- VIDEO CAMERA SWITCHERS HOW TO
- VIDEO CAMERA SWITCHERS ARCHIVE
- VIDEO CAMERA SWITCHERS PORTABLE
- VIDEO CAMERA SWITCHERS SOFTWARE
VIDEO CAMERA SWITCHERS HOW TO
Switchers can look complex with all of their buttons and knobs, but they aren’t that difficult to learn how to use. Others allow a pair of audio inputs from a soundboard or single source, while others don't even pass on embedded HDMI or HD-SDI audio and require the use of an external audio soundboard.Things to Consider When Buying Video SwitchersĪ good switcher is necessary for video productions because it essentially brings everything together and allows you to control all of your special effects with one device. Some video switchers have built-in, full-fledged audio mixing consoles with multiple audio inputs.
VIDEO CAMERA SWITCHERS ARCHIVE
Some video switchers offer additional outputs for SD outputs on an HD switcher, as well as auxiliary outputs that can be programmed to duplicate any of the inputs, the preview, the program output, or additional program outputs for archive recording. In addition to preview or multi-view outputs, the webcast encoder needs to have a program output unless the video switcher is housed in a computer. While HD-SDI might be the gold standard for running cable on the video input side, HDMI for the preview monitors is widely used, largely because of the cost and availability of large HDTVs and computer monitors that have HDMI inputs. In order to preview each video input, a switcher needs to have a preview output for each video input or a multiview output. Some video switcher models have more than one available connector type for a given single input, so the number of effective video inputs can be lower than the number of available input connectors. When you're choosing a switcher you should also consider the number of video inputs by type and total active inputs. Alternatively, a video converter can be used to convert and/or scale a video camera or computer signal to a compliant video switcher input. HD-SDI cable, otherwise known as BNC cable, has a bayonet connector and locks securely while the other standards easily can be pulled out accidentally.Ĭonsumer cameras often lack HD-SDI outputs and computers use HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, or VGA, so having a native computer input on the video switcher is a consideration. HD-SDI is the gold standard for video switcher input connectors because this single cable can run longer than the equivalent consumer HDMI standard and requires one-third as many cables as the analog component video standard.
VIDEO CAMERA SWITCHERS PORTABLE
The two components are connected, typically by an Ethernet cable.Īll-in-one hardware solutions are more portable than individual components, but this also means that all of the cables converge on the video switcher and aren't easily concealed, and the footprint on the tech table can be much larger.
VIDEO CAMERA SWITCHERS SOFTWARE
The video switcher component is housed in either a rackmount case or in a computer, and the control panel can either be a software computer interface or a hardware control panel. So what features are important for a video switcher purchased for use in a streaming video workflow? Form FactorĪll-in-one hardware solutions integrate the control panel and the video switcher while others separate the two components. The video quality from the previous generation of analog video switchers varied greatly, but the current breed of digital video mixers theoretically output an identical video signal as the input signal when effects or mixing aren't used. Switcher hardware ranges considerably from inexpensive two-input models that lack any features other than a two-button video input selector to large studio consoles that cost more than a Porsche 911. The video production switcher is operated by a technical director who selects or mixes a program output from the available video inputs.