SlingStudio Review — Livestream 4 Cameras to YouTube or Facebook Live Wirelessly via iPad

I’ve done a few multi-camera live streaming productions over the last couple years and they are always a ton of work (and hassle) to get setup properly.

Beyond needing the proper HDMI or SDI cables run to all the cameras I needed a person switching camera angles, another person running an audio mixer board, an expensive piece of livestreaming software, everything set to the same frame rate, and more.

Now there is a better solution for running a multi-cam livestream, by yourself, without any wires, using only an iPad. It is pretty incredible and it is called SlingStudio.

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Here some more of my notes based on testing it and researching its features.

SlingStudio Hub

Broadcast live to YouTube Live or Facebook Live
Stream in up to 1080p60 at bit rates up to 30 Mbps using H.264 encoding.
It creates it’s own wifi network or connects to an existing one, to connect to up to 10 cameras as inputs that are up to 300 feet away.
You can record four inputs at once to an SD Card or USB External Hard Drive (while the other six inputs sit in a “standby list”)
It will record all the isolated camera feeds (up to 4 sources, 1 quad view, 1 line-in audio-only recording, 1 program/output stream with live cut video between camera angles.
They’ll be timeline sync’d in Premiere or Final Cut Pro X already.
Supported SD & USB Storage Devices listed here
I tested it with my Samsung T3 500 GB Solid State Drive to record the angles. I also tested it with my SanDisk Extreme Pro. Both worked great.
HDMI Input on the back could be a camera, could be a computer feed, could be a video game system
HDMI Output can view the “Quad-view” of your different angles on a monitor or televsion.

Camera Link

Takes an HDMI input from a video camera, video game system, computer output, etc.
Charge via USB into a wall outlet or power pack
Comes with micro-HDMI to mini-HDMI cable

iPad or Android Tablet App - Console

Switch between angles, while monitoring 4 at a time.
Connects to other SlingStudio Camera Links, iPhones using the app
Choose which camera’s sound to use
Create and add text titles live
Can trigger start recording
Click “Go Live” to broadcast to YouTube Live or Facebook Live
Preview Audio Levels in the Mixer, whether you’re using audio from a camera or an external audio mixer board plugged in via the line-in connection on the SlingStudio
Can do picture-in-picture
Transitions include straight cut, cross dissolve & wipe
(Future feature update) Using pre-loaded video or photo files to play intro/outro bumpers, have graphics, etc.

iPhone or Android Phone App - Capture

Use an iPhone as a video feed
Can lock exposure and focus point
Can use the front or rear facing camera

SlingStudio Battery

Charges in 3 to 4 Hours plugged in directly to the power supply.
Charges in 10 hours while plugged into the Hub during operation.
Will run the SlingStudio hub for 3 to 4 hours.
Plugs into bottom of SlingStudio and powers it so you can be independent of power outlets while broadcasting.

USB-C Extender

Allows you to connect USB 3.0 Type A Hard Drive for recording onto.
Allows you to connect to an ethernet

Software Plugins

Adobe Premiere Pro CC plugin via the Adobe Add-on Exchange here
Final Cut Pro Converter for SlingStudio plugin on the Mac App Store here
Note, don’t change the names of the files or folder structure that SlingStudio uses.