Here’s how to use your GoPro Hero3 cam for Meerkat live-streaming

By Les Shu Updated July 24, 2015

meerkat livestream gopro

Meerkat, the live-broadcasting video service, has added GoPro support to its iOS app. Currently in beta, the GoPro integration lets you stream video using a Hero3 action camcorder.

According to Meerkat, the feature marks the first time the company is extending broadcast capability outside of a mobile device. And it’s supporting one of the most popular cameras on the market. Besides the typical action shots, you could live stream content from a GoPro-equipped drone.

The setup process for this is ridiculously simple. After you connect your GoPro camera to an iOS device via Wi-Fi, you open Meerkat and shake the mobile device to start the stream – that’s it. The current version of Meerkat’s app supports only the Hero3, but the next update will add support for Hero4. You could live-stream your adventure from the surf or snow, as long as your GoPro camera is within connection distance from your mobile device.

We tested the feature with a Hero3 Black, and as Meerkat says, the process was simple. After turning on the camera’s Wi-Fi, we shook our iPhone 5S, and the app immediately recognized the camera. Once we entered the Hero3’s Wi-Fi password, we were ready to broadcast.

UPDATE: You can now stream from @GoPro!! 🏄🏂🚵 #ShakeIt 😉 pic.twitter.com/R2ABeAmYrs

— Meerkat (@AppMeerkat) July 23, 2015

With competition from Twitter’s Periscope, Meerkat has been looking for new ways to grow, especially after Twitter prevented Meerkat users from automatically linking their Twitter followers. Prior to the GoPro support, the company introduced Facebook support and a feature called Cameo, which lets users take over another user’s live stream for up to 60 seconds.

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GoPro Hero 10 Front Screen.

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The firmware (which will be available by the end of October) introduces three new video performance modes designed to maximize the Hero 10’s performance in different scenarios. Maximum video performance mode prioritizes high resolution, frame rate, and image quality. Extended battery mode limits resolution and frame rate to maximize recording times and battery life, while tripod/stationary video mode provides high performance when the camera is stationary, and there isn’t any airflow to cool the camera.

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watch gopros teaser video for the new hero10 action camera gopro hero 10

GoPro is set to reveal the latest iteration of its popular action camera on Thursday, September 16.

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GoPro Hero 10 Black.

Images of the GoPro Hero 10 Black leaked yesterday, giving us our first look at images of the device along with specs. WinFuture, a German publication that previously leaked information about the redesigned Hero 9 Black in August last year was also the source of the latest leak. A report on the website suggests the Hero 10 Black looks similar to its predecessor (Hero 9 Black) in terms of size, design, and external accessibility features. The only design difference so far can be seen in blue accents that spell out "10 Black."
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Marketing materials seen by WinFuture hint that Hero 10 Black’s in-camera software stabilization will see an improvement to offer "gimbal-like stabilization", after being upgraded to HyperSmooth 4.0 and TimeWarp 3.0 for time-lapse videos. Users can also enjoy an auto-upload function to transfer files online at a much quicker speed. The Hero 10 Black also supports 1080p live streaming, the same as previous models. Finally, the Hero 10 Black is said to offer 10 meters deep housing, touchscreen controls, and voice accessibility. Users can also access the webcam mode along with SuperPhoto and HDR options. These features combined with the improved recording capability have the potential to be a gamechanger for streamers and on-the-scene photographers.
The company hasn’t made a formal announcement so we don’t know how much the Hero 10 Black would cost. The previous edition, Hero 9 Black was released at $450 and is currently priced at $400 (excluding the subscription), so we can expect a number around this range, perhaps a bit higher. Given the scale of the recent leaks, the launch of the Hero 10 Black is likely to be imminent.