Switcher Cast is a complementary desktop application that allows Switcher Studio users to share their computer screens and Mac webcams in their Switcher Studio productions.
Remote Guests is a feature of Switcher Studio that allows users to invite up to five other guests/devices to join their productions, so guests from around the world can share their phone cameras, webcams, or screens. With this feature, you can also use guest slots as additional camera sources to produce a stream or recording remotely.
Setup:
Since Switcher Cast is a desktop application, it requires some installation and setup to use. There are hardware and software requirements for both Mac and PC versions. Our Help Center articles outline the prerequisites and processes for setting up Switcher Cast on a Mac and Switcher Cast on a PC.
To use the Remote Guests feature, Switcher users generate a unique URL from the Video Chat tab on their main Switcher. Just like most browser-based video conferencing platforms, guests can join the Switcher Stream with their webcam or phone camera by clicking the URL. This feature works with nearly every browser and device. Guests joining from a computer can also share computer screens. Our Help Center article details how to use the Remote Guests/Video Chat feature.
Network:
To use Switcher Cast, your computer must be on the same local Wi-Fi network as the iOS devices you're using for Switcher Studio. Devices do not need to share a local network to use the Remote Guests feature.
Because of this, Switcher Cast sends data via your local area network, while the Remote Guests feature uses more internet bandwidth. If you’re trying to share your computer screen for your Switcher production, it may be easier to set up with Remote Guests, but if you have a slow internet connection, you may get higher quality video using Switcher Cast.
Director Mode:
Switcher Studio's Director Mode can be used to capture HD video from all angles and automatically composite each angle and asset used during the production into one video file.
Since Switcher Cast sends data over your local area network, recordings tend to be of higher quality, and Switcher Cast is compatible with Switcher Studio’s Director Mode, meaning you can capture screen recordings in HD. It’s not possible to gather local recordings when using Remote Guests, so the Remote Guests feature is not compatible with Director Mode.