Training from zero experience typically takes only a few hours, even on the TR-XT systems, to get to a level of competence for on-air use.”Įddershaw continued “Some customers will have a dedicated robotics operator doing nothing but that, but many will combine the role with other technical roles like camera set-up, lighting and even vision switching. The systems are specifically designed for live on-air use so considerable effort goes into making the process quick and easy – no menus or selection required, just hit a button and move on. At that instant all position data is captured and permanently stored away for precise recall whenever required. At that point the shot can be stored, either by pressing a button on the panel, or touching an available thumbnail square within the onscreen grid of the TR-XT. How are they programmed and who is responsible for this? “Regardless of which panel is used, shots are stored by positioning the camera with the joystick until framing is as required. Depending on the robotics being controlled, and the program type, there’s a panel to suit.” From the extremely simple TR-HP ‘Hot Panel’ which is essentially a joystick with a handful of preset shots only, through the TR-B Basic Panel, TR-S Shot Panel (with 900+ shots per camera capability) right up to the TR-XT which is a full specification panel with PC and touchscreen providing unlimited shots, thumbnail shot recall and multi-shot keyframe sequences for complex on-air moves of XYH studio pedestals like SmartPed. What type of systems operate the robotic camera? “We have a wide range of control panels / systems. It’s always down to the customer’s personal choice, and the Shotoku system is able to support any or all of these configurations.” At the other extreme there are the many customers who will have control rooms spread across the country – studios anywhere in the network can be controlled from anywhere else if the network is in place, providing truly nationwide coverage if required. In some cases, the robotics operator will sit in a corner of the studio so they can maintain the traditional overview of all cameras, presenters and guests just like a traditional set-up. Where are they operated from? “Customers will usually place the control panels in a central control room, often alongside the program director or technical director. Similarly for the camera mounting, there are industry standard thread dimensions and bolts for fixing cameras and teleprompters which will affix directly to the robotic PT head.”
How are Shotoku robotic systems fitted to the camera and tripod? “The robotics heads are equipped with standard 4-bolt flat mounting plates compatible with all mid- to heavy-duty tripods and pedestals, so usually no adaptation is required. Shotoku manufactures manual camera support gear, robotic control systems and virtual/augmented reality tracking solutions to accommodate all market segments ranging from broadcast, studio and field production, outside broadcast/mobile applications to ProAV. The first set of questions and answers are from James Eddershaw, managing director of Shotoku Broadcast Systems. The Broadcast Bridge asked two leading robotic camera systems manufacturers about the latest trends in studio robotics in their respective markets. The increasing quality and popularity of PTZ cameras has made robotic studio production available to a much wider market demanding similar professional camera-work results like they see on national TV.
Studio camera robotics are a reliable and practical automatic camera operations solution to get the best camera angles and shots for many budgets. Sub-standard camera operation is often the first production anomaly that catches viewer’s attention. What’s interesting about all TV production is that viewers always compare the quality of what they see on their screens to the multi-million dollar, tightly controlled national network TV content they’re used to watching. Virtual Sets Changing The News/Sports Production Environment Automating Workflows Gets More News Into Viewers’ Hands Fasterīooming News Consumption On Mobiles Challenges Video Service ProvidersĪchieving Better Storytelling With LED Walls In News
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