Review: BoinxTV

Templates and Usability
To make it easier for new users to quickly start usingthe software, BoinxTV comes with a set of sevenpredefined document templates that range from newsand sports show templates to a widescreen shoppingchannel template (Figure 3). These templates control allaspects of the output video, including size, frame rate,and predefined layers. The news template, for example,contains all those elements needed to produce aprofessional-looking news show, including station logo,digital clock, news crawl, spinning background globe,and so forth. Users are free to use existing templates or tomodify them by adding or subtracting layers as needed.

Figure 3. BoinxTV comeswith a set of seven predefineddocument templates that range fromnews and sports show templates to awidescreen shopping channel template.

Although BoinxTV offers a number of powerfulprofessional features, the program’s learning curve isreasonable given the functionality of the software. Ittakes a few hours to get used to working with layers,especially when you wonder where your video cameradisplay went. (Hint: You accidentally hid this layerunder another layer; make sure your subject is abovethe background layer.) It also takes time to learn to usethe controls within a layer, but you can readily see theresults of your changes in real time in the program’spreview window.

Getting live streaming to work over a CDN soundssimple, but it can be tricky; you have to launchGrabberRaster, BoinxTV, and QuickTime Broadcasterin just the right sequence. Otherwise, the GrabberRastervirtual device doesn’t appear in QT Broadcaster. Let’shope that Boinx and GrabberRaster publish a moredetailedquick start or configuration guide on this.

Editions and Pricing
BoinxTV is available as a download from the vendor orthe Kagi software store (www.kagi.com/index.php) intwo different versions. A single license for the unlimitedfull version is $499. The Sponsored Edition (which isidentical to the unlimited version except that a 5-secondBoinx credit is shown at the beginning and end of eachbroadcast) is $199. For those users interested in tryingthe software before they purchase it, Boinx offers a 30-day free trial. Educational customers can contact Boinxdirectly for special pricing.

If you go the software encoding route, take a few deepbreaths before jumping in. GrabberRaster ScreenCastEdition is available from the vendor for $29.

Conclusion
While video overlay programs exist for Windows PCs,most are fairly basic and can’t match the features foundin BoinxTV. To accomplish the same thing in studiohardware, you’d need a live switcher, titler, and charactergenerator, logo generator, and chromakey system. Did Imention the video overlay stopwatch and video graphicsdisplay engine? Ka-ching.

BoinxTV installed on a Mac for less than $2,000 justmight be the video bargain of the year.

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