NewTek CaptureCast™ vs Epiphan Pearl-2
Looking for NewTek CaptureCast™ alternatives? Epiphan Pearl-2 can help you harness the quality and flexibility of NDI. Find out which one is right for you.
NDI and physical inputs: The winning combination of flexible, high-quality video production
In colleges and universities worldwide, Network Device Interface (NDI) has become a favorite AV over IP solution for capturing video. NDI has proven to be a cost-effective, convenient means of scaling lecture capture and online instruction by eliminating the need for physical cables.
However, relying solely on NDI has its drawbacks. Network interruptions or fluctuations can lead to students failing to receive essential study assets. Versatile production systems supporting NDI, various AV over IP transmissions, and physical inputs ensure the most consistent, reliable lecture capture experience.
Pearl-2 is a versatile, purpose-built lecture capture appliance, supporting High Bandwidth NDI, NDI|HX, and a wide range of professional video and audio inputs for maximum flexibility. Integrated with popular tools like Kaltura lecture capture, it continues to be a top choice for educators who want to capture, record, and live stream their video content intuitively and in the highest quality.
How does Pearl-2 compare to CaptureCast?
 Pearl Mini |  Pearl-2 |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Front screen | 7″ full color touch screen display | 4.3” full color touch screen display | – |
| Video inputs | 2 × HDMI type A 1 × 3G-SDI 1 × USB 3.0 (UVC) video | 4 × HDMI 2 × 12G-SDI 1 × USB 3.0 (UVC) video | – |
| Audio inputs | 2 × XLR/TRS, Stereo 1 × RCA, Stereo 1 × 3.5mm, Stereo 1 × SDI, Embedded Audio 2 × HDMI, Embedded Audio 1 × USB (UAC) audio | 2 × XLR, Stereo 1 × RCA, Stereo 2 × SDI, Embedded Audio 4 × HDMI, Embedded Audio 1 × USB (UAC) Audio | – |
| Networked AV inputs | 2 × NDI|HX 1 × RTSP 1 × SRT | 6 × NDI|HX 3 × High Bandwidth NDI 6 × SRT 4 × RTSP | 6 × NDI|HX 8 × High Bandwidth NDI |
| Embedded audio over IP | 2 × NDI|HX 1 × RTSP 1 × SRT | 6 × NDI|HX 3 × High Bandwidth NDI 6 × SRT 4 × RTSP | 6 × NDI|HX 8 × High Bandwidth NDI |
| Simultaneous video input use | Maximum of three | Maximum of six | Maximum of six |
| Live switching | ✓ | – | |
| MultiViewer | ✓ (inputs and channels) | ✓ (inputs and channels) | – |
| Storage | SSD, SD card, transferrable to USB or network-attached storage | 512 GB SSD transferrable to USB or network-attached storage | 2 TB Hard Drive |
| Encoding | 3 × 1080p@30 fps H.264 | 6 × 1080p@30 fps H.264 or 1 × 2160p@30 fps H.264 | 8 × 1080p@60 fps H.264 |
| Automatic file upload destinations | FTP SFTP CIFS RSync AWS S3 SCP WebDAV USB | FTP SFTP CIFS RSync AWS S3 SCP WebDAV USB | FTP SFTP Dropbox Google Drive |
| API integrations | Open API | Open API | Proprietary SDK |
| Remote device management | Epiphan Cloud | Epiphan Cloud | CaptureCast Command center (1-year subscription) |
| Scheduling | via CMS integration | via CMS integration | Local scheduling via CMS integration |
| Ad hoc events | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Content Management System integration | Kaltura Panopto YuJa Opencast | Kaltura Panopto YuJa Opencast | Kaltura Panopto Opencast |
| Enterprise-grade security | 802.1x LDAP CA certification Brute-force PW protection HTTPS for WebUI | 802.1x LDAP CA certification Brute-force PW protection HTTPS for WebUI | – |
| Chroma keying | – | ✓ | – |
The info in this table is current as of February 1st, 2023. All info related to the NewTek CaptureCast was sourced from the CaptureCast product page on the NewTek website and the CaptureCast page from the NewTek Knowledge Base.
Get Inspired: How NC State supercharged 200+ classrooms
Supported by Epiphan’s all-in-one Pearl production systems, NC State created a seamless classroom capture solution that covers the entire campus.
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