Who’s using PTZ cameras?
Written by Paul Richards on November 10, 2021
You can find PTZ cameras in many popular places including TV shows, courtrooms, houses of worship, schools, and event venues. PTZ cameras are often a crucial component of video production systems for the following:
- Broadcast Television
- Houses of Worship
- Sporting and Event Production
- Education: Distance Learning
- Corporate Training
- Live Events: Musical Performances, Theater, Conferences
PTZ Cameras used for Broadcast
Broadcast and Production
Broadcast TV studios have been changed forever since the advent of PTZ cameras because they allow producers to centralize their teams in a single location. Smaller studios are able to capture more camera angles with fewer actual cameras by using PTZ camera presets. The Broadcast Beat studio near Miami, Florida, uses PTZOptics 20X-NDI cameras that are located inside of teleprompters for onstage guests to read from. From the video production room, operators can remotely operate the cameras while they direct the talent with information shown on the various teleprompters. Each teleprompter also includes a tally light that lights up to let the onstage talent know which camera is live at any given moment.
PTZ Cameras used in House of Worship
House of Worship
Olivet Methodist Church in Coatesville, Pa. provides an example of how PTZ cameras are used. Many churches are large spaces that have ornate architectural details. The Olivet Methodist Church is hundreds of years old and the building’s details inspire anyone who enters. PTZ cameras provide houses of worship like Olivet Methodist Church the ability to have small and discreet cameras placed in out-of-the-way locations in order to preserve the building’s aesthetic appeal. Instead of having actual camera operators for each camera which would take up floor space, PTZ cameras appear in a few key locations that provide high-quality viewing options when they are displayed on projection screens or captured for live streaming to social media.
PTZ Cameras used for Music and DJ
Live Performance and Music
Another interesting example of PTZ cameras in action is DJ Deadmau5 who is known for his electronic music. Deadmau5 uses four PTZOptics 20X-SDI cameras mounted throughout his on-stage DJ cube. The Cube v3 is the third version of his mobile touring rig that is designed to create amazing visuals and entertainment during his live performances. DJ Deadmau5 uses PTZ cameras to project live images onto LED screens that appear outside of the cube. Using an advanced video processing engine, the video from each PTZ camera is enhanced to move in a variety of artistic movements that go with the music. The DJ cube actually rotates onstage and the PTZ cameras are set to rotate as the cube moves in order to generate interesting visual effects on the front of the cube.
PTZ Cameras used for Education
Education
The SAR school in Bronx, N.Y. has had great success with students using PTZ cameras to livestream sports. The school has an active broadcast club with multiple volunteer camera operators who help livestream home and away games. The live video is watched by parents who cannot make it to the game. The recorded video is then watched by coaches and players to review key plays. The school’s athletics director Joseph Dacorta says the recorded video helps the team prepare to play against teams that his team has recorded footage of. Josh Lewis, the IT specialist advising the club, says the students involved gain real-world experience and enjoy learning about the technology associated with live video production.
PTZ Cameras for Radio
Radio
Radio is an amazing medium. “Truly we reach so many people,” says Shawn Tempesta, the host of Mix 94.1’s afternoon show. In recent years, you will find that radio stations have started to live stream their shows on social media websites such as YouTube and Facebook. Tempesta explains, “the one problem is… in a digital world, there is no such thing as viral audio.” Motivated to grow his show’s presence online, Tempesta designed a live streaming studio with multiple PTZ cameras that are used to produce high-quality close-up shots of each host and an additional camera to capture additional shots of the entire studio.
Television Use of PTZ Cameras
Television
Television studios rely on PTZ cameras for a number of reality shows that require small discreet camera placement. PTZ cameras allow television producers to place cameras in locations that would otherwise take up too much space and ruin the integrity of a reality show setting. In the pictures above, BBC South Africa used over 20 PTZOptics 12X-SDI cameras mounted throughout a restaurant that were set up as the filming location for a dating show.
PTZ cameras are used in a variety of ways. PTZ cameras are enabling new ways to make video more accessible and practical from spreading the message of god, to live broadcasts in TV studios and beyond.
Key Takeaways:
- PTZ cameras are used for many different applications because they are easy to install and set up.
- PTZ cameras can be used in places where regular cameras and camera operators cannot be used.
- PTZ cameras are crucial for many broadcasting applications that require remote camera operation.
Learn more about PTZ Cameras
- See how PTZ cameras are transforming video production here
- Learn high level, what a PTZ camera really is here
- Learn about every essential part of a PTZ camera here
- Learn about who is using PTZ cameras here
- Learn about the different types of PTZ cameras here
- Learn how to use an IR remote control with your PTZ cameras here
- Learn about the various PTZ camera control options here
- Learn how to mount a PTZ camera here
- Learn how to set the exposure of your PTZ camera here
- Learn about PTZ camera operation best practices here
- Learn about all the latest PTZ camera features here
- Learn how to automate PTZ camera controls here
- Learn more about Networking PTZ cameras here
- Learn about the new ePTZ camera technology here
- Learn about how innovations in video production are changing the industry here
- Learn how to use PTZ cameras for remote production here
Download the PTZ Camera Operator Handbook
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