DOWNINGTON, Penn.—The robotic camera manufacturer, PTZOptics and its sister company HuddlecamHD have announced new offerings that will help users building fully networked video production workflows.
As part of that effort, PTZOptics has released the PT-JOY-G4, a camera control joystick offering serial or network-based camera control and has rolled out NDI, Network Device Interface technology, to their SimplTrack2 and HuddleView cameras, which provide auto-tracking and auto-framing of subjects, respectively.
NDI enables users to encode, transmit, and receive multiple streams of broadcast-quality, low latency, frame-accurate video and audio in real time.
PT-JOY-G4 Joystick features outputs for RS-232, RS-485, RS-422, and Ethernet control signals and can connect to new equipment and legacy cameras from a wide range of brands, including PTZOptics, Sony, and others. The joystick offers the ability to switch between network and serial input protocols with the touch of a button, the company said, and is ideal for organizations in the midst of upgrading to IP-based video.
“We really wanted this joystick to just work,” says Matt Davis, director of technology & information systems at PTZOptics. “No matter what cameras you’re using or what kind of control signals you’re sending, adding the PT-JOY-G4 into your production workflow makes your life instantly easier.”
HuddleCamHD has also announced a move to NDI. A firmware update released on June 2 brings NDI|HX capabilities to the SimplTrack2 and Huddleview cameras. Once the firmware is installed, the cameras will instantly be discoverable as NDI devices; users will need to obtain an NDI|HX license from Vizrt Group for each device for full functionality.
Pre-licensed NDI SimplTrack2 and Huddleview cameras are slated to begin shipping in early 2022.
“Our enterprise customers have been clamoring for this,” says Davis, “And for good reason. Now, they’ll be able to manage hundreds of cameras—or send feeds to hundreds of endpoints—centrally and securely, using their existing local area network infrastructure."
The companies also noted they have expanded free training resources for NDI, which can be accessed here.
