I first came across Cerevo and their product line a couple years ago at InfoCOMM. At that time, their LiveWedge 4-channel HDMI video switcher was well designed, but I found the less than 30 frames per second multi-viewer annoying and not well thought out. However, the fact that I use an iPad to control the switcher remotely is pretty cool, but that 15fps preview output is a deal killer for me. While that is the LiveWedge product in a nutshell, what I am most excited about is their LiveShell live streaming encoder products. Three variations in the family mean you have choices in finding the right fit for both your needs and your budget. The LiveShell2 retails for $299US and gives you 720p streaming using H.264/AAC-LC (audio) with HDMI input and a max bitrate of 10Mbps. You can do 1 stream at a time (one destination), no built-in recording, you have WiFi capability built in that gives you access to 804.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi networks. The built-in lithium-polymer battery will give you a reported 3 hours of max battery life and you can stream out to any RTMP/RTSP streaming host.
The LiveShell Pro has the exact same specs, but adds a composite video input, retails for $449US and comes with a lithium-ion battery that gives you 3 hours of use. The only other difference is that in order to access 5GHz WiFi networks you will need an adapter that is sold separately. Both the Pro and 2 models come with built-in LCD displays.
Finally, the LiveShellX brings additional capabilities to the LiveShell lineup with 1080p streaming, 3 simultaneous streams, H.265/264 encoding, a max bitrate of 20Mpbs, recording onto microSDXC (Cerevo tells me recording will take one of your three streams), you get a preview output, as well, and a 6 hour battery life. You also get an OLED display, which is a step up from the LCD on the other models. The X model retails for $699US.
I see a bright future for Cerevo if they can continue to bring innovative products to market in what is quickly becoming a crowded market. I have not managed to get my hands on any of their products yet, but will be trying to get a demo unit to try out in real-world scenarios so I can report back to you.
If you are in the market for an affordable live streaming encoder, be sure to include Cerevo LiveShell series products in your research and comparisons.
For more information, visit: https://liveshell.cerevo.com/en/