BILLERICA, MASS. – Broadcast Pix today began shipping its Video Control Center 3.2 software, a free upgrade for its Granite and Mica integrated live video production systems.
“Reaching out and controlling cameras with the kind of integration in Version 3.2 really sets Broadcast Pix apart,” says Ken Swanton, Broadcast Pix CEO. “Plus our enhanced clip, graphic and switching systems provides a level of integration that enables a small crew to create amazing video.”
The new camera control software displays a thumbnail of each preset position on the system’s Fluent-View multi-view display. With new camera follow, each camera’s preset choices appear automatically when that camera is previewed on the switcher. Thumbnails can be created for 100 preset positions on each of 12 Panasonic robotic cameras, as well as 16 preset positions on each of 12 Sony robotic cameras.
Camera control is now integrated with Fluent Macros, a system that allows switching, file recalls, effects and camera moves to be recalled with one button push. It also includes finer manual control of pan, tilt and zoom to allow very slow zooms for long-range camera shots, plus support for Panasonic cameras installed using IP cabling.
“The new features will definitely benefit our use of robotic cameras,” said Dennis Bergeron, station manager for Holliston Cable Access, Inc., in Holliston, Mass. “Broadcast Pix has significantly improved our production of in-studio shows. Fluent Macros and built-in graphics, clip stores and animations have allowed us to improve the professional look of our productions.”
DNxHD, the native Avid 1080i or 720p file format, is also by Fluent Clip Server. Using Fluent Watch-Folders, 1080i DNxHD clips can flow into the system over a TCP/IP network directly from Avid editing stations. V3.2 also delivers additional options for ProRes and H.264 formats, adding 720p and SD to existing support for 1080i files.
Originally offered as a 1 M/E panel, the Granite 2000 can now be upgraded to a 2 M/E panel, providing a system with a small footprint and full 2 M/E functionality. The $1,900 option activates four buttons on the control panel that enable its entire M/E bank to shift to M/E 2, and adds buttons for transitions between M/Es. V3.2 also enables operators to use two control panels simultaneously.
The new Show Link feature allows each show to save and recall its own Fluent-View monitor layout and Fluent Macros, enabling different programs or operators to customize their productions to match their resources.
