Affordable technology in a time of crisis

Video streaming has been available for decades, even with increasing ease of access to encoding technologies and affordability in data bandwidth has not become mainstream. The abrupt onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ironically, forced us to adopt new technology in order to adapt quickly in a fast-changing environment. Suddenly, academic institutions, corporations, government bodies, and houses of worship are all turning to video streaming in their efforts to hold on to some semblance of normalcy and yet adhere to social distancing requirements.

It is at this time that the Blackmagic ATEM Mini Series of affordable switching and streaming solutions was introduced. The timing was appropriate. Priced at only USD 295, the ATEM Mini makes it easy to create professional multi camera productions because it is portable enough to do a wide range of work, but it is still a powerful broadcast grade switcher! Plus ATEM Mini is easy to set up! Simply connect some cameras and you are ready to start your first live stream!

This technology has become convenient solutions for many segments of our society in our daily lives. For example, many Singaporean schools now broadcast their daily assembly speeches to their students on their computers and projectors, through streaming. Subsequently, all schools are conducting classes over the internet, via Zoom. Life as a student has moved from the classroom to the living room.

Many traditional businesses have become viable again through the use of streaming. Instead of the old brick-and-mortar way of selling and buying, they now bring their goods online, such as fish, vegetable market sellers to clothing merchandisers. This has created new business models and new influencers who are now able to hawk their goods via live streaming, often on social media platforms.

Corporates and governments who are forced to work from home now conducts daily meetings in their individual living rooms, or bedrooms for that matter. In fact, Singapore called for elections during the period of lockdown and for the first time, political parties turned to live streaming to pitch their political ideas to garner vote. In a bid to reduce huge congregation, houses of worships have been mandated to close.

In order to continue to provide spiritual engagements with its worshippers and to continue to offer solace and support during this difficult time, the houses of worships have also turned to video streaming of their worship services.

It is often during times of crisis that give birth to technologies or trends. This time, Blackmagic Design’s streaming and switcher products and technology have come to the forth. It heartens us that whatever we are doing for our product and technology, making it affordable so that people can be creative, and now so that people can connect and stay relevant. With affordable and empowering products and technology, we have played a small part in keeping this world intact, for there would come a time in the near future, where lives can get back to as normal as we can, and adoption of technology slows down again, waiting for another crisis.

Or one can learn from this pandemic and use affordable technology to evolve, to learn, to take the plunge, and open up a new world.