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full screenprintcontentsfull screenprint14 VIDEOMAKER >>> APRIL 2019
by Chris MonluxLive switching and
streaming for a
great price
Cinamaker
Cinamaker
http://www.cinamaker.com/STRENGTHS- P2P connection doesn’t need a
wireless network - PoE allows for cameras and switcher
to always be charging
WEAKNESSES- Keying is weak
- Transition sync with keying is poor
SUMMARY
Cinamaker is a switching software
that takes advantage of video over
ethernet and the use of iPhones as
cameras.RECOMMENDED USERS- Corporate and Event Videography
- Online Video Production
C
inamaker is a live video streaming
and switching system that accepts
both iPhones and external cameras as
inputs and uses an iPad as the control
interface. Although Cinamaker sells
hardware, the Cinamaker software
is at the core of this system. This
software uses network infrastructure
to make multi cam live streaming and
capture possible.
If you have an iPad and an iPhone,
you can download the free Cinamaker
app today for the ability to live stream,
switch and record video from up to
two iPhones. The iPhones and iPad
don’t even need to be on a network,
they can be connected peer to peer,
making this a simple way to produce a
multi-camera stream.
If you need more inputs or want to
edit later in Premiere Pro or Final Cut
Pro, you’ll need Cinamaker Studio.
You’ll also need to upgrade in order to
playout premade video and connect
dedicated cameras. Cinamaker Studio
costs $20 per month or $200 a year.Cinamaker kits
Cinamaker software is at the core of
any Cinamaker streaming setup, but
they also offer hardware so that you
don’t need to source your own adapt-
ers, switch and cables to make it all
work. You can also set up Cinamaker
on an existing network.Cinamaker has a few packages
to get you up and streaming for a
surprisingly low price. With three kits
currently available, the Basic starter
kit costs $295 and allows you to con-
nect and switch between up to four
iPhones. However, this setup is not
fast enough to use an encoder or non-
iPhone camera with a higher data rate.
In the case that you do want to use
a dedicated video camera, you need
the Pro starter kit, which allows for
a much faster network. At $495, the
Pro starter kit offers gigabit network-
ing for five iPhones, along with the
needed adapters.
The last kit is the sleekest with
the ability to power each iPhone and
iPad via the network connection with
power over Ethernet. at $1,200, the
Super Pro Kit is the most elegant and
the best choice for those who want to
install setup to be ready with wired
power — no charging needed.Setup is easier
than expected
Cinamaker sent us all three kits to test
for this review. At first, the number of
ethernet cables, switches and adapters
was overwhelming. However, with just
a few pictures as directions, we were
able to hook everything up and get it
working first try. That’s impressive. We
were expecting a much more involvedHardware:
Starter kit basic $
Starter kit pro $
Starter kit super pro $
Software:
$20 a month
$200 a yearREVIEW
383 R01 Cinamaker.indd 14 2/19/19 3:16 PMVIDEOMAKER >>> APRIL 2019 15
Cinamaker has a few packages
to get you up and streaming for a
surprisingly low price. With three kits
currently available, the Basic starter
kit costs $295 and allows you to con-
nect and switch between up to four
iPhones. However, this setup is not
fast enough to use an encoder or non-
iPhone camera with a higher data rate.
In the case that you do want to use
a dedicated video camera, you need
the Pro starter kit, which allows for
a much faster network. At $495, the
Pro starter kit offers gigabit network-
ing for five iPhones, along with the
needed adapters.
The last kit is the sleekest with
the ability to power each iPhone and
iPad via the network connection with
power over Ethernet. at $1,200, the
Super Pro Kit is the most elegant and
the best choice for those who want to
install setup to be ready with wired
power — no charging needed.Setup is easier
than expected
Cinamaker sent us all three kits to test
for this review. At first, the number of
ethernet cables, switches and adapters
was overwhelming. However, with just
a few pictures as directions, we were
able to hook everything up and get it
working first try. That’s impressive. We
were expecting a much more involvedSupported devices:
- iPhone: 6 and newer
- iPad: Air 2 and newer
You can comment on this article by going on-
line: http://www.videomaker.com/?p=ters are battery powered. Sling allows
you to play out a premade video, create
graphics or show a picture in picture. It
also has multiple built-in transitions.
Telestream’s Wirecast Pro costs
$700. It’s a full-fledged software
switching and streaming software. It
comes with a transition library, graph-
ics, titles and text controls. It can also
be used for video conferencing and
screen capture, and you can connect
NDI inputs and control PTZ cameras.
Live chroma keying and sync audio
and video are also supported.
Last up is the open source switching
software called OBS. On top of being
free, it offers unlimited video inputs,
live chroma keying and has virtual sets
and graphics. It offers 8-channel audio
mixing and is IP camera compatible.Final thoughts
Cinamaker is simple and surprisingly
easy to set up. It has its downfalls —
like poor keying — but it’s priced well
in the marketplace. The ability to use
power over Ethernet and iPhones for a
stream is very nice — perfect for those
who will be installing the setup. For
those looking to stream using existing
tools like your network and an iPhone,
Cinamaker is a great solution that
won’t break the bank.setup time with much more difficulty.
Each iPhone connects to the network
switch with an adapter. Once the iPad
and iPhone apps are turned on, you
are ready to go. Even the most expen-
sive kit is just as simple to connect.
Cable management will be key since
cables connect everything together.
With that said, Cinamaker is also ca-
pable of connecting inputs over Wi-Fi
or with a P2P network. It was advised
that, if your wireless network has
lots of traffic or if you are in an area
with numerous Wi-Fi networks, Wi-Fi
isn’t the best choice. However, we
were able to test the P2P connection
on its own and in coordination with
the wired connections. This gave us
the ability to have a camera that was
roaming wirelessly while maintaining
the dependability of a wired connec-
tion on our other cameras.Performance issues
The issue we have most with Cina-
maker is that it integrates phone cam-
eras, which don’t offer the best image
quality. This is where we got to test
the HDMI encoder, which allows you
to connect any camera with an HDMI
output to Cinamaker via Ethernet.
Our first time using the encoder, we
immediately encountered issues get-
ting the input to show up. Eventually,
we discovered that, in order for the
encoder to work properly, the cam-
era resolution and framerate need to
match the project. We set the camera
to HD at a framerate of 29.97 and —
voila! — it began to transmit to the
switcher. This solution wasn’t appar-
ent at first and wasn’t something easy
to identify. However, once the frame
rate and resolution were unified with
the project, the encoder worked well.
After that, the only issue we had
was when trying to key the input from
the encoder. It gave us intermittent
connection problems. The problemTECH SPECSCinamaker
REVIEWresolved itself
when we stopped
keying the input.
When we finally
got everything
working properly,
we noticed that,
when switching to
the keyed input,
there was a delay
between the switch
and the appear-
ance of the back-
ground plate.
That small
moment where
the background
was missing is
not acceptable for professional video.
However, once we alerted Cinamaker
to the issue, they were quick to update
the app with a hot fix that resolved
the issue.Marketplace
Because Cinamaker offers both sub-
scription software and hardware, it’s
not exactly like any other product in
the marketplace. With that said, there
are a few similar options for those who
want choices.
The first is a completely wireless
solution called Sling Studio. Then we
will look at a software switcher called
Wirecast Pro, which requires addi-
tional third-party hardware. Lastly,
is a free open source option called
OBS. Like Wirecast, it’s just a software
streaming, switching and capture
platform that requires additional
hardware to be fully functional.
Sling Studio is a wireless hub that
allows for switching between wireless
HDMI inputs. The HDMI transmit-
ters can be connected to any camera
with an HDMI output. It also allows
for iPhones and iPads to be used as
wireless camera inputs and offers
support for Android smartphones, too.
It also has a single wired HDMI input.
Switching happens on either an iPad
or Mac. The Sling Studio hub costs
$1000. For that, you can connect to
up to 10 cameras at once. For wireless
HDMI transmission, each transmitter
will set you back $350. The transmit-Chris Monlux is Videomaker ’s Multimedia Editor.Simple interface383 R01 Cinamaker.indd 15 2/19/19 2:41 PM