Feature Requests for Pearl Mini (Dual buttons while Locked + Time limit for each button)

Dear Epiphan team,

Actually we use multiple units of your Pearl Minis. But we have two feature requests which would make our life way easier (in case this is the wrong place for such feature requests, please let me know):

1st feature request Actually its only possible, to get ONE button to start the recorders and the streaming as soon as the device is locked (for the end-users / lecturers). That is fine if you always need the same aka both (streaming and recording for example). BUT: It would be great, to get the option to start selected recorders or streaming and seperate the needed features into two (or maybe even more) virtual on screen buttons. Sure - You have to name them then to differentiate. But that should be doable quite easily. Even a REC start / stop and Streaming start / stop as standard on-screen-button naming would be enough.

Use case: We have mixed requirements. Streaming, Streaming + REC and only REC. The units are therefor streaming “empty” quite often (without needing it). Or they are recording empty altough only streaming is needed. Best solution in our case: One virtual button for recording and one for streaming.

2nd feature request Actually we use multiple units open to be controlled by the end users aka lecturers (in locked mode - So only one virtual on screen-button control). Problem is: Some people start and forget to stop the recording and streaming (which means that the units then run through the night or even the weekend and record empty hours over hours of content).

Is it possible, to link a “lime limit” to the virtual button control (for example define 6 or 8h or so as a max. limit for the virtual button)? Even if it would be fixed (4, 8, 12h whatever) - It would save a ton of hastle and time waste on our side to stop the recorders manually / over the network as soon as we get a ton of “empty” recordings from them.

I hope thats the right place to put those requests.
As metnioned pls let me know the right place otherwise. Thx.

Kind regards
Daniel B.

Hi Daniel,

Thanks so much for your feedback! I will certainly bring these suggestions to our product team and look into filing them as feature requests.

Just wanted to mention that if a solution is needed sooner than our development time scales you might want to look into engineering your own custom solution using our API: https://www.epiphan.com/userguides/pearl-api/Content/Home-Pearl-api.htm

We have many customers who create entirely custom control solutions for the Pearl and the features you are looking for could be done using this API as essentially every action on the Pearl is controlled using the API.

Thanks again for providing your feedback Daniel and if there’s anything else that comes up don’t hesitate to let us know!

Best,
Adam

@Adam_Palmer Any news about the multiple button control (1st feature request from above) and the time limit for recordings (2nd feature request)? Btw. thank you for the API hint / link - We know about the API control (its in use already over the Crestron system in the bigger lecture rooms). But sadly it does not make sense for us to use that system in the smaller rooms (with the direct Epiphan Mini access).

@Adam_Palmer Any news about the topics?

Hello! Unfortunately, Adam Palmer is no longer with Epiphan, he has moved on to other opportunities. I would be happy to address your questions though! There are no updates regarding the multiple “single touch” buttons at the moment I’m afraid.

As for the second request, we do have a feature request in for something like this and it’s currently still under development. For now, the only option that is closest to satisfying your request would be to utilize a CMS, Panopto, Kaltura, or YuJa, and use their scheduling functionality. This would start and stop an event based on a preset schedule. You can read more about CMS functionality and Pearl in the user guide here, Integration.