Tutorial: Webcasting Live Events with the Winnov Cbox P2
Whether you're capturing lectures, presentations, or multiple camera concerts, Cbox is a simple, affordable, and flexible solution that's definitely worth a look.
Winnov Cbox is a multiple-camera switcher and production station that lets you record lectures, presentations, and live events, and broadcast them to multiple online services and video management platforms for computer and mobile playback.
In this tutorial, I’ll introduce you to the product and show you how it might be used to broadcast a live event involving a single speaker and PowerPoint slides.
This portable Cbox P2 (below) is one of four models, which vary in form factor, input/output, and price.
This unit can be driven via a mouse or by touchscreen (below), so it’s optimized for portable use by non-technical users.
Video Inputs and Outputs
It’s also a high-end unit with four HD-SDI inputs, plus two S-Video and four composite inputs (below) to connect to traditional cameras or devices like document scanners.
This DVI port captures input from a separate computer to broadcast PowerPoint presentations or software demonstrations.
You can also control up to three Pan/Tilt/Zoom cameras via IP or the RS-232 port.
Since you can mix all these inputs via the unit’s Amalga software (below), the product eliminates the need for a separate switcher.
You can output either HDMI or VGA for connecting up to a projector, LCD panel, or a digital signage system.
Audio Connections
For audio, all enabled HD-SDI connections include embedded audio. Plus there’s a single, phantom-powered XLR connector for a microphone, a set of balanced stereo XLR inputs, and two sets of unbalanced stereo RCA inputs (below).
For audio output, there’s balanced audio out for room sound or projection, plus the standard headphone port for monitoring.