Cannot find new VidiU on store.lds.org

Has anyone been able to find the new VidiU on store.lds.org? I've been tasked with purchasing it but haven't been able to find it.

allencp wrote:Has anyone been able to find the new VidiU on store.lds.org? I've been tasked with purchasing it but haven't been able to find it.

Are you signed in as a stake STS? (or there are a very few other stake positions that should work.)

I'm the stake executive secretary -- I have purchased other items under "Unit Materials." Does anyone else see it to suggest you need other access?

allencp wrote:I'm the stake executive secretary -- I have purchased other items under "Unit Materials." Does anyone else see it to suggest you need other access?

Sorry. According to the cue card, the stake executive secretary is not on the list. (I think he should be, though.)

Meetinghouse webcast items on store.lds.org can be viewed only by a stake or district technology specialist, stake or ward clerk, a member of the stake presidency, or a member of the bishopric. Each must be logged in using his LDS Account.

Well, I'm a STS and I don't see it either. I did briefly see the original webcaster. I think we just need to wait for the website to catch up with the changes.

I find it interesting that the instructions given in the help center are not quite correct. I see two significant errors. So I'm thinking a redesign may be immanent.

russellhltn wrote:Well, I'm a STS and I don't see it either. I did briefly see the original webcaster. I think we just need to wait for the website to catch up with the changes.

I find it interesting that the instructions given in the help center are not quite correct. I see two significant errors. So I'm thinking a redesign may be immanent.

I am in another calling that should have access. I see what you see, the old Communicator, incorrect instructions on the Purchasing Webcast Products page, and a store site that brings up different versions of the product pages, depending on how you approach them.

I guess we're stuck to buy the box to use the new system, so it should be interesting when it all gets sorted out. I suppose if you need a box for stake conference in two weeks, you could call the Global Service Desk as the instructions outline.

I would really like to at least have it as a backup for our conference in two weeks. Called the GSC and they tried for 18 minutes to find out anything but were unsuccessful.

Cant find it or the adapter. Stake Clerk should be high enough

Some of you noted the incorrect instructions. I wrote a comment to this at the bottom of the page and they fixed the instructions within a couple of hours. The VidiU is not listed though.

I talked to someone today at store.lds.org. They said they would not have the VidiU available until later in March. Apparently the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

I am now wondering if we should purchase the VidiU from other sources, but not sure if the platform is ready to support it if no one is using it yet.

Good to know, thanks. I assume it would work, but it will cost more. I will probably try a free software solution as our backup for next week then.

bretpetersen1 wrote:I talked to someone today at store.lds.org. They said they would not have the VidiU available until later in March. Apparently the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

I did the same, but was told that FM has to order it though the eStore. I pointed out some problems with that statement and they're supposed to get back to me on that.

I have just been in contact with the Distribution Center, and the VidiU device has still not arrived from the manufacture, but they still expect it before the end of March 2015. The portal is up and ready to use once you have a device. I am borrowing one from a friend for my broadcast this weekend. I hope it works as advertised.

russellhltn wrote:was told that FM has to order it though the eStore. I pointed out some problems with that statement and they're supposed to get back to me on that.

The last I heard is that it is in the store, but for some reason the permissions are wrong such that I can't see it. But they were going to escalate that and get back to me.

I called today. Purchasing hasn't made it available in the Store. We can buy it on our own or wait until someone does something in some amount of time makes it available. If you have stake conference coming up you tell your stake president that the messaging that came out wasn't accurate so stake conference webcasting is on hold unless you want to pay full retail for the devices.

johnshaw wrote:Purchasing hasn't made it available in the Store.

Yes, that was the jest of the phone call I got today. Thumbscrews are in use.....

I was also advised to stay away from the SD to HDMI converter and go to something from Black Magic at about 10x the cost. The warning is you get what you pay for and $50 doesn't buy you much.

johnshaw wrote:If you have stake conference coming up you tell your stake president that the messaging that came out wasn't accurate so stake conference webcasting is on hold unless you want to pay full retail for the devices.

We can still use the old system can't we?

craiggsmith wrote:We can still use the old system can't we?

For now, anyway.

russellhltn wrote: I was also advised to stay away from the SD to HDMI converter and go to something from Black Magic at about 10x the cost. The warning is you get what you pay for and $50 doesn't buy you much.

I agree

Biggest problem is heat, with these cheap devices. Buy a couple- have spare ready.
Extron makes a great scaler but you have to pay dearly.

Do you have the model number of the Blackmagic box?

Composite is dead, SDI is taking over.

craiggsmith wrote:We can still use the old system can't we?

Yes. It was used very successfully last Friday for a regional broadcast that originated in one of the stake centers in our Coordinating Council.

rolandc wrote:Do you have the model number of the Blackmagic box?

I wasn't given any, but I was told it would be a two-step process. Composite to SDI then SDI to HDMI.

If heat was the only problem, I'd think adding a heatsink would help.

russellhltn wrote:

Composite to SDI then SDI to HDMI.

If heat was the only problem, I'd think adding a heatsink would help.

I am sure the quality of the device may play a part too.

if you look carefully at the monoprice converter and compare it to some others, you will quickly notice several name brands look exactly the same.

This is the best price for a major brand converter that I have been able to find & is still in production (for now)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/6 ... _HDMI.html

and one a little cheaper from a company that I have always had great success with.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/9 ... m/alsVwDtl

We were told last week that the VidiU devices are sitting in a container in California due to the strike last month. They hope to receive the devices within a month.

I can't remember the exact numbers but the discount was only about $125. We can't afford to wait a month so we just ordered the device ourself from somewhere else.

The VidiU is now available on store.lds.org. Just ordered it.

Overlooked it at first because of the lack of a photo. Not as good of a price as I had hoped. It currently says out of stock.

I found the Vidiu on amazon. The monoprice video to hdmi converter degrades the quality of the video. Has anyone tested any other video converters? If so, which models work well?

I have tested several and none work well. Tested very expensive ones too.

Best to use the Vidiu with true HD

Best to use our composite capture devices with Open Broacaster software, that way we have great picture all around.

rolandc wrote:I have tested several and none work well. Tested very expensive ones too.

Which did you test? The one recommended to me by an employee was Black Magic, in a two-step process. The cost starts to get close to the price of the VidiU. However, with SD, you can send it though the building's CC system. And that's a biggie for me.

The Vidiu is a great option for Stake Broadcasts.

If you have to convert why bother, just use the free solution and it works great with what we have.

Now if you have an HD / HDMI camera then I would use the Vidiu.

I tried single step devices from Altona, Extron and several of the generic brands like the monoprice unit of which did work as well as the expensive ones. I just am not a fan of converting or scaling.

The VidiU can broadcast in SD too.

justincy wrote:The VidiU can broadcast in SD too.

But it doesn't have a SD input. Just HDMI.