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View Poll Results: Vidblaster Vs. Wirecast

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  • Vidblaster

    22 34.92%
  • Wirecast

    39 61.90%
  • Other

    2 3.17%
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Thread: Vidblaster Vs Wirecast

  1. #1
    Administrator andrewzarian's Avatar
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    Vidblaster Vs Wirecast

    Which one do you use and why? Both are amazing programs for broadcasting and have their pros and cons?

  2. #2
    IAIB Networks gfqnetwork's Avatar
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    Over the past few months I have been experiencing an issue with Ustream. We are no longer able to see the total number of viewers. Anyone else experience this problem


    Follow Us on Twitter: @gfqnetwork
    Check out the GFQ Network : Guysfromqueens.com

  3. #3
    Web / Roku Developer RadarGaming's Avatar
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    For my podcast I enjoy changing th lower thirds based on who is on camara. With Wirecast this is very easy but with Vidblaster it can be a pain. Now Andrew you keep the 1 lower third up the whole show so for you. Having that ability in Wirecast might not matter.

  4. #4
    Administrator andrewzarian's Avatar
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    that's one (of the many) things that is lacking in vidblaster. I would love to assign a lower thirds to a specific Camera Module. I know this is possible with using the Video effects module but still not what i want.

  5. #5
    IAIB Pro Broadcaster
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    It's gotta be Wirecast.

    Wirecast has it's own written from the ground up encoder
    Wirecast can stream to multiple locations and record multiple formats to disk
    Wirecast is 1000x better at any kind of compositing (be it lower thirds or full on virtual sets)
    It has Applescript support on the Mac version(great for controlling it in hardware)
    Wirecast can use more than one audio source.
    It also has more than 2 transitions!

    I could go on for much longer...

  6. #6
    Administrator andrewzarian's Avatar
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    Joe Loves Vidblaster

  7. #7
    Moderator / IAIB Pro Broadcaster mcphillips's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by joedemax View Post
    I could go on for much longer...
    Please do.
    Please direct all questions for me to the forum so that all can benefit.

  8. #8
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    I can't give an impartial and fair comparison as I only used Wirecast for a short period of time several years ago and have used VidBlaster regularly since version 0.42 (early 2009). In the interest of full disclosure, I became a VidBlaster reseller later that same year and am a mod on the VidBlaster support forum. So you may want to independently verify my review.


    I like VidBlaster because its easy to use, yet powerful, too.


    Features I really like are...


    Virtual camera ("virtual video device")- VidBlaster can be used as a camera source in many other programs including older version of Skype.
    It's modular. Only use the modules you need. Only buy the version of VidBlaster based on the number of modules you need (7, 15, 25 or 50).
    Instant Replay - I do a lot of sports broadcasting, mostly soccer. It's neat to show the audience a replay of a goal or some other event on the field. You can do a replay for each camera.
    Player/Playlist - You can set up a playlist of video or audio-only files and play them when ever. I generally set up four playlists for the commercials that I run: one for pre-game, one for halftime and one for post-game (no timeouts in soccer!). Extra playlist for stoppage due to injuries, weather or other delays.
    Chroma-key - Easy to use.
    Picture-in-Picture - You actually do multiple PIPs, resize them and move them around the screen.


    These are the features that I use the most. Not all of them are unique to VidBlaster. I think Wirecast will do many of these things, too.


    The VidBlaster API was just opened up this week in the free Trial edition, so it will be interesting to see what folk do with it. So far there's been an app to control functions in VidBlaster from your smartphone. Also a midi-mapping utility to control VidBlaster from any number of midi-devices. I'm looking at a Berhinger BCF2000 as a possible controller candidate.

  9. #9
    IAIB Pro Broadcaster
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    Quote Originally Posted by TomSinclair View Post
    Features I really like are...


    Virtual camera ("virtual video device")- VidBlaster can be used as a camera source in many other programs including older version of Skype.
    As soon as Skype stops allowing you to use 4.X this will no longer be such a feature for VidBlaster. Mike will not take responsibility for VB's virtual output not working in Skype 5, even though many other switchers work with Skype 5.

    Quote Originally Posted by TomSinclair View Post
    It's modular. Only use the modules you need. Only buy the version of VidBlaster based on the number of modules you need (7, 15, 25 or 50).
    Mike is very happy to remove the amount of modules you can have in an update(after you've paid), so the amount you buy isn't necessarily what you'll always have. VidBlaster Pro at $499 gives you only 15 modules, Wirecast at $449 allows you to have as many sources as you can get on your system, and it doesen't count extremely basic things such as audio, recording, and streaming as a "module"

    Quote Originally Posted by TomSinclair View Post
    Instant Replay - I do a lot of sports broadcasting, mostly soccer. It's neat to show the audience a replay of a goal or some other event on the field. You can do a replay for each camera.
    This is a nice feature

    Quote Originally Posted by TomSinclair View Post
    Player/Playlist - You can set up a playlist of video or audio-only files and play them when ever. I generally set up four playlists for the commercials that I run: one for pre-game, one for halftime and one for post-game (no timeouts in soccer!). Extra playlist for stoppage due to injuries, weather or other delays.
    Again, this is an excellent feature.

    Quote Originally Posted by TomSinclair View Post
    Chroma-key - Easy to use.
    In my experience Wirecast's chroma keyer is far far better.

    Quote Originally Posted by TomSinclair View Post
    Picture-in-Picture - You actually do multiple PIPs, resize them and move them around the screen.
    I can do up to 35 picture in pictures in Wirecast, without any of them being counted as a module. Also with Wirecast's layering concept, any kind of compositing is much much easier.[/QUOTE]




    Quote Originally Posted by TomSinclair View Post
    The VidBlaster API was just opened up this week in the free Trial edition, so it will be interesting to see what folk do with it. So far there's been an app to control functions in VidBlaster from your smartphone. Also a midi-mapping utility to control VidBlaster from any number of midi-devices. I'm looking at a Berhinger BCF2000 as a possible controller candidate.
    With Wirecast you can use Applescript on the Mac version(there's also a windows equivalent) making it easy for even non programmers to scrip and control Wirecast using hardware devices such as the Korg Nano Kontrol using free application Midipipes.

    I will also say Wirecast is FAR better at charecter gen. Any kind of lower third over lay is near impossible in VidBlaster because rather than using layers like in Wirecast, the lower third on top is the one that one that was most recently turned on. This makes any kind of fast switching between lower thirds impossible. In Wirecast i can also create lower third templates and tie lower thirds to a camera shot.

  10. #10
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    Wirecast and VidBlaster are more different than they are alike, I think.

    Wirecast is from Telestream, a major campany. VidBlaster from CombiTech, a one-man shop. Wirecast with a huge marketing budget, and a vast field of dealers/resellers. VidBlaster with a website, resellers and word of mouth. Wirecast slow to implement features but very professionally managed. VidBlaster adding major features sometimes as frequently as monthly, but more of a club led by a genuis coder.

    Strenghts and weakness to both. Nice that they are different enough to have a real choice. Talk shows and churches don't care about instant replay. Sports broadcasters don't care about virtual sets.


    __________________________________________________ ____
    I forgot to mention that with VidBlaster I like being able to do everthing on one PC: take Skype calls, stream three streams, record, etc.

    Another feature that many folks think is important is RTMP/RTSP support.
    Last edited by TomSinclair; 04-16-2012 at 02:07 PM.

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