iVGA is unacceptable

[CLE]

My firm was considering a purchase of 3-4 Tricasters for video webcasting. We currently use the Anycast Station and were looking for cheaper alternative, and also one that streamed in the Windows Media format as opposed to the Anycast's Real Media.

We rented a Tricaster Pro for our event this week. The set-up was a breeze and the interface was intuitive. Then we encountered iVGA. What on earth was Newtek thinking?

iVGA worked well when my laptop and the Tricaster PRO were both set to detect IP addresses dynamically. HOWEVER, the Tricaster needed a Static IP as we were streaming live. Once the static IP was set, my laptop and the TriPRO couldn't see each other.

I tried EVERYTHING: changing WORKGROUP names, firewalls off, manually entering IP addresses, etc.

But my point it is this: it SHOULD be easy. You should never have to even think of any of this stuff. In reality, there should be a PROJECTOR IN port - a VGA in port.

We webcast from hotels and our presenters use Powerpoint. We can't install iVGA on all of our presenters' laptops. Some of them won't even run iVGA off of a USB thumbdrive with iVGA loaded on it (due to insufficient admin priveleges). AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, we cannot check workgroup names and manually enter IP addresses in every presenters' laptop.

So now we're left with option of buy 3 more Anycasts. That basically comes to $10,000 for a VGA-In Port.

I will say that the Newtek tech support crew were great and knowledgable. But even they were at a loss ultimately.

Is anyone else as frustrated as I am with iVGA?

[robewil]

I know this isn't going to be much consolation but this reminds me of an aspect of the original Amiga Video Toaster.

When Newtek released the original Video Toaster in 1990, people were absolutely amazed at what it could do for so little. However, it was hard not to notice that whenever the Toaster re-sized video, it got very pixellated. Newtek called this, if I recall, the $20,000.00 compromise. In other words, including hardware in 1990 to smoothly re-size video would have added $20,000.00 to the price tag.

I suspect IVGA is a similar compromise.

[John Perkins]

When you set the static IP address, did you happen to also change the subnet mask?

Networking is one of the hardest things to diagnose over the phone and there are so many things that can go wrong that they usually do ;)

I'd love to hear from you on this, because it should definitely work.

Email me directly at jperkins@newtek.com so that we can find the solution and I will make sure that tech support and the FAQ are updated with the information.

Thanks,

[GaryG]

We've had just the opposite experience with iVGA. Doesn't matter the workgroup, IP address, or anything. As long as the computers are connected to the same router (wireless or wired), run iVGA, poof, it's done.

I have also, in thousands of presentations, never encountered anyone who couldn't use a thumb drive on their laptop, or connect to any available wired or wireless network. Those are standard day-to-day business needs.

In short, I have found iVGA to be an excellent tool, quite easy to run, and a good comprimise. That said, my next purchase will be a full res VGA switcher.

[UnCommonGrafx]

You should ask more questions here. I don't believe your experience is the bulk of experience.
Somehow, somewhere you made the networks invisible to each other. John Fletcher in tech support would be a good resource for you to get into contact with. Ask them to set up the same scenario in their space to see what your problem was.
I'm down here for the party and I can't say it enough: they want YOU to be successful. So, ask some more questions and buy those TriCasters. There's more to come...

Hey Robert, how's it going?
It's not the same; the analogy doesn't fit. Get IVGA and try his thing with your VT. Hmm, I think we have it with VT... Give it a try. The quality is solid. The issue here is one of user error, I believe. The Amiga issue was one of hardware limitations.

Comingto the party?

[robewil]

Hey Robert, how's it going?
It's not the same; the analogy doesn't fit. Get IVGA and try his thing with your VT. Hmm, I think we have it with VT... Give it a try. The quality is solid. The issue here is one of user error, I believe. The Amiga issue was one of hardware limitations.

Comingto the party?Hey Robert, I am well. I was mostly referring to the fact that you have to install the IVGA software into any machine that is connected to a Tricaster or VT and the fact that you have to deal with IP addresses and that sort of thing. Having multiple VGA-ins would be simpler in most respects but the cost would be prohibitive. Therefore, I concluded that IVGA is a compromise of sorts.

No, I won't be at the party. Thanks for asking.:thumbsup:

[UnCommonGrafx]

Gotchya!

I'll make the name good for the both of us, then. ;)
Take care.

[Tarheel Cougar]

So now we're left with option of buy 3 more Anycasts. That basically comes to $10,000 for a VGA-In Port.


We've had small difficulties with IVGA but always been able to solve them, and the picture has always been very crisp. If you want a solution where you don't have to install software, why don't you use almost any laptop's built-in s-video out? That's a free fix, and all you have to do is mess around with the display settings. Or, you can buy a top of the line external scan converter for well within $1,000 that will work with PC or MAC, plug and play--connect it to your Tricaster's S-video in or component in (for the Pro). Both solutions certainly cost a lot less than the bloated Anycast.

If that's not going to cut it, you could get at least 2 loaded VT4 systems for the cost of the Anycast, configured in a very portable manner (not laptop-sized but not too much bigger than the Tricaster) with more inputs than you'll ever use, of course you will face the same VGA issues but have so many more tools than the Anycast can provide and can still add external scan converters.

[nevmoor]

I know that this is not a real answer, but it is a possible solution for some. Although you may want a much better scan converter, I have been using the Averkey300 and using a composite input. They are now under 200 bucks and look pretty decent. On my job we have these medical devices with HUGE resolutions that we often need to scan convert and switch to video. We had been using Extron high end units, until we ran into the AverKey in use in one of the labs. It doesnt look as good as the Extron and doesn't have all the features, but in the end the average person can't really see the 5K difference. We have 3 Averkeys now. We had to shoot 4 diffent live surgeries simultaniously and they saved us 15 grand.

[dgerson]

We webcast from hotels and our presenters use Powerpoint. We can't install iVGA on all of our presenters' laptops. Some of them won't even run iVGA off of a USB thumbdrive with iVGA loaded on it (due to insufficient admin priveleges). AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, we cannot check workgroup names and manually enter IP addresses in every presenters' laptop.


CLE- Sounds like your issue is really network related, and not a short coming of iVGA or the TriCaster. I did some testing with the AnyCaster, and I would not want you to think that the Tricaster is not as good... the anycaster is really fairly weak compared to the Tricaster, and about 3x the money. The key to this solution is called Port Forwarding. Using a Dlink or Linksys router, you will find a section in the router called port forwarding, or application. This is where we will configure the settings. Set the Tricaster to a static address, like 192.168.1.20 . In the application settings in the router, add .20, choose both UDP and TCP, choose a port (i normally use 7007), then enable it. Assuming you have configured the router with a static outside address when at a hotel, ect, your address for your CDN company will be
ie. http://63.23.223.12:7007 This will direct all streaming traffic to the Tricaster. All other machines connected to this router will be on the same subnet as the tricaster, so it should find all iVGA enabled laptops. Hope this works for you, as I do this all the time.

- Dan

[goffj1]

I was told that since iVGA uses netbeui for discovery, and netbeui not being routable, is why I cannot use iVGA in my environment. Toaster on one segment of the LAN and the lecture hall pc running iVGA on another segment.

Anyone know of a way to enter ip's directly into the switcher side so the "discovery" process is bypassed?

Maybe a future release of iVGA should support both auto and manual discovery.

[charlieabbottuk]

Hey at least you guys have iVGA. Us Mac users are still waiting on a promise made back in April 2006.

[CreatvGnius]

Hey at least you guys have iVGA. Us Mac users are still waiting on a promise made back in April 2006.

Charlie? What up? You haven't been able to download the iVGA client for Mac, from the NewTek site, as a registered TriCaster™ or VT user?
-PeterG