Profiles are a central concept when using Epiphan Pearl devices with EchoVideo. They replace the simple input combination dropdown used with Echo360 devices and provide significantly more flexibility for multi-channel recording and live streaming.

What is a Profile?

A Profile defines which Epiphan channels will be used during capture by determining how they map to EchoVideo input channels. Each Epiphan channel, configured in the Epiphan Admin panel, can combine multiple physical video inputs using layouts such as side-by-side or picture-in-picture. EchoVideo then pulls these configured Epiphan channels and maps them to input channels within a Profile.

Every Room has default profiles for VOD (recording) and Live (streaming) that can be automatically applied based on your Institution's Device Defaults. How these Room Defaults work depends on whether Additional Profiles are enabled for your Institution.

Key Differences from Echo360 Devices

With Echo360 appliances, input selection is straightforward: the device's physical inputs are configured in the Room, and when scheduling or starting a capture, a dropdown lists every possible input combination. There are no saved profiles - you simply pick the combination you want each time.

Epiphan devices work differently. Because Epiphan channels can composite multiple physical inputs using layouts (picture-in-picture, side-by-side, etc.), a simple auto-generated dropdown is not practical. Instead, administrators create Profiles - saved configurations that map specific Epiphan channels to EchoVideo input channels, with independent control over audio.

Primary Audio

Every profile, whether applied automatically from the Device Default or configured manually, must have exactly one channel designated as the Primary Audio source. This is the channel that EchoVideo uses for:

• Media playback - all other channels are synchronized to this channel
• Automated captioning
• Transcription services

If your Epiphan device has multiple channels capturing audio (for example, a camera with an embedded mic and a separate room microphone channel), the Primary Audio setting determines which one takes precedence in the final recording.

Institution Settings

These settings are found on the Institution Settings > Configuration > Epiphan Devices page.

Recording Profile Options

The profile options available across your Epiphan devices are controlled by Institution-level settings managed by an EchoVideo Administrator. These settings determine which profile types can be created and used, and apply globally to all Epiphan devices and types:

• Additional Profiles - Controls whether Additional Profiles can be created beyond the defaults.
  • Enabled: The Room starts with a single default profile enabled for both VOD and Live. Administrators can create up to 5 additional profiles per room (for a maximum of 6 saved profiles). Any profile can be designated as the default for VOD, the default for Live, or both.
  • Disabled: Each room has two separate default profiles - one for Live and one for VOD. These can be kept in sync or configured independently, but no additional profiles can be created.
• Custom Profiles - Controls whether users can create a one-time Custom Profile when initiating a capture. These settings are independent - you can enable Custom Profiles for one capture type without enabling the other.
  • Ad Hoc Recordings
    • Enabled: Users can create a Custom Profile when starting an ad hoc capture.
    • Disabled: Ad hoc captures use only configured profiles.
  • Scheduled Recordings
    • Enabled: Users can create a Custom Profile when scheduling a capture.
    • Disabled: Scheduled captures use only configured profiles.

If you do not see the option to create additional or custom profiles when configuring a Room or scheduling / starting a capture, check with your EchoVideo Administrator to confirm these settings are enabled.

Device Defaults

When a new Epiphan device is registered with EchoVideo, it is automatically assigned default Live and VOD Profile(s) based on the institution-level device default configuration. If Additional Profiles is enabled, a single default profile is created for both VOD and Live. If disabled, two separate default profiles are created - one for each. This means that in most cases, you only need to assign the device to a Room and you are ready to capture - additional profile configuration is optional.

A separate Device Default configuration can be set for each supported device type.

How It Works

1. An Administrator configures the institution default for each Epiphan device type (Pearl-2, Pearl Mini, Pearl Nexus).
2. When a new device of that type is registered, EchoVideo automatically applies the matching default configuration as the device's Live and VOD default Profile(s).
3. The device is ready to capture once assigned to a Room. Administrators can optionally customize the profile or create additional profiles as needed.

Note: Device Default configurations reference Epiphan channels by number, not by name. For example, if your Epiphan device has a channel named "Video PiP" configured as the 3rd channel on the device, you would select channel 3 in the Device Default configuration. This allows the same default to apply across multiple devices, even if channel names differ between them.

Using Different Profiles for Live and VOD

With Echo360 Devices, the same input configuration is used for both the live stream and the on-demand recording. Epiphan devices remove this constraint - you can assign separate profiles for VOD and Live, giving you independent control over which channels are used, how they are configured, and at what quality level.

This means you can optimize each output for its intended audience and viewing context, rather than choosing a single configuration that compromises between the two.

Scenarios

Same profile for both
The same channels and settings are used for VOD and Live. This is the simplest configuration and works well when the live and on-demand viewing experiences do not need to differ.

Partially shared channels
Some channels are shared between VOD and Live, while others are unique to each. For example:

• VOD records channels 1, 2, 3, and 4 — capturing every angle for a comprehensive on-demand experience

• Live streams channels 3 and 4 only — delivering a focused, lower-bandwidth feed for remote viewers

Fully independent channels
VOD and Live use completely different channel configurations. For example:

• VOD records 4 individual input channels at the highest available quality, preserving each source separately for flexible post-capture playback

• Live streams 2 composited channels (e.g., side-by-side camera and screen) at a standard quality optimized for real-time delivery

When This Matters

Independent VOD and Live profiles are particularly useful in scenarios where the live audience and the on-demand audience have different needs:

• HyFlex - Remote students joining live may benefit from a simplified, composited view, while students reviewing the recording later may prefer access to all individual camera and screen channels.

• Large recording spaces - A high-channel-count, high-quality VOD recording preserves the full classroom experience, while the live stream prioritizes bandwidth efficiency and a clean viewing experience for remote participants.

• Events and guest lectures - The live stream can be tailored for external audiences (e.g., a single composited view with branding overlays configured on the Epiphan), while the VOD recording captures all raw inputs for internal archival or post-production.

• Lab and demonstration spaces - Close-up equipment feeds can be recorded individually for on-demand review, while the live stream composites them into a single easy-to-follow view.