Livestream's $495 Broadcaster Is Here, Unboxing Photos, Review Coming Soon

In April, Livestream announced a new hardware encoder called the Livestream Broadcaster. I've just received my unit in the mail and have included some unboxing photos below. I'll be posting a full review of the device shortly, but in the mean time, my initial impressions from being hands-on with it is that it's really well designed.

One of the first things you notice when you pick it up is how solid it feels, even though it is only 4.8 x 3.0 inches in size and 1.25 inches in height. It's small, but the broadcaster doesn't feel cheap at all. It's also been really well thought out with the top cover held on by magnets so that it's easy to swap the AA batteries inside. The two buttons on the front that also act as joysticks to navigate the on-screen menu work really, really well.

If this performs as well as it looks and feels, then this $495 encoder will make encoding and distributing live HD events to the web and mobile devices easy and very affordable for many.

If you have specific questions about the device you want to know the answers to, put it in the comments section and I'll make sure to answer them during the testing process.

Comments

[C. Levy]

But it only works with LiveStream's platform right?

[Rick Miller]

Thanks for answering:
1. How long do regular AA batteries and rechargable batteries last on unit during continued live broadcast? Is it possible to connect other battery packs?
2. Once live embed is functional (do you know when?), will all different devices be able to view streams without plugin/apps?
3.What is longest distance unit can be from wifi router to still work?
4. With the four levels of quality on broadcaster, what are the recommended upload speeds needed for each? What is minimum needed for mobile choice?

[Greg C.]

Does it do 720x60p? Also, very curious about the wifi range. I don't see an external antenna jack, so I'm thinking the range is pretty limited.

[Ed Sharpe]

We have been testing this unit also for Glendale Daily Planet Planet / KKAT-IPTV. Plan to use one here also at the communications museum too. Batter usage seems to be an issue Dan I will call you monday.... Thanks Ed Sharpe