EpocCam

EpocCam is an iOS app created by Elagto which allows the user to turn their phone into a webcam and stream video over WiFi, USB or NDI to their computer (either Windows or macOS). While there are a few different options for turning a cellphone into a webcam, EpocCam is unique in that it has Snapchat Lenses built into the iOS app. This allows the camera operator to equip and interact with AR filters conveniently and organically (especially if the computer that it’s sending video to is farther away). EpocCam and similar apps are a great way to increase video quality using hardware you might already have.

COST:

  • Free version available with limitations

  • Full version $7.99USD

Projects that used EpocCam:


Hubs

Hubs is a 3D virtual meeting and collaboration space created by Mozilla. It runs directly in the browser and users are able to join either in VR or not. It is listed as being able to run on a wide swath of devices but will probably need to have its graphics settings lowered for users on older machines. Environments can be either loaded from the library of existing spaces or can be created completely custom using Spoke. Hubs can either exist on Mozilla’s servers or can be deployed using services such as AWS. Hubs has a high degree of customization in terms of interactive elements, world space, and available avatars

COST:

  • Free up to 25 concurrent users

  • For more than 25 concurrent users, custom deployment on Hubs Cloud is necessary


Isadora

Isadora is a node-based visual programming language available on Windows and MacOS. It is similar to other node-based programs such as Touchdesigner but is primarily geared towards live performance playback and has a built-in scene functionality.

Isadora is able to take in a variety of data and input types that can be used to drive live generative visuals. Visuals are created using networks of nodes which Isadora refers to as “actors”.

Has a few more limitations (such as the number of camera inputs and projector outputs) than Touchdesigner but is still extremely powerful.

COST:

  • $732 perpetua license

  • $13 / week rental

  • Monthly & yearly subscriptions also available


NDI | HX Camera

NDI | HX Camera is an iOS and Android app which allows the user to turn their phone into a camera feed and stream video over wifi using NDI. When open it will show up as a NDI feed to any NDI-compatible devices on the same network and the app has controls for bandwidth usage. While it might not be the best option if you don’t have any networking knowledge, it’s one of the more reliable video over wifi options and has the advantage of being seen by any program that accepts NDI input. This negates the need for intermediate clients running on your show control computer.

COST: $27.99CAD

Projects that used NDI | HX Camera:


NDI Tools

NDI Tools are a suite of tools made by Newtek for sharing video and audio across networks using the NDI protocol. While it is usually geared towards running on local networks as of version 5 it is possible to share video sources across the internet using NDI Bridge. NDI has direct compatibility with most modern video programs and has plugins for the Adobe Creative Cloud.

While NDI can be fairly CPU heavy to encode and decode, it can open up a whole host of possibilities for sharing video across various machines.  There are apps available to share smartphone cameras and screens as NDI sources and the tools package contains the NDI webcam utility which creates a virtual webcam (for zoom, etc) using any NDI feed on the network.

The full set of tools is Windows only but the MacOS tools still offer a lot of functionality.

COST:

  • NDI Tools are free

  • Some apps are paid

  • Specific hardware is also available


OBS

The Open Broadcast Software Project or OBS is a free and open-source software that is used for video recording and live streaming. Since it is open source, there are a lot of available plugins to extend functionality and there is a very active modding community. Originally only available via a plugin, OBS now has integrated Virtual Camera functionality.  This allows you to take your OBS composition and turn it into a camera feed that can be used anywhere where a regular camera input would be taken (Zoom etc).  This function opens up a wide range of streaming and remote working possibilities without requiring expensive software or hardware.  OBS has a highly customizable interface but because of this can seem a little intimidating to new users. 

Chroma keying can be done directly in OBS and can be pretty clean when paired with quality lighting.  The combination of OBS, chroma-keying, and vdo.ninja can be quite powerful for long-distance collaboration where the desired outcome is for multiple feeds to exist in the same virtual space. 

OBS has plugins that add functionality for NDI and Spout

COST: Free

Projects that used OBS:

 


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