Livestream, the New York-based company behind the hand-held Mevo live-streaming camera, have announced several major upgrades to the device, which includes an Android app featuring support for YouTube Live. Until now, there has only been an iOS app available. The Android app is currently a beta version, but when completed will allow users to broadcast in 1080p to a number of platforms. This is a big improvement as users could only stream in 720p when the device was first released. When a user upgrades to the latest version of the software and uses either the iOS or Android app, another new feature allows them to record the event in 4K.
The pocket-sized camera which costs around $400 was released last year and is the first of its kind, allowing users to live-stream video to four platforms: their own site, Livestream, Facebook Live, Twitter, and Periscope, and the video can be streamed through a local WiFi network or by using your phone’s cellular connection. The HD videos can then also be recorded and stored on a microSD card or in cloud storage. The pocket-sized device uses advanced software and a 4K-resolution image sensor to allow users to “digitally reproduce the look of a multi-camera shoot.” Although users cannot edit their video after the event ends with Mevo, the camera allows live-editing, “on the fly.” The Livestream site boasts around 50 million viewers each month, who watch hundreds of thousands of live events which are recorded and streamed by other customers. These include Tesla, NBA, Disney, Paramount Pictures, and SpaceX.
The Mevo app is now available as a public beta on Android. Anyone with an Android device who wishes to try the app out should first check if their device is compatible. They can then apply to join the beta-testing community through Google Play, and a Google+ account is needed to do do. To experience the app, user’s devices also should be running Android 5.0 or later. The app is not currently recommended for use in production environments, as it is an early beta version. The completed product is expected to be made available at some time in the summer.