VidiU backorder

I ordered a VidiU from store.lds.org three days ago, expecting it to be on backorder, and it is. Are there any estimates as to a possible shipping date?

I was tempted to buy a VidiU from another source, such as Amazon or eBay, but I wanted to ensure I order the same model and firmware level the Church requires. (Yes, I know I can flash it to 2.0.1 if necessary.)

I had the same concerns, Church engineers assured me they are not specialized for our church.

DO NOT update to the latest firmware yet as it is not compatible with church servers.

If the backorder will take several weeks, then I need to cancel my order and obtain the VidiU from another source that can deliver it faster. My short suspense is not my idea, as this request came from a much higher source.

You should give Open broadcaster a try, with it you can use multiple cameras (one per usb capture device) and do overlays such as hymn texts and names. Free. Right now the Vidiu is the only supported way of modern webcasting. Wirecast was approved and pulled, not sure why.

Unless you have an HDMI camera to use with the vidiu you will also need a Composite to HDMI scaler, quality will suffer.

Open Broadcaster will run nicely on any modern computer.

The best computer I have has only a dual core processor, so I would not want to try a webcast with that. At the same time I ordered the VidiU, I ordered an HD camera from store.lds.org. Both are now on backorder.

We have a non-HD camera and tripod, and can easily buy a video signal converter if necessary. I see no need for multiple cameras or subtitles, especially since the invitation list for this special conference is very small, and the PTB want to keep the number of support staff to a minimum.

drepouille wrote:My short suspense is not my idea, as this request came from a much higher source.

Given the situation (a visit by higher authorities), you might call CHQ and see if there's a package they can send for this event. Then you can wait and do your stake solution with less pressure.

I placed my order on a Saturday morning. On Monday, I received the "back order" notice. On Thursday at 2 AM, I received the "shipped" notice. I had requested three-day shipping, so I should receive the VidiU by next Monday.

The price for the VidiU on store.lds.org is about $100 below MSRP, so I was glad I didn't have to order it from another source.

I had also ordered the Sony HD camera from store.lds.org, but I can do without it if it doesn't arrive soon. The price for that camera on store.lds.org does not appear to be very competitive with the market.

Let us know when you receive the Vidiu. I need to order two, saving two hundred is a big plus.

russellhltn wrote:Given the situation (a visit by higher authorities), you might call CHQ and see if there's a package they can send for this event. Then you can wait and do your stake solution with less pressure.

Interesting. I just called the Global Service Center to open a trouble ticket on the problems I have with the webcast portal GUI. The Level 1 tech who talked with me said the same thing. Visiting GAs usually bring their own equipment. Apparently our Area Seventy did not get that message. He simply tapped me to make the webcast happen.

russellhltn wrote:Given the situation (a visit by higher authorities), you might call CHQ and see if there's a package they can send for this event. Then you can wait and do your stake solution with less pressure.

My Area Seventy says he has visited conferences with GAs as presiding authority, and he has never seen them bring their own A/V kit. The most I have ever seen a visiting authority bring to a stake conference was his iPad and an HDMI adapter.

drepouille wrote:My Area Seventy says he has visited conferences with GAs as presiding authority, and he has never seen them bring their own A/V kit. The most I have ever seen a visiting authority bring to a stake conference was his iPad and an HDMI adapter.

Which is fine - all stakes should have a projector. Were those conferences webcasted? Was the webcasting more than a single camera - because that's what the help center is telling us to use. Where these conferences in normal stake centers (not part of the BYU system)?

And last but not least - just because one stake is doing it doesn't mean that's the norm and all stakes should be doing it.

Many years ago - long before webcasting, Gordon B. Hinckley did a regional conference from our stake center. But at least he brought his own satellite uplink, studio truck and 3 camera shoot. <grin>

More recently some GAs did some regional training. FM bought 4 wireless mics. Afterward, 4 stakes each got a wireless mic. (We already had a mixer that could handle the 8 mics.)

drepouille wrote:

russellhltn wrote:Given the situation (a visit by higher authorities), you might call CHQ and see if there's a package they can send for this event. Then you can wait and do your stake solution with less pressure.

My Area Seventy says he has visited conferences with GAs as presiding authority, and he has never seen them bring their own A/V kit. The most I have ever seen a visiting authority bring to a stake conference was his iPad and an HDMI adapter.

Same story for me. I've seen a couple of GA and General Presidency visits and they brought nothing but their iPad - last one didn't even have an adapter.

This time I will be ready for them. I have every adapter I can think of. In addition to the webcast (which has now changed to a PVC), they have requested a computer and projector for slideshows and videos. I have to figure out how to broadcast them as well. I have asked them to send me files or URLs so I will have all their slideshows and videos ready when they arrive, but I doubt that will happen.

I'm looking for options to upgrade our SD broadcast equipment to HD. It looks like a VidiU is an important piece of the puzzle. How did you order that on store.lds.org? I can't see a section for equipment. Does that require some other level of access?

bcressall wrote:How did you order that on store.lds.org? I can't see a section for equipment. Does that require some other level of access?

Only certain callings can see it. But the Stake Technology Specialists is one of them.

Go to store.lds.org, and log in with your LDS Account. Click on "unit materials" at bottom right. Click on "Other supplies and equipment". You should see "Teradek VidiU Encoder" under "Electronic Equipment"

drepouille wrote:My Area Seventy says he has visited conferences with GAs as presiding authority, and he has never seen them bring their own A/V kit. The most I have ever seen a visiting authority bring to a stake conference was his iPad and an HDMI adapter.

Same here. We had Elder Scott out a couple of years back and it was all on us to make it work (which makes sense, but I wish there was a "loaner package" with mics, etc available for those who didn't have it). I borrowed a couple of PTZ cameras and wireless mics (from family and work) and made it work.
Elder Bednar had a meeting in the next stake over last year and they were borrowing wireless mics from all over (I know 3 went from our stake).

Aaron Z

We are fortunate in that our FM has a set of wireless mics and a mixer that are passed around to each stake as needed for conferences.

We received the VidiU I had ordered, but the HD camera I had ordered is still on back order, so we are switching to the old Webcast Communicator software. All I needed to buy was a video capture to USB device.

What's the current status of VidiU system? I haven't been keeping up with this and haven't upgraded to the new solution. I just went to the lds store and don't even see this available now. I have a stake conference in 2 weeks and have a nice setup with the older solution that has always worked well. Am I OK sticking with the old solution for now?

stevecinhou wrote:I have a stake conference in 2 weeks and have a nice setup with the older solution that has always worked well. Am I OK sticking with the old solution for now?

Yes. Certainly within the timeframe of your stake conference. It will probably change at some point, but not that soon.

drepouille wrote:We received the VidiU I had ordered, but the HD camera I had ordered is still on back order, so we are switching to the old Webcast Communicator software. All I needed to buy was a video capture to USB device.

Our big seven-stake conference was today. Funny thing is, I received an e-mail at 2 AM today that the HD camera I had ordered on April 11th has been shipped, five weeks later.

We have 3 stake conferences this year. The one in March had a visiting authority come to the Boise, ID area (it was an area stake conference) so they brought a broadcast truck from SLC to the Meridian area near Boise. On normal stake conferences in our own stake, we normally broadcast to 5 other buildings in the stake because of being spread out and also the stake center will not hold everyone. Now they are comparing our local webcasts to the area stake conference, commenting that your video and sound were not the quality of the March stake conference. Our reply is "we don't have the special equipment that costs thousands of dollars that the church sent to do that conference."

georgevanleuven wrote:Our reply is "we don't have the special equipment that costs thousands of dollars that the church sent to do that conference."

My answer is always, "Have you competed the challenge the visiting general authority gave us in his concluding talk?"

lajackson wrote:My answer is always, "Have you competed the challenge the visiting general authority gave us in his concluding talk?"

Out of curiosity, what was the challenge given from your visiting general authority?

rl_albright wrote:Out of curiosity, what was the challenge given from your visiting general authority?

I suspect it doesn't matter - the point is that the complainer isn't holding up their part.

russellhltn wrote:

rl_albright wrote:Out of curiosity, what was the challenge given from your visiting general authority?

I suspect it doesn't matter - the point is that the complainer isn't holding up their part.

Ah ha!! I misread the post, at first I thought the challenge was related to the technology.... now I see it was a retort to someone's complaints.

Don't feed bad. I had to read it a couple of time before I figured it out myself. My first thought is the challenge had to do with funding.

Just to tack on here. The cost of the VidiU is being covered by church ICS only for the calendar year 2015. Starting in 2016, the FM Group would have to cover the cost. As a practical matter with budgets and whatnot, I'd suggest that everyone needing one get their VidiU this year. Otherwise, you might find a significant amount of foot dragging and budget issues if you put it off too long.

This information comes from a letter addressed to FM Groups dated June 5th from the Managing Director, Meetinghouse Facilities Department.

Can I just add a word or two of common sense here? If your stake has a pressing need for a webcasting device, by all means work with your FM group to secure a VidiU for your stake. However, if you're thinking of picking one up just because the getting is good, please reconsider. The cost of the device may not come out of the stake budget, or the FM budget, but we all know where the funds ultimately come from and items like this should be given serious consideration before requests are made.

Mikerowaved wrote:However, if you're thinking of picking one up just because the getting is good, please reconsider.

I agree with what you are saying. But I wonder how many stakes are able to comfortably host stake conference as a single session at the stake center? Our stake has been doing it, but we have an extra big facility. I have to wonder how many members skip stake conference because it's so crowded. My stake presidency has asked to start webcasting and specifically asked for that as part of the building renovations. I'd imagine there's a number of stakes who don't webcast just because that seemed like a difficult hurtle. But that's changing, so I'd imagine there's a number of stakes who haven't webcast in the past that would like to.

I do think that it would be worth a conversation with the stake presidency to see what their future plans are.

I don't think they bring them to stake or regional like things, I've also heard the same thing. However, I did help the FMG once setup for a Mission President Seminar, there were a couple of 1Q70, and the area director of temporal affairs. They did have a kit that included pre-configured appleTV and wifi that they all had pre-loaded on their church managed ipads. So they do exist... I just think they travel and are used at a 'higher' level than what we're typically involved with.