Studio cameras: Return video feed

disco_al

disco_al

Member
I help to run a school tv channel, and we are about to buy two new cameras for studio use.

I used to be a studio cameraman myself, and what i want to have for these new studio cams, is the ability to view the live program (Tx) feed while operating each individual camera (i.e. the "return" feed, usually selected by pressing the return button on the camera handle, which toggles between the return feed and the camera's own feed on the viewfinder/monitor).

Because we can't afford high-end studio cameras, we are considering the Panasonic AG-HVX200 (but if you have any reccomendations in this price range, that might serve us better then please let me know!), and so with this camera or others like it, i think there are three ways to achieve what i need:

1. 1 LCD monitor with 2 video inputs that can be switched, mounted above each studio camera. Only problem with this is having to reach up to and press a switch on the monitor itself, which is a little awkward and may shake the camera. If there's a way to switch the sources going into the monitor with a remote or extended control that could be fixed to the camera arm, that would work. Anyone know of anything like this?

2. 1 LCD monitor with 1 input, along with an additional video switcher, taking in two feeds and feeding one to the lcd monitor on the camera, with the switch mounted to the camera arm. Does a "simple" switch like this exist, where by it allows one feed through unless the button is pressed causing the other feed to be displayed?

3. 2 LCD monitors that can be mounted together (stacked or side-by-side)above the studio camera. Does anyone know of a monitor or mount that can accomodate this? Doing it this way requires buying 4 instead of two monitors, but would eliminate the need to switch feeds. Any ideas?

So that's my dilemma. If anyone can offer any help with either solution, or offer any alternate solutions to my problem, i will greatly appreciate it.

Surely I am not the only person out there using "DV-style" cameras in the studio, who wants to have pro-style return video control/viewability?
 
Get a camera with SDI-out, which the HVX doesn't have. XL-H1 is a good choice but it's about $4,000 more than the HVX. I'd stick with SD unless your school is really planning on running HD. I doubt many schools would want to spend the money to do that. I work at a tv station and we aren't even HD yet.

Can't help you on the monitor side but here the cam ops don't have an option to view the live program and they haven't complained.
 
Thanks for the reply.

Why would i want SDI-out? Is it a better quality than composite & s-video? At the moment we us two ooooold Ikegami's which have S-Video outputs, which we feed into our mixer (has S-Video & Composite inputs), a datavideo se-800. In fact, right now we use two GL2's as studio cams because the ikegami's are almost dead.

We're considering the HVX200's as we won't be able to afford new cameras at this price for a while, so this way we're covered for any future desire to shoot HD.
 
I'm a big fan of "return video" and understand where you are coming from but unless
you are doing some fancy mixing/switching I wouldn't even consider it. If you are doing a studio set up, its easier to set up a studio monitor to let your camera people see the on/off air product
 
Yeah i have considered simply adding a monitor showing program output for cameras and any talent, only space is an issue for us, and having return video would add an extra level of professionalism we can teach the students, and it's a great thing to have too!

The monitor we have right now is behind the cameras, mounted to a wall, so they are always turning around to see whats going out over the air, which is what i want to eliminate. Being able to compare your shot to the live shot at the touch of a button, within one monitor is a really useful tool. Hopefully i can find a way to achieve it!
 
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