Bluebell claims first for remote robotic camera control
Bluebell Opticom, provider of fibre-optic solutions for fixed and remote applications, has announced the release of the BN385, claimed to be the industry’s first stand-alone remote robotic camera interface with dual GigE ports. With the lightweight BN385, Bluebell says broadcasters can easily integrate remote robotic cameras into a broadcast network or master control room, no matter where the cameras are installed.
“Controlling robotic cameras from a remote location used to require a combination of cards or enclosures, and the distance between the cameras and control rooms was limited by the cabling. The BN385 is the first fibre interface unit to offer camera control and robotic head operation via a dual-port Gigabit Ethernet link,” said Paul McCann, managing director of Bluebell Opticom.
“Whether it’s a fixed broadcast application such as linking the main chambers of a Parliament complex, or a mobile link such as a remote commentary position or a Spidercam, the connection is quick and easy, and placement is completely flexible.”
A lightweight, ruggedised aluminum enclosure intended to be fixed to the camera mounting bracket in any environment, the BN385 also can be used with a BC Series rack at the equipment room/truck end of the link. The unit features two 3G-SDI paths from the camera position with an optional genlock return, plus a dual-port GigE link on two single-mode fibres (with optional single-fibre operation). An IEC mains input (100-250 VAC) with a local DC output is designed to power the camera and minimise cabling at the remote position.
In a typical setup, users would assign one of the SDI paths for PGM video, the other for a feed with viewfinder overlay/menus, and the Ethernet ports for camera control and pan-tilt-zoom operation. The BN385 works in any broadcast infrastructure, whether fixed or mobile, to bring feeds from any meeting room, chamber, field of play, or other camera position back to the central engineering room, regardless of location.