InBroadcast - April 2024 - 89

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 14 - Issue 4 | April 2024
89
Supporting the virtual TV world cont'd...
important
Camera Supports
virtual
explains Sales Manager, Rick Velthof.
" A common request was for a system
that is controllable over IP, which
enables more capabilities in terms
of signal transfer, for example, from
wall boxes to an OB truck. Operators
can be at a remote location, away
from the actual
which is
InNABShow
production capability
camera supports
into
" essential " , if it
has not already happened. " For most
camera support and robotic products
there have been some small changes
in general, due to the ease of use of
existing optical
says.
he
difficult
camera position,
because, for
safety reasons at football games, the
TV crew is not allowed to stand in, or
next to the crowd any more. "
The requirement that is currently
for new designs,
calling
Waterbird Systems Autopod+ elevatino system on slider track
lens
" Imagine an 18-times
becoming equivalent to a 72-times
lens with 4-times electronic zoom. "
Miller, which has its headquarters
in Australia, recently
agreed
a
partnership deal with Hilversumbased
Villrich Broadcast Consultancy
& Sales to distribute its products
in the European Union. Villrich also
handles other support specialists,
including Waterbird Systems, known
for its sliders, Autopod Elevation
Units and Polecam jibs, minicams
and remote control systems.
Villrich Managing Director Richard
Villhaber highlights
the Waterbird
MSXL and Polecam AutoPod+ as
supports that " continue to grow and
develop " through integration with
other platforms using the VISCA
and VISCA-IP protocols, developed
by Sony for PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom)
cameras. Although smaller than other
camera types and usually mounted in
a fixed position, PTZ models are now
being used for a variety of broadcast
applications, which is calling for a
new style of support.
" PTZ
growth during Covid
integration saw massive
for obvious
reasons, " Villhaber comments, " but
it is still growing as the quality of the
cameras continues to improve as do
the accessories to support them,
such as Waterbird's MSXL camera
slider and the AutoPod+ elevation
systems from Polecam. These are
becoming a more common way of
supporting PTZ
cameras
to allow
remote operation of elevation as well
as tilt and zoom. The need for more
affordable and lighter systems came
when camera manufacturers brought
out
PTZs
and
cameras
reasonably
priced
broadcast quality cameras like the
Blackmagic Design URSA. "
PTZ
particularly
and
cart workstation
and
are being used
for TV sports coverage
base
station specialist INOVATIV is seeing
its smaller Voyager and Deploy carts
supporting this style of camera in
conjunction with mounting systems.
In the last few months the company
launched a redesigned version of
its Workstation Monitor Arm system
and announced the Motorised Apollo
cart, which it has been developing
over the past year.
Japanese tripod
manufacturer
Libec introduced an electric pedestal
specifically for PTZ cameras at the
2022 InterBEE show. The LX-ePed
and LX-ePed Studio enable users
to remotely control the height of
the camera and are available as
both floor spreader and dolly-style
models. More recently the company
launched the TH-V tripod system,
although this is not yet available on
the international market.
Most, if not all, upgrades and new
developments
of
camera support
gear are based on user requirements,
implementing changes
and
new
features that respond to the way they
are working today. This is the case
with the Egripment DigiLite remote
head, which is controlled over IP.
" We noticed that many people
INOVATIV Deploy workstation with Insight
Monitor Mounting, employing the manufacturer's
Camera Mount System with 100mm ball plate
wanted
to switch to a camera
support system with fewer cables, "
Libec's recently
introduced TH-V
tripod system
if not a
rethinking of how camera supports
operate, is virtual production. Velthof
acknowledges this has had a definite
impact on Egripment's
products
and product designs in the last few
years but that what it is doing now
stems from working with mechanical
tracking. " It required high precision
and accuracy, which was needed for
the calibration, " he says. " It has been
like this for several years and is a
major consideration when it comes to
the manufacturing of camera support
equipment. "
Miller, which worked
with
Egripment on a live remote camera
controller based on its Arrow FX fluid
head range, introduced products for
virtual
production relatively
early
on in the rollout of the technology.
" We released the Arrow FX for live
virtual broadcasting some time ago, "
comments Charles Montesin. " This
employs a magnetic ring counter,
which outputs accurate positioning
data of the pan and tilt position of the
head. It is being used successfully in
coverage of horse racing and field
sports for virtual advertising. The key
advantage in this kind of application
is revenue generation. "
Richard
Villhaber at
Villrich
Broadcast calls the integration of
Libec LX ePed
electric pedestal
for PTZ cameras
" Others
own mechanical
tracking systems, "
take a more
road by developing their
tracking system.
For example, Miller developed its
own encoded head for this purpose,
connecting with AR/VR systems
making use of the FreeD-compliant
command output. "
Nick Hayes, Director of Cinema
Sales in the US and Canada for ZEISS
Cinematography, observes that many
live TV productions are now looking
for " exciting and innovative ways " to
pull in audiences. " Adding camera
tracking to a virtual
workflow allows
virtual
productions
augmented
reality
production
to
create much more realistic content
through
production has become a common
practice for most
broadcast and
cine productions. This has caused
productions to consider how cameras
are supported and what kind
technology is needed for smooth
operation. "
ZEISS added camera tracking to
portfolio of optics and optotechnologies
its
electronic
through
the
acquisition in July 2023 of UK
developer Ncam. This merging of
specialities has
produced a new
camera and lens tracking system,
CinCraft
describes
system " that does
not have too
much of an impact on how cameras
and support accessories are rigged.
" One of its main benefits is that we
can track off natural features in the
environment, " he explains. " This
means we do not need to use
Scenario, which Hayes
as a " small, compact
of
or
sets, " he says. " Virtual
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