Founded in 2019, Singapore-based VStream Media has provided remote live production services since before they became an industry standard in their market. The company offers technical AV planning and workflow design, along with on-site training and systems integration, to ensure live event streams align with each customer’s unique vision. As demand for remote productions increased, VStream Media added the AJA Ki Pro GO multi-channel H.264 recorder to its workflow. The device has enabled its team to achieve redundant, multi-channel recording and simplify its content delivery path.
Ki Pro GO Is a portable multi-channel H.264 recorder offering up to 4-channels of simultaneous HD and SD recording to off-the-shelf USB drives and/or network storage with redundant recording capabilities. 4x 3G-SDI and 4x HDMI digital video inputs with flexible channel assignments provide connections to the latest video sources, including cameras and DSLRs. Incoming video sources do not have to be genlocked due to Ki Pro GO’s input frame syncs.
Ki Pro GO also features AJA’s high quality de-interlacers on each input so progressive recordings can be made from interlaced inputs. High quality 2-channel embedded audio or balanced XLR analog audio can be assigned to any recording channel. Multi-Channel Matrix Monitoring enables multiple video channels to be viewed on any single HDMI or SDI display, and Enhanced Super Out offers timecode, media status and audio meter overlays over the SDI and HDMI monitor outputs. Designed to be either portable or rackmountable with a half rack wide, 2RU dimensions, Ki Pro GO is well suited for use in any environment.
Sharing with ProVideo Coalition readers real world experiences with equipment is the best way to show how different companies use the tools available to them. This new story, shared by Aja Video Systems contributes to that goal. Here are some more notes on how VStream Media uses AJA’s gear.
VStream Media considers H.264 recording best suited for cloud-based workflows. For most events the company takes on, remote speakers call in via a video conferencing platform using a webcam that has 720 or 1080 resolution. The VStream Media team then sends multiple SDI feeds out to AJA Ki Pro GO for recording to off-the-shelf solid-state-drives (SSD), with another SSD as a backup. This approach ensures redundant, multi-channel recording. Post event, the VStream team can quickly upload the files to the cloud. This gives the client’s editorial team near instant access to the file, so that they can download the footage quickly, regardless of where they are based or if they have a limited internet connection.
Commenting on the workflow, Adarsh Mohan, VStream Media Co-founder and Managing Director, shared, “Ki Pro GO brings simplicity and flexibility to our workflow. When it comes to remote live event production, we need to be sure that all equipment can perform well, and based on our experience, AJA products provide that.”
Additional AJA equipment used
In addition to Ki Pro GO, VStream Media leverages a host of other equipment, including an internally developed multi-video broadcasting platform, PTZ cameras, and several other AJA solutions. Additional AJA equipment deployed across VStream Media workflows includes: the AJA KONA 4 I/O card with a breakout box and other AJA Desktop I/O Solutions, AJA U-TAP SDI and HDMI USB 3.0 capture devices, and the AJA FiDO-2T-12G two-channel 12G-SDI to single-mode fiber transmitter. Adarsh Mohan added, “Our experience with AJA gear has been great across the board. AJA promises a very stable workflow, and you get more than what you pay for.”
Adarsh Mohan and co-founder Ang Ming Song established VStream Media with a vision to maximize the use of technologies to provide clients forward-thinking processes and solutions. Using PTZ cameras and NDI technology in productions was the primary focus, and they’ve since continued augmenting workflows with new additions. Its internal research and development team works alongside the operations team to explore and push technological possibilities. Once proven in the research lab, they implement these workflows in real-world scenarios to take productions to the next level.
This innovation has always allowed VStream Media to stay one step ahead. Because of its continuous passion for innovation, the company was more than prepared for the sudden pivot to virtual events. Adarsh Mohan concluded, “We have clients and AV partners coming in daily to discuss new production ideas, so we have to constantly think on our feet and come up with creative solutions that align with our customers’ visions. AJA products like Ki Pro GO are essential to achieving that; it helps us to create a cleaner, more effective workflow.”