Vision mixing
is a real-time process: cutting between different cameras and video sources
requires precise timing. This is why nearly all vision mixers are operated
on-site, with the production desk connected by zero latency SDI cabling.
Sending video sources to the switcher over longer distances just isn’t an
option – video cables can only stretch so far and converting signals for
transmission over IP networks has always meant the kind of video delay that
makes live switching impractical...until now that is.
Datavideo’s
new SE-1200MU switcher effectively solves the problem of video
delay for remote live video switching.
It can
remotely switch 4 HD-SDI and 2 HDMI inputs, from another room, another city or
even another country. I didn’t believe it was possible, until I started
switching cameras set up in Manchester from my home near Brighton 250 miles
away.
Remote
multi-source viewer
Its clever
trick is not just to have remote control panel available over networks and the
internet, but also to have a really low-latency remote multi-viewer streamer
built-in too, so you can see all the sources live. If that’s not impressive
enough, the unit also offers high quality chromakey and costs under £1000.
The bitrate
required is low. Producers can just piggy back on existing internal IP
networks. With this set-up, there’s no longer any need to run SDI cabling down
corridors and through walls. And for programs that are being produced many
miles away from the action, the multiview can be sent over the Internet – again
at very low latency.
Use cases
When would
you use a switcher where the director isn’t in the same building? How about a
24/7 shoot in a vet’s surgery? Or a week-long conference taking place in
Doncaster? In these scenarios, a team of directors can be employed, each taking
a shift vision mixing, but without the need, expense or hassle of re-locating
them to the venue. In fact, with the SE-1200MU, each director can access the
system, in turn, from his-or-her own home.
The SE-1200
has 2 HDMI and SDI outputs too, so you could display the mix on a big screen
live at the venue while recoding and streaming through an encoder, such as
Datavideo's own NVS-25 H264 encoder or a similar product. Of course, when it’s
an event your director can physically attend, you can switch the system locally
like a traditional vision mixer, but the real value of the SE-1200MU is, of
course, in its remote switching capabilities, which opens up new possibilities
to consider when planning your next live video production.
This post was originally published here: Low-Latency Remote
Video Switching Could Change Live Broadcast Forever
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