF (so the RØDECaster Video knows that the incoming interlaced video is actually a progressive signal disguised as interlace video, so it can recombine the two fake fields into the original frame without the typical degeneration associated with de-interlacing) and Telecine (so the the RØDECaster Video knows that the incoming 59.94i signal is actually 23.976p or 24.000p with a pulldown, so it can perform a proper reverse telecine without artifacts). These are the same suggestions I made years ago to Átomos and to NewTek for its TriCaster line (which now belongs to Vizrt). They both happily implemented it.
  3. Please add support for control of PTZ UVC-USB cameras, if not for live movement during a show, at least for setting up the pan-tilt-zoom in advance of a show and store the settings. Of course, even for non-PTZ cameras, this will help for setting up the camera’s zoom and storing it.
  4. If the current hardware supports in on the HDMI input or UVC-USB cameras, please at 4K UHD only for the input and then allow digital zoom or digital crop of the 4K UHD to deliver a cropped 1080p without loss.
  5. If the current hardware supports it, please consider adding support and the option to encode in H.265 in addition to H.264 both for streaming and recording. As you know, H.265 is much more efficient.

Conclusions

Even with the ßeta version I have been testing, I am very impressed with the US$1199 RØDECaster Video. Its audio quality and flexibility will leave the competition wincing. Its superior handling of setting video framerates manually is a quantum leap, in a world with so many shy 1080p HDMI cameras which otherwise fool a system. The inclusion of the USB-UVC uncompressed cameras should be standard nowadays (as it fortunately is with the RØDECaster Video and very few other manufacturers), especially since the USB-UVC-to-HDMI converters currently on the market are both expensive and limited in terms of framerates. They belong built-in, as they are with the the RØDECaster Video. For more information, visit Rode.com.

Stay tuned to many other articles surrounding the RØDECaster Video and its updates and integrations, just as I published many articles about the audio RØDECaster models.

Lee este artículo en buen castellano

RØDECaster Video: por fin un mezclador de video-grabador-transmisor que también toma en serio el audio

 

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FTC disclosure

RØDE has not paid for this article. RØDE has sent Allan Tépper units for review, including the RØDECaster Video. Some of the manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.

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