Since the virus shutdown two years ago, an exciting live-streaming takeover of the internet has been happening every weekend as churches of all sizes live-stream their worship services. It has been exciting to see how manufacturers have responded at all price points with HD cameras to fill this need for compelling, high-quality video. I’ve especially enjoyed seeing how robotic cameras (Pan/Tilt/Zoom or PTZ cameras) have expanded to include lower price points to help any ministry get a camera in their space and be able to install it anywhere they need. I’ve recently been impressed with PTZOptics' latest HD video camera, which is packed with features that give all the flexibility a church could hope for.
Everything You Need for Streaming Success
First off, the PTZOptics PT12X-NDI-GY Broadcast Camera has all the features necessary for successful streaming. Its small form allows flexible installation options on a wall, on a portable stand, hanging from a ceiling, etc. Secondly, engineering features related to image quality like a wide dynamic range, a new CMOS sensor with low video noise reduction, advanced/one-push white balance modes, and a wide variety of HD sizes and frame rates help deliver the picture quality church techs are looking for. It’s worth noting that the PT12X-NDI-GY has solid image quality without moving into a higher-costing PTZ for highly specialized broadcast environments. The PT12X-NDI-GY also has a variety of ways to get the video signal to the switcher: SDI, HDMI, and the NDI video over ethernet protocol. But the features I’m excited about the most on this camera are the multiple options for control!
Church techs that ask me about using PTZ cameras in their worship spaces understand the available features at different price points. But many have experienced some disappointment when finding out that they’d maximized their budget with cameras and forgot about budgeting for control. The PTZOptics PT12X-SDI-GY solves this problem because of its wealth of control options.
I must confess… I haven’t had as much fun with a robotic camera as I had setting up and using the MIDI control software for the PT12X-NDI-GY Broadcast Camera.
Midi Keyboard Control
The first control option with this camera is buying one of three available PTZOptics joystick camera controllers –– each with different price points and capabilities. Secondly, if you choose the software route instead of the hardware route, you can use PTZOptics' free camera control application to control cameras connected via IP and USB. Another option is using a free plugin from the PTZOptics website to control cameras with the no-cost, downloadable OBS stream encoding software. But this reviewer was impressed by the option to control the camera with a MIDI keyboard!
I must confess… I haven’t had as much fun with a robotic camera as I had setting up and using the MIDI control software for the PT12X-NDI-GY Broadcast Camera. My first thought was how much value PTZOptics added by providing something like MIDI control for this camera. I must say here that the MIDI Control feature is still in beta testing. However, some quick emails back and forth from tech support had me up and controlling the camera in no time. A firmware update on the camera was needed, which was accomplished using the Firefox browser on my Intel-based MacBook Pro running macOS 12.6.1, and the MIDI control was set up using the Chrome browser.
I used an Akai MPK Mini for my test with a MIDI controller. This inexpensive controller is readily available online, in music stores, and is probably owned by someone on your worship team or in your student ministry. The support documentation was helpful for the final setup and getting ready to test. Then, the moment of truth came –– I set the software to start controlling the camera, checked the default settings feature, and pressed keys on the keyboard. Wow! I was controlling a PTZ camera with a piano key!
As a keys guy who owns his own keys rig running MainStage, I was like a little kid on Christmas controlling this camera. The pan, tilt, and zoom features were so fun to maneuver with the keyboard. I put the camera through its paces, saved some quick recall settings, and mapped them to the keyboard. Then, I moved the camera in the opposite direction and zoomed it out. I touched the key I programmed for the quick recall, and boom! The keyboard triggered the camera to go precisely where I had previously programmed it.
It’s special because this camera allows churches and other ministries to maximize their budget on cameras, using a MIDI controller…
You might be wondering if that’s kind of strange that I was so excited about controlling a robotic camera with a MIDI keyboard. I bet you’re asking, why that is so special? It’s special because this camera allows churches and other ministries to maximize their budget on cameras, use a MIDI controller or the free OBS software for control, then plan for an upgrade in 6 months or so to a traditional joystick control surface. This control flexibility for PTZ cameras was out of the budget for most churches just a few years ago. Now, all that flexibility is packed into a camera with various video outputs in a price range that many churches can afford. That’s why this is exciting. Churches looking to upgrade the production of their broadcasts have a product that meets their many requirements.
I love helping churches find a solution that will help them with their current needs but gives them an easy upgrade path. The PTZOptics PT12X-NDI-GY checks all the video qualities and features you would expect in a robotic camera at this price point and still gives you more. The flexible control features that come with the camera are equally impressive, providing churches with tech options that can prove to be vitally helpful.
