[mervz]

OBS is a great solution if you're on a budget or doing very simple streams, but I really urge anybody who is serious about live streaming professional shows to check out vMix. It's an incredible piece of software that is versatile and packed full of so many features professional broadcasts need all baked in.

[bobbob1921]

This is absolutely correct, VMix is excellent software. When you pair it with the correct hardware even low cost hardware, it is very stable and reliable (and powerful). it’s also very reasonably priced, for one particular client twice a year I do a large 2 to 3 day livestream. We buy two copies of their $50 a month pro version (by default it is not a reoccurring subscription), each event. Every aspect of vmix can be automated or scripted, and they have a very easy to use XML based API (I can code but I’m definitely not a coder). Over the years we’ve built some incredible automated graphics for displaying on large billboards at the event, as well as using the second copy to produce the livestream where we pull in five professional ptz cams (via rtsp) and 2x sdi video feeds (via a capture card). We also use the NDI app on two iPhones to add their video into the mix (using the built-in vmix scripting, when someone presses the send button in the NDI app, V-Mix notices the audio level going above zero, and switches that live video feed into program). Note to do ndi over iphone wifi we use a dedicated ruckus R610 access point with no other clients on it, the video has ZERO latency, and amazing 4k quality). We also use companion running on a raspi5, connected to 2x stream decks, so that the entire set up can be controlled via the stream deck buttons.

[Mashimo]

Geewiz, 700 usd and only updates for a year of you want similar features to obs.

Thanks to the api you can do quite complex (or wacky) streams with obs. I don't get the "only very simple streams" argument.

[techietim]

Agreed! I tried to make OBS work for a video podcast, and it was a very unpleasant experience. vMix has great features: built-in remote callers, audio buses, MIDI controller support, titles; just to name a few that I use.

I love and use free software a lot, but vMix blows OBS out of the water for semi-professional video productions.

[Mashimo]

Btw, there is a midi plugin for obs. I used it, worked like charm.

[zxcvasd]

what features does vMix have, which OBS doesnt, that would be worth switching to a proprietary and paid program instead of a free, open source one?

[seanw444]

I'd be interested to know as well. I may be in the minority, but I'll take a FOSS project with 80% of the features over a proprietary one with 100% of the features, almost every time. The philosophy of freedom is usually more important to me than squeezing out every last drop of functionality in exchange for a black box that I have to pay for and rely on some company that may or may not exist in a few years to develop it.

[bobbob1921]

I’m pretty sure this has changed now, but when I first looked at OBS versus vmix, OBS did not have good NDI Support. Since the twice a year video production I put on is kind of like a hobby although I get paid, I just went with VMix and haven’t looked back. (Video is not my main job)

[stonogo]

vMix is Windows-only, so I'd imagine the people it targets don't think about licensing much.

[zxcvasd]

>vMix is Windows-only, so I'd imagine the people it targets don't think about licensing much.

they probably think about money, though. and whether there's a significant difference in features or not.