PALISADES, N.Y.—The Video Call Center (VCC) is assisting content producers in meeting the challenge of integrating video shot with smartphones, tablets and laptop computers into broadcast-quality productions during the COVID-19 pandemic by combining tools like the AJA Video HELO H.264 streamer/recorder and ROI scan converter with its own video call production platform, VCC announced. 

“HELO is one of my favorite tools,” said Jackie Lennon, manager, Marketing & Administration, at the VCC. “It allows us to run our business the way we want, while also allowing our clients to reap the full benefits of our solutions.”

During live shows, the call center optimizes each remote based on the smart device in use, apps used to make calls and internet connections. It adjusts lights and camera angles to ensure clean video feeds—often making these adjustments in seconds, the VCC said.

“We can monitor, take care of quality and framing control from anywhere with an internet connection, without adding additional latency,” said Lennon, who added that the ability to record with HELO has been helpful.

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The AJA Video HELO plays a crucial role in monitoring the quality of all the video calls, the VCC said. Before HELO was introduced into the VCC setup, endpoints and call producers needed to be in the same location. HELO makes it possible to monitor real-time feeds remotely from anywhere.

The AJA Video ROI mini-converter has enabled required video outputs and supports a diverse range of audio formats that clients request, the VCC added.

More than 30 AJA Video HELO units are located at the facilities of VCC clients, and a few more are on-site at the company’s headquarters to enable its Host Automation Tool (HAT) workflow, the company said. 

More information is available on the AJA Video and VCC websites.

GRASS VALLEY, CALIF.—AJA Video has announced that its new ROI-SDI scan converter is now available for shipping. Featuring Region-of-Interest (ROI) controls for SDI sources, the ROI-SDI scan converter is in a portable mini-converter form factor and boasts a 3G-SDI input and simultaneous 3G-SDI and HDMI outputs.

The new AJA scan converter provides aspect ratio conversion, audio functionality, and allows users to rotate source signals, define a portion of an image, or reframe the source image from a 3G-SDI signal. It can be paired with AJA Mini-Config software to select a region-of-interest in real time and on screen with control over how that region is scaled to the output resolution.

Additional features for the ROI-SDI scan converter include a 3G-SDI BNC loop out; USB port for device configuration via the AJA Mini-Config; support for 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 625i and 525i video formats; two-channel analog RCA audio outputs; embedded eight-channel SDI audio; and two-channel and eight-channel embedded HDMI audio.

AJA is offering the ROI-SDI scan converter for $995.