Content Creator Gift Guide 2017

It’s that time of year again; it’s getting darker earlier and the temperature is dropping. What does that mean? It’s time to start thinking about gifts! Don’t worry, I’ve got a gift guide for you and the content creator in your life. One of the great things about streaming is the low barrier to entry; people can start with a pretty low-budget setup. What makes it even better is the amount of impact that each new piece of hardware can make on the quality of the production.

 

Microphones

 

One area where a creator can have a massive impact on the quality of their videos from a single purchase is microphones. Starting off with your gaming headset’s built-in mic is fine, but people will notice the extra buzz or your breathing. A creator can spend hours using third-party programs to try to smooth out the audio. Eventually, though, it is time for an upgrade. This year we’re going with three price points.

CAD U1 Dynamic Microphone

 

First up is the mic I use, the CAD U1. It is a very cheap upgrade option, usually going for $20 – $25. Additionally, I bought and continue to suggest this mic because it is a dynamic mic and not a condenser like most other microphones used by creators. This immediately cuts down on environmental noise and, with the $3 foam cover, cuts way down on breathing noises.

 

Blue Snowball USB Microphone
 

Next up is a great middle-of-the-road option and happens to be a condenser mic. Many a creator started their journey with the Blue Snowball USB microphone. It will generally run you between $50 – $60 and because it is a condenser mic you’ll have to contend with a bit more background noise but with some tweaking it makes a great choice.
 

Rode NT-USB

 
 

If you want to really give them a treat (or treat yourself!) I highly suggest considering the Rode NT-USB. At $170, it is 6x as expensive as the CAD and is also a condenser style of microphone, but provides a lot more options. Additionally, it has a clarity and fullness of sound that other mics just cannot touch. You will need a couple of additional accessories to make full use of the NT-USB but their stream will thank you.
 
 
 

 

Webcams

 

Another area where a huge impact on video quality can be made, especially during those full-screen face-cam moments, are webcams. While a laptop’s built-in camera or the old Logitech eyeball camera they dug out of their parent’s closet might work, it is not going to look good. Let’s get rid of that pixelated mess and help them step up their game.

Logitech c922x USB Webcam

 

The first camera is the newest version of Logitech’s legendary C920 line, the Logitech C922X. The C920 line has long been the choice for content creators. It will give you a (nearly) flawless 720p or 1080p signal. The newest one even has 60fps support (at 720p) and background replacement software built-in. The C922x costs $100 but is often on sale for much less.
 

 

Next, if you want to offer them something a bit different, is the Razer Kiyo which will run you around $100. This camera offers a built in ring light that can be activated with a twist. Great for content creators who are always on the go and don’t want to carry extra lights with them. It supports 720p at 60fps or 30fps and 1080p at 30fps.
 
 

Elgato Cam Link

Lastly, we have an option for a truly top tier webcam experience, the Elgato Cam Link at $129. The camlink takes any HDMI signal from a compatible camcorder or dSLR and makes it appear to Windows, Linux and MacOS as though it were a USB webcam. This is obviously a costlier solution as they’ll need a compatible camera (such as a Canon HF R800 for $200), but you could get them one of those as well.

 

Accessories

 

There are many miscellaneous items that can contribute to a great setup, some super-obvious and others a bit more “out there.” Let’s look at some other items you can get the content creator on your gifting list to really make their holiday.

softboxes

 

Lights are an important component, but one of the hardest to match to a good brand. A majority of them are of the same quality and will last them a number of years if they treat them right. The best thing is to find a decent deal on a two softbox combo. A quick search on Amazon brought up a pair that are cheaper than the recommended Cowboy Studios from Fancierstudio. Whichever you go with, good lighting is a must. Be prepared to spend around $100.

Elgato Green Screen

 
 

Another favorite among video content creators is, of course, a green screen. You can buy them a $30 – $50 green screen kit that will come with the fabric and rigid stand, but many don’t have room for such a setup to be permanent. An elegant solution is the Elgato Green Screen: while pricier at $150, it comes in a compact carrying case and is quick to deploy. Generally just the right size to sit behind a streamer and small enough when collapsed to put under a desk or bed.
 
 
 

VR Headsets

Virtual Reality has shown it is here to stay. It used to have a rather high barrier to entry but the prices have dropped significantly. The Oculus Rift will run you about $400, and the HTC Vive runs around $600. Another option, if they already own a PS4, is the PSVR for $350. No matter which one you gift, it will add a whole new dimension to the content they produce.

 

Elgato Stream Deck

Part of the complication of creating content is the management of different scenes, graphics, sounds etc that are a part of a creator’s show. This year Elgato introduced the Stream Deck, for $150, to help simplify the production of both live and pre-recorded content. It comes with 15 LCD backed keys that can be assigned to do a multitude of things using their provided software. From switching to the latest meme scene at the push of a button or quickly muting a mic to cough, the Stream Deck is sure to make life way easier.
 

Elgato HD60s

If they’re starting to explore the idea of a two-computer setup, or want to capture console footage, you can help them by giving them a capture card. There are a lot of options out there but the most popular among streamers is the Elgato HD60s. They will have to have a fairly modern computer because this device uses USB3.0, but it will be well worth it, offering real-time 1080p 60fps recording for just $170.

 

Extras

 

Finally, if you’ve looked through this list and wondered where the reasonably priced gift idea was, giving a Steam Gift Card of any amount is a great way to support your favorite content creator. One of their largest expenses, year after year, are the games they have to purchase in order to continue to produce up-to-date content. Giving them Steam credit means they will have the funds they need the next time a game launches.

As of this year, Twitch is offering the ability to gift channel subscriptions to other viewers. If you’re savvy and involved with the creator’s community, consider gifting a few $5 subscriptions to their viewers who haven’t already subscribed. Obviously this only applies if they are a Partner or Affiliate, but doing so will potentially unlock the ability for Partners to get more emotes and hopefully prompt the user who was gifted a subscription to continue it for themselves. Not only will the creator receive their cut of the subscription money but you may help convert more viewers into hardcore fans.

These are all great options but they certainly don’t cover the full spectrum of possible gifts. Content creators are constantly upgrading, whether it is various internal computer components, trying out new web services, or even switching out their chairs in hopes that it will improve their content and allow them to keep making a great show. No matter what you get your favorite content creator (yes, even that ugly sweater), hopefully they are thankful that you thought of them this holiday season.

 

Disclosure: Elgato is a current client of TriplePoint

TRIPLEPOINTS OF INTEREST – WEEK OF FEB. 6

In this week’s TPoI; press reaction to Nintendo announcing 2-3 mobile games per year, E3 opens up to the “public”, and Valve confirms VR game development (no proof of Half-Life 3… yet).

Nintendo Aims to Make 2-3 Mobile Games A Year From Now On
In this week’s Q&A session for investors, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima announced that the company plans to make 2-3 mobile games a year moving forward. IGN reports that the company will still primarily focus on the Switch and 3DS, but that it seems Nintendo sees mobile gaming as a serious prospect with potential for long-term gains. GamesIndustry sees the plans as potentially precarious, due to the parallel business risks to manage simultaneously, while iDigitalTimes is a bit more optimistic noting it believes Nintendo will learn what it needs to continue creating classics for a new generation. No doubt that the success and fanfare surrounding Pokémon GO and Super Mario Run played a role in the decision, and it will continue to pursue a strategy of expanding its core IP into mainstream audiences to drive sales of its primary business units.

 

E3 Opens To The Public For the First Time Ever
This week the ESA announced that 15,000 tickets will be made available for anyone wishing to attend E3 this June, for a price of $250 (or $150 for lucky early birds). Tickets provide access to the show floor, panel discussions, and other related events Tuesday-Thursday of the week. Gamespot noted availability to the public may be in efforts to keep the conference relevant, as major players like Activision and EA have pulled out in recent years. For their part, the ESA has noted the success of the public-facing E3 Live, held outside the convention center last year that drew impressive numbers as the catalyst to give access to the full convention to fans. Our take here at TriplePoint is that there were already 15k “loose”, non-trade attendees already making their way into the show in recent years. With some tightening of the admission process we could see non-trade attendees – like GameStop employees for example – having to pay their way into the show moving forward.
 

Valve is working on three ‘full’ VR games
This week Valve founder Gabe Newell confirmed that the company currently has three full VR games in development. He noted that, with the HTC Vive on the market, Valve is now in a position to develop hardware and software simultaneously, nodding to Nintendo’s success with the same framework. Engadget added that with low headset sales and the difficulty in persuading developers to make VR software, Valve and their games could turn the popularity and ubiquity of VR around.

Streamer Gift Guide 2016

Christmas Tree

Tis the season for gift guides. You can’t click a link in a google search without tripping over a “10 best tech gifts” story. One category of guide is always missing though: what to get for content creators.

More accurately, this guide is for the friend/parent/significant other of a content creator. One of the great things about streaming is the low barrier to entry; people can start with a pretty low-budget setup. What makes it even better is the amount of impact each new piece of hardware can make on your content.

Let’s start off with an area in which a creator can easily improve: audio. Microphones, to be exact. Starting off with your gaming headset’s built-in mic is fine, but people will notice the extra buzz or your breathing. A streamer can spend hours on third-party programs to try to smooth out the audio. Eventually, though, it is time for an upgrade.

CAD U1 Dynamic Microphone

 

My first suggestion is a personal one, as it is the mic I use, the CAD U1. It is a very cheap upgrade option, usually going for $20 – $25. Additionally, I bought and suggest this mic because unlike most microphone suggestions, it is not a condensor mic but is a dynamic mic. This immediately cuts down on environmental noise and, with the $3 foam cover, cuts way down on breathing noises.

Rode NT-USB

 
 
 

If you want to really give them a treat (or treat yourself!) I highly suggest considering the Rode NT-USB. It is 6x as expensive as the CAD and returns to the condenser style of microphone, but provides a lot more options. Additionally, it has a clarity and fullness of sound that other mics just cannot touch. You will need a couple of additional accessories to make full use of the NT-USB but your stream will thank you.

 
 
 

Next up are webcams. You may be using your laptop’s built-in camera or something you dug out of a drawer from the good old days from before the dot-com bust! This is fine to get started, but now it’s time to get rid of that pixelated mess and step up your game.

 

Logitech C920
The first camera almost needs no description. The Logitech C920 has become the streaming camera of choice (and for good reason). It will give you a (nearly) flawless 720p or 1080p signal. It may not be one of the fancy new 60fps cameras that have entered the market (such as Logitech’s own C922x) but you won’t be disappointed. Best of all,with new cameras releasing, the price on this slightly older one is dropping and can usually be found for around $60.

 

Razer Stargazer

Next is if you are really ready to step up your game: the Razer Stargazer which will run you around $150. The first camera to offer Intel Realsense, which uses multiple cameras to perform depth sensing and remove the background of the video even without a greenscreen! On top of that, it does 60fps at 720p. If you don’t have use for either of those features the last camera will cover your needs, but if you stream in a cramped space or do some crazy movements on Twitch’s new IRL category, this is the camera for you.

softboxes

 

Lights are an important component, but one of the hardest to find a good brand. A majority of them are of the same quality and will last you a number of years if you treat them right. The best thing is to find a decent deal on a two softbox combo. A quick search on Amazon brought up a pair that are cheaper than the recommended Cowboy Studios from Fancierstudio. Whichever you go with, good lighting is a must. Be prepared to spend around $100.

 

Lastly, we’re going to get into a couple of miscellaneous and premium add-on items once you have everything else decently setup.

 

VR Headsets

Virtual Reality is starting to really take off but has a rather high barrier to entry. There are options from Oculus and HTC/Valve but both will run you around $800. A slightly cheaper option if you already own a Playstation 4 is the PSVR. No matter which one you gift (or buy for yourself), it will add a whole new dimension to the content produced.

 

Elgato HD60s

If the content creator is starting to explore the idea of a two-computer setup, you can help them by giving them a capture card. There are a lot of options out there but the most popular among streamers is the Elgato HD60s. They will have to have a fairly modern computer because this card uses USB-C, but it will be well worth it. Real time 1080p 60fps recording with no impact on the gaming PC — truly the next level of recording for just $170.

 

Finally, if you’ve looked through this list and wondered where the reasonably priced gift idea was, giving a Steam Gift Card of any amount is a great way to support your favorite content creator. One of their largest expenses, year after year, are the games they have to purchase in order to continue to produce up-to-date content. Giving them Steam credit means they will have the funds they need the next time a game launches.

These are all great options but they certainly don’t cover the full spectrum of possible gifts. Content creators are constantly upgrading, whether it is various internal computer components, trying out new web services, or even switching out their chairs in hopes that it will improve their content and allow them to keep making a great show. No matter what you get your favorite content creator (yes, even that ugly sweater), hopefully they are thankful that you thought of them this holiday season.