NewTek CaptureCast™ vs Epiphan Pearl Mini

Looking for NewTek CaptureCast™ alternatives? Epiphan Pearl Mini can help you harness the quality and flexibility of NDI. Find out which one is right for you.

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CaptureCast vs Pearl Mini

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 Mini is a versatile, purpose-built lecture capture appliance, supporting 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 Mini compare to CaptureCast?

Pearl MiniPearl Mini
Pearl 2Pearl-2
CaptureCast
CaptureCast
Front screen7″ full color touch screen display4.3” full color touch screen display
Video inputs2 × HDMI type A
1 × 3G-SDI
1 × USB 3.0 (UVC) video
4 × HDMI
2 × 12G-SDI
1 × USB 3.0 (UVC) video
Audio inputs2 × 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 inputs2 × 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 IP2 × 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 useMaximum of threeMaximum of sixMaximum of six
Live switching
MultiViewer
(inputs and channels)

(inputs and channels)
StorageSSD, SD card, transferrable to USB or network-attached storage512 GB SSD
transferrable to USB or network-attached storage
2 TB Hard Drive
Encoding3 × 1080p@30 fps H.2646 × 1080p@30 fps H.264
or
1 × 2160p@30 fps H.264
8 × 1080p@60 fps H.264
Automatic file upload destinationsFTP
SFTP
CIFS
RSync
AWS S3
SCP
WebDAV
USB
FTP
SFTP
CIFS
RSync
AWS S3
SCP
WebDAV
USB
FTP
SFTP
Dropbox
Google Drive
API integrationsOpen APIOpen APIProprietary SDK
Remote device managementEpiphan CloudEpiphan CloudCaptureCast Command center
(1-year subscription)
Schedulingvia CMS integrationvia CMS integrationLocal scheduling
via CMS integration
Ad hoc events
Content Management System integrationKaltura
Panopto
YuJa
Opencast
Kaltura
Panopto
YuJa
Opencast
Kaltura
Panopto
Opencast
Enterprise-grade security802.1x
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.

NSCU - Pearl Mini

“[Pearl Mini] integrates into our existing AV infrastructure. And it’s been cost-effective at the scale at which we were trying to increase our capabilities.”

Lisa Bolles, Director of Media Production Services (DELTA) at NC State University

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