Long live the Yi4K

If you had asked me a year ago about the best low-budget camera for live streaming inside a race car, I would have recommended the Yi4K(+) without hesitation. It’s incredibly easy to start the live stream— just let the camera scan the QR code generated by their app to start streaming. You can reuse this QR code indefinitely if you always stream to the same destination so you can just print and stick it in your car. Most importantly, this camera will stream continuously for hours and hours without any human interaction required.

Unfortunately, this majestic camera is no longer sold, and it has become challenging to find even a used one. If you do find one, be aware that the camera application is no longer available in app stores, and the only way to configure the camera is through their app. This is why you'll find a "QR code generator for Yi4K+" built into our platform, developed with the help of internet articles, like this one, sharing how the QR code is structured. On the bright side, Yi Technology recently published a page with the app download links, and as of today, it's functioning perfectly.

All that to say, we need alternatives to the good old Yi, and in this article, we’ll explore equipment we've tested ourselves or seen other racing teams using. Let's dive in.

What we have tested

GoPro Hero 7 Black

Pros:

- We already owned one (and it's likely many people do)

- Excellent video quality.

- Affordable.

Cons:

- The live stream often cuts out and requires manual intervention to continue, making it, unfortunately, impractical to use at all.

DJI OSMO Action 3

Pros:

- High-quality video.

- The live stream performs well at tracks with good network service.

- Reasonably priced.

Cons:

- The app and setup process for live streaming are cumbersome, often requiring multiple attempts to connect to the camera.

- The live stream will stop after a few hours, making it unsuitable for endurance races, although it’s still useful for shorter events.

Mine A5

Pros:

- Exceptional streaming capabilities (like the YI, the stream stays up forever with no human intervention), making it our top pick for endurance races.

- Supports SIM cards for integrated LTE network connectivity (no need for an additional hotspot in the car)

- Can be set up to automatically start streaming when powered on.

- Support an external microphone (useful if you want to improve your audio and pick up the sound from a different location in the car).

-Can be remote-controlled from your phone (using the MLive app).

Cons:

- Lacks image stabilization.

- Poor audio quality from the built-in microphone.

- The touchscreen interface is either too sensitive or not enough, especially cumbersome when trying to type in the RTMP URL.

- Unclear instructions for installing and using their phone app (we haven't figured that one out yet).

What other equipment racing teams are using

Personal Smartphones

A viable option if a team member is willing to sacrifice their device or works for a smartphone company. There are several live-streaming apps available, such as Prism.

High-end solutions

These are usually much pricier options as they provide car telemetry access and display, support multiple camera inputs, etc:

  - Smarty Cam with SDI output to a live encoder (ex: the Magewell Ultra SDI), add to that an external router/hotspot.

  - VBOX + Sentinel, or VBOX + LiveU

Home-Made solutions

We’ve encountered ingenious setups featuring Raspberry Pis and routers with huge antennas that have left us speechless. These are usually permanent setups that people have spent lots of time, brain, and creativity on. If you can build it yourself, why not do so?