All-in-One Streaming Tools Let You Do It All—But Should You?

Technology can be used to make things easier. 一个设备能够完成所有过去需要单独设备才能完成的事情, technologies, or systems. Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, 吹嘘它是iPod(个人媒体播放)的集成, 手机(通讯)和互联网(获取信息). 它不是第一个这样做的设备，但它是最成功的设备之一.

Today, 在今天的生产硬件中，我们看到了类似的特性和能力的集合, enabling one person to “do it all!”

This begs the question: Should you do it all?

我曾在大型制作中工作过，其中首席视频工程师在摄像机(V1)之间切换将使用V2来协助, as well as someone to provide video playback, someone else to run graphics, a third person to oversee PowerPoint, a fourth to manage "records." Each of these other roles may require multiple devices. 图形可能有两台笔记本电脑，它们要么是冗余图形，要么是两组不同的图形. Playback would have two decks. Two for PowerPoint. Two, 3, 4, or more for records.

There's the audio engineer A1, 谁会有一个助手A2和其他助手来运行麦克风给那些需要的人, run cables, troubleshoot, manage batteries during long events, and more. 有一个或更多的人站在舞台上，以确保麦克风打开和到位, 而A1则在“前厅”(实际上是礼堂的后面)为演出进行调音.

There may be a social team to manage comments on social streams, block spammers, and highlight good comments to bring into the show. 更不用说那些为观众中遇到问题的人提供技术帮助的“技术助理”了.

还有更多，比如相机着色器，制片人，导演，相机操作员... but the point is, a big live production takes many hands.

This year, we saw Magewell enter the “All-in-One” (AIO) production solution market. 这些AIO解决方案承诺使一个人能够切换摄像机, run graphics, manage video playback, adjust audio, launch streams, monitor viewer comments, manage recordings, and more from a single device they hold in their hands. At IBC, I saw Hollyland, RGBlink, and Spirolink toss their hats into the ring as well. But this is not a new market. The first such tablet was kickstarted by YoloLiv back in 2017.

Some might also want to include the latest Blackmagic Design ATEM video switchers in this category, with their ability to paint and switch cameras, do multiviews, mix audio, record, stream, and manage media in a single appliance. 然而，我认为仅使用ATEM上的按钮来完成所有这些是一个挑战. Moreover, BMD认识到这一点，并且有软件可以让您将这些任务分配给不同的操作员, using separate computers, all networked to the AIO device. If it takes an additional 6 laptops, is it still an AIO? I say no.

However, I think BMD has it right.

While you can put all those tasks in the hands of one person, 真正的意思是，他们专注于每项任务的时间百分比除以他们试图处理的任务数量. If you’re directing the show, switching the cameras, mixing the audio, running titles and onscreen graphics, updating a sports scoreboard, and reviewing viewer comments to include, that's already 6 tasks, 所以你只花了六分之一的注意力在这些任务上. And if you’re reviewing viewer comments, or adjusting audio, you’re not watching what the cameras are capturing.

If it’s a simple talking head with minimal everything else, a single-op AIO may be fine, as there’s very little to adjust or track during the show. 但一个节目越复杂，把任务分配给其他人就越有好处. If there’s a problem with the PowerPoint, 分配给演示的工作人员可以在其他人继续进行现场表演时修复它. 如果你在做个人秀，你必须停下一切来解决问题.

So, while one person can possibly do it all, and the tech has evolved to enable it, 请记住，有时最好将工作分配给许多人. 将这些AIO生产解决方案视为制作人工具箱中的工具之一, and use the right tool for the right task.