With a new year comes new tech and at CES 2020 there’s a lot of new tech that is being showcased this year. Actually it seems that more and more companies are coming out with tech that is geared towards streamers/content creators. One such company that is creating and developing gear to make it not only easier on the wallet but also easier to make content is IOGEAR. You may remember them from the Dock Pro review I did last year (you can read that here). It’s a product that I have integrated into my on the go set up for my Switch and that I highly recommend picking up. Well at the show they have revealed a new line of products called UpStream. Created in mind for streamers/content creators, UpStream is intended to make video production and video capture not only super simple but affordable as well.
First are the UpStream Video Capture Adapter and the Game Capture Adapter.
For the longest time PC cameras were the go to for streamers who wanted to capture and show their face live on stream/videos. Then DSLR cameras started having the ability to output video with HDMI ports. This up the quality of the video and plus most streamers/content creators already have a DSLR camera. But the process of trying to set up a DSLR to use as a PC camera is a bit complicated for the newbie. Which is why IOGEAR has this very simple adapter. Just plug in your DSLR camera or any camera that has HDMI into the adapter and then plug the adapter’s USV-Type C connector into a PC/Mac and boom up and running. The adapter is currently out now and retails for about $99.99
Now as for the UpStream Game Capture Adapter, it was designed to enable seamless live streaming of video game content from a gaming source (ie console or PC) through a smartphone or PC/Mac. So basically a capture device, right? Yes however what’s really interesting is the ability to stream from a console to a smartphone. If this somehow works, portable streaming set ups are about to get even more compact. The adapter does support HDMI pass through,meaning that you won’t have to disable HDCP protection each time you want to record gameplay or bypass it with other adapters. The Game Capture Adapter is set for an early Q2 release with a TBD price.
The other two products in the UpStream line deal with video production. They are the UpStream 4K Game Capture Hub and the UpStream Pro Video Production Switch.
Here we have the the UpStream Pro Video Production Switch. With most setups that streamers have, everything is connected separately: sound/audio mixer, mics, cameras, etc. For the bigger streamers they might have a pro-grade switch board, similar to what professional broadcasters use on TV. Everything is connected to the board and changes can be made on the fly, from different camera and audio sources to adding image or text overlays, . The UpStream Pro Video Production Switch does everything a pro-grade switch board does, but scaled down to what a streamer needs and much less expensive. It supports 4K video input and two 1080p camera sources, an RCA audio input and dedicated microphone input. And with the Up Stream Studio app, streamers and content creators can easily edit their layout, switch between scenes, add image or text overlays, and adjust PIP settings in a simplified tap and swipe UI – all without the use of a computer. The UpStream Pro Video Production Switch is set for a Q1 release.
And finally there’s the UpStream 4K Game Capture Hub. As per the press release: Equipped with two HDMI video inputs and real-time HDMI program (PGM) output, users can live stream their video game content plus an HDMI camera source, and seamlessly switch the view between the two sources, with advanced picture-in-picture views, using the UpStream smartphone app from IOGEAR. An RCA (L/R channel) input and XLR Mic input offer two audio sources for either background music and a mic, or two mics. The UpStream 4K Game Capture Hub is set for the Q2 2020.
The UpStream line of products seems to really help lower the bar of entry for those who are thinking about streaming/content creation or just want to upgrade their equipment without breaking the bank. Do they work? We shall see when they get released in Q1 and Q2 of this year.
