deliver a range of audio input and monitoring
options.
VIDEO I/O
All video enters the device from the HDMI port
on the back of the unit, where it is encoded for
streaming and/or recorded either on SD card
via the slot on the face of the unit, or to external
storage via the USB 3.0-compliant port on the
back panel. Once you’re done recording, you
also have the option of uploading those files via
FTP to a connected network.
TASCAM DISCOVERY APPLICATION
This application scans the network for
connected VS devices and in turn launches
the web GUI (graphical user interface) for the
selected device. Per social distancing, you
might opt to encode and stream from one
VS unit in your main sanctuary and decode
with another unit at another location on your
campus.
STREAMING DASHBOARD
Selecting the ‘Open’ button in the Discovery
Application launches this GUI for configuring
your VS device. The primary navigation on
this page is sorted into four selectable links:
Encoder Control; Decoder Control; Device
Settings; and Advanced. While we aren’t going
to cover everything, there are couple of items
that are attention worthy.
Streaming Dashboard Overview
ENCODER CONTROL
The Configure button under the Audio Settings
header is where you select the desired audio
input source. Selecting the Configure button
under the Encoder Settings header is where
most of ‘the magic’ happens, including the
ability to scale the video resolution without
impacting the recording resolution. If you’re
interested in editing your video or ‘sweetening’
your audio in post, I can’t stress how valuable
this function is. If for example you post your
edited video at 1080P, you’ll have lots of
freedom to zoom and crop your video. You can
also choose whether or not to encode at H.264
or H.265. And for the audio fanatics out there,
you can opt to stream anywhere from a lowly
64 kbps all the way up to 512 kbps. Selecting
the Configure button under the Output Settings
tab reveals the menu for selecting your
streaming protocol. With RTMP selected, the
RTMP Output slider set to ‘On’, and the pulldown
menu set to Generic RTMP, I was able to
multi-stream to Facebook and YouTube via the
stream key from my Restream.io account the
first time out of the gate!
DECODER CONTROL
If you want to connect a monitor to the HDMI
port on the back of your VS, selecting the
Configure button under the Stream Settings
header reveals a menu that is vital to making
this happen. The following steps are what
worked for me. Step 1: select your VS from
the Source Encoder pull-down menu. Step 2:
select Unicast from the Stream Type pull-down
menu. Step 3: select rtp:// from the Protocol
pull-down menu. Step 4: input 1234 into the
Port field. Step 5: select apply.
DEVICE SETTINGS
With the appropriate device selected, I’d
suggest making sure the sliders under Device
Roles are set to the ‘On’ position for both
Encoder and Decoder.
ADVANCED
This is where you can reboot the device, reset
the settings, check for firmware updates,
and more.
THE WRAP
While there might be a bit of a learning curve
for your team, if you’re looking at a hardware
encoder for your streaming endeavors, this box
is rock-solid, and the overall quality is second
to none. Noting that I’ve spent some long
hours in post ‘fixing’ streamed content in the
past, the ability the VS-R265 gives you to fine
tune key elements for your streaming and postproduction
processes is a big selling point per
the options it gives you. The streams looked
and sounded amazing, and to have the kind of
control when streaming (and beyond) makes
this unit well worth the asking price!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The following resources from TASCAM will add
some additional depth of field should you wish
to dive deeper…
• VS-R264 + VS-R265 Reference Manual (PDF)
• VS-R264 + VS-R265 Streaming Guide (PDF)
• VS-R264 + VS-R265 Spec Sheet (PDF)
• VS-R264 + VS-R265 Owner’s Manual (PDF)
VS-R265 $1,999.99 MAP
VS-R264 $1,499.99 MAP
www.Tascam.com
134 August 2020
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