Dish Network's Sling Media division has unveiled SlingStudio, a high-production, low-cost piece of kit that makes streaming live video from multiple cameras to platforms like YouTube and Facebook Live painless and affordable.
SlingStudio is a wireless hub for connecting multiple cameras (camcorders, DSLRs, smartphones, etc.) that's managed by an iPad app. The system can support up to 10 cameras simultaneously although only four feeds are presented for live editing in the iPad app at once which is plenty for most people.
The platform is designed with live video streaming in mind but it can also be used to record all incoming streams for editing later in post-production.
As Engadget highlights, the hardware has a lot in common with the Dish Hopper including a powerful CPU that can record up to 1080p/60FPS video at 30Mbps and produce 1080p livestreams at up to 8Mbps. The hub itself weighs less than 1.5 pounds and is about the size of a standard hardcover book with an SD card slot and USB-C port for storage.
SlingStudio goes on sale in May priced at $999 but you'll probably want to pick up a few of the optional accessories to go with it. These include a battery for SlingStudio that provides three hours of charge for $149, wireless CameraLink adapters at $349 each and a USB-C expander at $49.