Epiphan Pearl: The Ultimate Solution for Lecture Capture and Medical Streaming

By James Tremayne | Senior Technical Product Specialist, Holdan

Epiphan Pearl is a family of video production hardware that offers intuitive systems for live streaming, recording, and switching. Whether you need to capture lectures, medical procedures, or training sessions, Epiphan Pearl has a solution for you.

Epiphan Pearl consists of three models: Pearl-2, Pearl Mini, and Pearl Nano. Each model has its own features and benefits, but they all share some common characteristics…

• They can stream and record in HD or 4K resolution, with support for H.264 and H.265 codecs.
• They can mix multiple video sources, such as cameras, laptops, or medical devices, with customizable layouts and transitions.
• They can stream to popular platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, or Twitch, as well as to your own website or CDN.
• They can record to internal or external storage, with options for redundancy and backup.
• They can be controlled locally or remotely, via a web interface, a touchscreen, or Epiphan Cloud.

The Full Pearl range also integrates with leading content management systems (CMS), such as Kaltura, Panopto, and YuJa. These integrations allow you to easily schedule, publish, and share your video content with your audience. You can also use Epiphan Pearl with LiveScrypt, a service that provides real-time automatic transcription for your live events.

Now, let's take a closer look at each model and see how they can fit your needs:

Pearl-2: The All-in-One Video Production System

Pearl-2 is the most powerful and versatile model in the Epiphan Pearl family. It can handle up to six video sources at once, with four 4K inputs and two HD inputs. It can also output up to two 4K streams and two HD streams simultaneously.

• Lecture capture: You can capture multiple angles of the speaker and the presentation slides, as well as the audience feedback and questions. You can also use Pearl-2's chroma key feature to add a virtual background or overlay graphics on your video.
• Medical streaming: You can stream live surgeries or procedures from multiple cameras or medical devices, such as endoscopes or ultrasound machines. You can also use Pearl-2's picture-in-picture feature to show vital signs or annotations on your video.

Pearl Mini: The Portable Video Production System

Pearl Mini is the compact and portable model in the Epiphan Pearl family. It can handle up to three video sources at once, with two HD inputs and one 4K input. It can also output up to one 4K stream and one HD stream simultaneously.

- Lecture capture: You can capture the speaker and the presentation slides in a single layout, or switch between them with a touch of a button. You can also use Pearl Mini's built-in confidence monitor to preview your video before streaming or recording. - Medical streaming: You can stream live consultations or demonstrations from a camera or a medical device. You can also use Pearl Mini's audio mixer to adjust the volume levels of your microphone and your video source.

Pearl Nano: The Single-Channel Video Production System

Pearl Nano is the smallest and simplest model in the Epiphan Pearl family. It can handle one video source at a time, either an HD input or a 4K input. It can also output one HD stream at a time.

- Lecture capture: You can capture the speaker or the presentation slides in full-screen mode, or use Pearl Nano's cropping feature to zoom in on a specific area of your video source. - Medical streaming: You can stream live examinations or treatments from a camera or a medical device. You can also use Pearl Nano's HDMI passthrough feature to connect your video source to another display device.

A deeper dive into CMS Integration

Kaltura is a cloud-based video platform that enables you to create, manage, and distribute video content across various channels and devices. It is widely used in education and healthcare sectors for lecture capture, video-based learning, patient education, telemedicine, and more.

Epiphan Pearl fully integrates with Kaltura CMS, providing automatic file uploading, simplified scheduling, and other workflow enhancements. Here are some of the key features of this integration…

• Register your Pearl device with your Kaltura account using the web interface or Epiphan Cloud. Once registered, you can access your Kaltura settings and events from your Pearl device.
• Schedule recording and webcasting events on Kaltura and sync them with your Pearl device. You can also create ad hoc events using the Admin panel on your Pearl device.
• Choose between VOD (video on demand), live-streaming, or both as the event type. You can also add metadata such as title, description, tags, and category to your events.
• Select the video layout and quality for your events. You can also use advanced features such as chroma keying, picture-in-picture, audio mixing, and more on your Pearl device.
• Monitor the status of your events on your Pearl device or on Kaltura. You can also start or stop events manually if needed.
• Upload your recorded files to Kaltura automatically or manually. You can also stream live to Kaltura using RTMP protocol.
• View and manage your uploaded files on Kaltura. You can also edit them using Kaltura's online video editor or download them to your computer.

By integrating Epiphan Pearl with Kaltura CMS, you can enjoy the following benefits:

• Save time and effort by automating your video production workflow. You don't need to worry about transferring files or configuring settings every time you want to record or stream an event.
• Leverage the power and flexibility of both platforms. You can use Epiphan Pearl's high-quality video capture and switching capabilities along with Kaltura's cloud-based video management and distribution features.
• Enhance your video content with additional tools and services. You can use LiveScrypt to add real-time transcription to your live events or use Kaltura's analytics and engagement tools to measure and improve your video performance.

Conclusion

The Epiphan Pearl range is the ultimate solution for lecture capture and medical streaming. It offers intuitive systems for live streaming, recording, and switching, with integrations with leading CMS platforms and LiveScrypt transcription service. Whether you need an all-in-one, a portable, or a single-channel system, Epiphan Pearl has a model for you.

To learn more about Epiphan Pearl and its features, head to the product links below or contact our pre-sales team on techsales@holdan.co.uk who will be more than happy to offer support.