Six months ago, if you told me I would be writing an article about a webcam for this magazine, I would have told you, “you’re nuts.” However, with us all becoming unwashed pajama-bottom-wearing homebodies, I feel like not reviewing these products is now borderline gross negligence. Funny how things change. With all that has taken place, with all the changes that have occurred and are still occurring in the church, things that were outlandish not long ago are becoming commonplace.
In that vein, the HuddleCamHD 4k ePTZ webcam is an exciting addition to the webcam market. By taking full advantage of a 4K image, this webcam has several features that will rank it above what you can pick up at the big box technology stores.
Worth noting
On the spec side, the HuddleCamHD 4k ePTZ itself is pretty impressive: 4K with a 108-degree horizontal field of view and 56.25-degree vertical field of view. The camera also features an 8x electronic pan, tilt, and zoom. Essentially, the zoom is a crop, which typically is not good because crops cost resolution. However, in this case, it works because no web conferencing application is using a full 4K resolution. The ePTZ allows you to crop into resolutions that are actually usable for web conferencing. For example, at full 8x zoom, the image is 480x270, which is pretty low, but for the web, having that zoom might be worth it. However, at 3x zoom, it’s still a 720 HD resolution image, which is what many of the web-conferencing services are throttled to. Hence, the resolution is functionally lossless up to 3x zoom.
The other real advantage of the 4K resolution is that you can set up multiple preset shots and switch between them using just one camera. For example, if there are four people, you can preset a tight shot of each person, a shot of each side of the table, and a wide shot, and cut between them as needed. Switching shots is as easy as changing channels on a TV remote, which is excellent for video conferencing. It gets better when you consider that the ePTZ is equipped with an auto-frame feature. When turned on, the camera will automatically frame shots based on the number of people in the frame. For example, if there are four people seated around a conference table, the ePTZ will frame the entire table. However, when the people on the right side of the table get up, it will automatically reframe for just the people seated on the left.
… the resolution is functionally lossless up to 3x zoom.
When it comes to the I/O, the ePTZ has some exciting options. There are two versions of this camera; one has superspeed USB 3.0 and HDMI ports and the other has a Standard USB and NDI port. If you already have an IP video infrastructure, adding the ePTZ via NDI is an excellent option because the camera can be controlled by mobile apps or production software like OBS, Wirecast, vMix, TriCaster, Livestream Studio, MimoLive, and hardware controllers such as Crestron, Extron, PTZOptics IP Joystick, and Elgato StreamDeck. If you don’t have the infrastructure for it, simply use the USB version. Both feature a beamforming directional microphone array for capturing audio.
Practical application
While it doesn’t have all the flexibility of real PTZ, its ease of use is extraordinary. The ePTZ is plug and play, and in my tests I had it working in a Google Meeting within moments of getting it unboxed. The image looked far better than the built-in webcam from my MacBook Pro. The menu system is easy to understand and navigate, and the remote works precisely like a standard TV remote. Once your shots are preset, switching between shots is as easy as changing the channel. And setting up the shots is simple using the directional controls on the remote.
CPM's reviewer notes that the menu system is easy to understand and navigate, and the remote works just like a standard TV remote.
There are only two critiques I have for the ePTZ. First is that all the software for setup and software control appears to be PC-only. While it isn’t needed to use the camera, it would be helpful if there were Mac-compatible apps, as well. In addition, it would be helpful if the individual camera shots could be recognized by some of the web streaming software as multiple individual cameras rather than as just one. I think that would increase the EPTZ’s value in a conference room setting where numerous people may be talking at the same time.
In conclusion, many churches have revamped and made serious changes to go to an online-only format. Some churches are currently streaming with whatever consumer camera they were able to beg, borrow, or steal from the congregation. In that case, being able to use a professional quality webcam like the HuddleCamHD ePTZ, right into OBS, offers a significant upgrade with less moving parts. Also, being able to switch through a few different shots during a worship service using just one camera raises the overall production value of your webstream. Even without having volunteers available, the EPTZ can do almost all the work using the auto-reframing feature.
Before the quarantine, I would never have suggested that a church’s tech team use the webcam for their online streaming. That said, I think with everyone attending online meetings, the expectations for online video have changed and become more forgiving. As a result, a full-featured webcam might be the right tool for the job--and with the starting price of $329, the HuddleCamHD 4k ePTZ could be a cost-effective solution that can raise the production of webstream without breaking the bank or sacrificing quality.
