Review on 🎮 Elgato Stream Deck – Custom LCD Key Controller with Live Content Creation (15 Pack, Authorized Distributor, 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty) by Mike Davis

.and you can't go wrong. I bought it to make my life easier when conducting online training seminars. I use either OBS Studio or Blackmagic Designs ATEM Mini Pro ISO (when I want to capture individual input streams for post-processing in high quality virtual workshops) and I have a lot to do. I don't want to switch from app to app. from OBS to select a camera/view, add a bottom third key, to powerpoint to advance the slide, to zoom to see my audience. I want to be able to click a button and make the necessary changes to the application without distorting what I'm showing my audience. Stream Deck has been highly recommended by many sources. In fact, this is the second keyboard with some differences. The buttons themselves are mini LCD screens that can be customized with text or images, the appearance of which can change depending on the response to an action (if supported), and a single button can trigger a sequence of actions (multi-action). , as if you pressed them several keys. . Supported actions do not require the executable application to have focus (at the very top of the desktop), so you can be in one application like OBS Studio while moving to the next slide in another application like Powerpoint. There are many plugins that support different applications such as: B. the OBS Studio plugin, as well as support for Blackmagic Designs ATEM mini mixer series via their desktop software application. There is also general HTTP support for GET and POST actions, as well as support for calling the REST API. In short, if a desktop or web application can be controlled with an API, then it can be controlled with a Stream Deck. You can even use it to control your smart home. I use it but there are some limitations. You need to choose an application running on your PC (the computer the Stream Deck is connected to) that will program the buttons on the device. El Gato offers a Stream Deck app that works but is a little rough. There is a separate El Gato web app (you go to the website) and you can customize the look of the buttons. It would be nice if they were integrated, but they are not. In addition, there is Bitforce Companion, a web service that can program the Stream Deck and customize the look of the buttons. This app is functionally similar to both El Gato apps combined into one. However, it doesn't currently have the same plugin capabilities. What it does have is the ability to have up to 99 pages, effectively making a 16 button stream deck a 1287 button deck (you lose 3 buttons per side to control page turning, so 13 x 99 keys). Depending on the capabilities of the companion plugin for certain applications/devices, you may also get feedback (return code) from the action you invoked, which allows you to change the appearance of the button. For example, if I have a "Scene" button for my studio camera, a "Scene" button for the PowerPoint presentation window, a "Scene" button in OBS Studio that contains both, program these buttons to appear in the preview slot in OBS, and when clicked turn green. A separate button that pushes a preview into the output (program) window, colors the corresponding "Scene" button red when pressed. This is good because I can look at the stream deck and instantly see what's being streamed to my audience based on the color of the button. (Alexa requires some coding to build the plugin. Not yet.) Note that with performance comes effort. Programming these buttons for something complex can take some trial and error, and the documentation isn't great. If you're not tech savvy enough to know how to set up and run a PC without asking for help, this device isn't for you unless you have or are a precocious teenage gamer, tech spouse or partner willing to hire a neighborhood nerd for a few hours to help you get things started. Once you get the hang of it and understand its features, you can do a lot of powerful things with it. Control basically everything you could do with Alexa or your computer. In fact, this device is best suited for applications powered by the plug-ins provided by Stream Deck, and companion plug-ins are available for the more tech-savvy user. Appendix. It is particularly well suited to programming a series of commands at the push of a button, which can take someone a few minutes of their allotted time. True to its name, it is aimed at people offering live video streaming either via online streaming with Twitch, YouTube, etc., and that is supported by almost all plugins currently available. Other plugins seem to be written by and for software developers who want to use them to automate code development or view the value of their stock options or cryptocurrencies while they run. Buttons all the way. a quick tap often doesn't trigger the action. You will quickly learn this as you interact with the device. If you are in a hurry, you often have to go back and press the button again. Here, slow and steady wins the race. Because of this, and the nature and state of the plug-ins available for both Stream Deck apps and companion apps, it seems to me that the Stream Deck ecosystem is still in its infancy. in progress. It does what it does very well, as long as you're willing to put up with the quirks of the keypress and if the supporting software applications and plugins have the functionality you need and you can figure it out yourself. Be prepared to spend some time and effort learning how to use it or it will most likely end up in the trash. Is it worth buying? Yes. if you are single-handedly engaged in live video streaming that requires fast and correct switching between video streams. maybe an online teacher, someone who is a producer/director of a church or government agency or of events like concerts or fairs, or a gamer who broadcasts on Twitch or YouTube where you need to stream live video from multiple sources along with text or other information. easy to control. If you only use Zoom for meetings etc, it's overkill. Or if you're tech-savvy and want to reduce the amount of complex automation (e.g. turning on all the hardware in a home theater system or switching between satellite and Blu-ray is cumbersome) or want to automate repetitive PC tasks, this is the one Fall the macro keyboard system to beat them all. . if you can handle the learning curve. I'll update this review in a few weeks after actually using it in a live workout. either happy or angry.