Teradek is featuring its Sphere SDI, a four-channel 4K (1080 x 4) HD-SDI encoder for live streaming and monitoring 360-degree content.
Sphere SDI is built on the same platform as the Sphere HDMI encoder. At its core, Sphere operates as a wireless monitoring solution for 360-degree camera rigs, which allows content creators to view their live footage on iPads from areas out of view of what is being shot. Since Sphere utilizes the processing power of iPads for live stitching several camera feeds together, production crews can be far more mobile than PC-based systems.
Like Sphere HDMI, the SDI model is also capable of streaming to any compatible 360-degree online video platform, such as YouTube or Wowza-based offerings. For rigs that consist of five to eight cameras, a second Sphere can be attached via an Ethernet cable to expand connectivity.
The product’s free patent-pending iOS stitching software allows users to view their content at just four frames of latency in several different ways. Rectilinear allows you to explore your live 360-degree content as if you were wearing a VR headset. Move the iPad around you to visualize the experience you are creating for your audience. Panoramic displays your live 360-degree footage as a single panoramic image. Little Planet turns your content into a stereographic projection, allowing you to view it as if it were a tiny planet.
