How to Use the SlingStudio Streaming Hub for YouTube, Vlogging, and Live Events

One of the most compelling ways to create an engaged audience is through the use of video. From Instagram to YouTube, mastering streaming video gives you an edge. I was looking for a machine to do online streaming with and decided to try SlingStudio. Here’s what I discovered.

The SlingStudio is a lightweight online broadcasting solution. It is portable, provides incredible quality, and is easy of use. At its core is the SlingStudio base station. It’s super light (shy of 2 lbs) and creates a wireless network to connect your devices. It’s equipped with a ¼-20 thread if you need to mount it to a tripod or stand.

Once your wireless network is created, you can focus on getting your cameras connected. Any camera with HDMI can be connected to the SlingStudio using the included CameraLink transmitter. This transmitter is what lets you feed in the HDMI signal from your camera. It also has a cold-shoe port (with included cold-shoe adapter) for gracefully mounting to a camera or stand.

The CameraLink can broadcast a 1080p signal at up to 3Mbps at a distance of 300′. There is a 3.5mm audio line-in port on the SlingStudio main unit. You can also capture audio through HDMI via your camera or wirelessly with the CameraLink transmitter. Connect up to 10 HDMI sources wirelessly (if you have CameraLink transmitters for each of them).

Perhaps the best surprise is how to connect all of this and set up a show. I downloaded the SlingStudio Console app for my iPad (they have a Capture app that is available for iPhone and Android), and handed it off to our producer in the studio.

Our producer had zero experience with this app but was able to set up cameras, create a project to start live streaming, select the delivery method for the webcast, and import graphics quickly and easily. The technology that’s moving all of this around is pretty amazing. Often, I feel like the user experience of most streaming devices is poor. SlingStudio makes it truly painless.

The SlingStudio has the ability to record the entire live session and store it on an SD card. If want to later create a cut of the live stream, I easily can with the Adobe Premiere extension. Recordings save as MP4 files.

The overall experience was pretty incredible. The simplicity of operation left the biggest impression on me. I can really expand what I am trying to do as a content creator with something like this (and it’s small enough to fit in a book bag). I can do any of my live webcasts from anywhere and – most importantly – I can offer this as a service for any client who is looking to produce something online live.

See if the SlingStudio is the solution for your live event! Rent a hub with three CameraLink transmitters for as low as $155.