From PTZ to Hyper-PTZ: the technological leap that will reconfigure our production

On this platform, Manu Balseiro, technical trainer and responsible for Technical and Auxiliary Resources in RTVE, advances and conveys its vision on the Hyper-PTZ concept, a new category of PTZ that could anticipate the umpteenth transformation of the capture of broadcast environments.

Are we facing a new change of paradigm? Could we envision such qualitative progress as to adopt the concept of Hiper-PTZs?

A few days ago, thanks to Sergio Brighel and his white paper “Hyper-PTZ as an enabler of the next broadcast wave", I first read the term Hyper-PTZ in which the why change and adaptation to call certain robotic cameras as Hyper-PTZs.

In the first instance I seems excessive the term Hyper in a camera. Maybe I see it as too pompous anglicism. With negative connotations if this term came from a marketing or communication department of a brand or manufacturer. But no, it comes from a specialized executive in the robotics sector and broadcast studio productions. So at first we should assimilate that this term is not created to sell more or less cameras and so that the commercials of the future can have a keyword to hook a customer. Maybe it is the word itself, Hyper, which in Spanish does not have that natural force as others like Ultra-PTZ, Neo-PTZ, Pro-PTZ, etc. convey to me.

Leaving aside the name itself, are we facing a real paradigm shift? Both Sergio Brighel and many others are seeing a real and palpable evolution.

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The transformation of PTZs

If I go back to my professional beginnings, PTZ robotic cameras they have always been there. I'm talking about more than twenty years in the production of this country. And programs like Big Brother and substitutes, where they found in the PTZ world the solution to cover a production with dozens of camera positions affordably for a broadcast network. And not crash trying.

That's why I allow myself some freedom to comment on PTZs since they have been with me ever since. and I have experienced since technical rejection by motion or image quality, up to professional rejection by fellow cameras or technicians who saw our profession vilified in exchange for a surveillance camera.

The years go by, but a widespread concept still persists among professionals where PTZ cameras are second cameras. (…) But the day has come. That day where even our incredulous and venerable friends of the image are changing their minds. By force, by continuous results obtained.

The years go by, but a widespread concept still persists among professionals where PTZ cameras are second cameras. As if there had never been different qualities for different productions, the robotic ones were singled out for the worse. At least until now, where those of us who have worked with this type of cameras see that the day has come. That day where even our incredulous and venerable friends of the image are changing their minds. By force, by continuous results obtained.

And I'm not talking about robotics having reached the minimum technical requirement and narrative to be considered in a broadcast production. Panasonic In this sense, he has earned it year after year. I'm talking about manufacturers They have jumped that level by far.

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The PTZ era

On the one hand, due to the great current technological evolution and on the other because they have derived more resources from their companies to provide solutions to the growing PTZ world.

I'm talking about the giants of camera manufacturing that have joined the robotization, where there is no longer an international fair either IBC, NAB, ISE, etc., where even the smallest manufacturer is releasing their line of PTZ cameras.

Market giants that would not take a wrong step due to the amount of losses that this would entail if they did not have their marketing, sales and growth studies in audiovisual production assured.

Even guessing the future with the great development of AI and the small, for now, threat of assimilation of jobs and professions, the PTZ world may remain unharmed. Or even be an ally…

We can easily find sensors 1” and including Full Frame intended for digital cinematography. The most demanding market in terms of image quality. PTZs can now make movies.

We have PTZ cameras for productions UHD/4K that have evolved to such a point where the sensors and processors - the thing that collects the image - are of the same quality as cameras intended for broadcast. Sometimes even higher quality. We can easily find sensors 1” and including Full Frame intended for digital cinematography. The most demanding market in terms of image quality. PTZs can now make movies.

They may even have interchangeable optics –like the ILME-FR7 of Sony – or quality glass from large optical manufacturers such as lenses Carl Zeiss.

Colorimetry workflows to facilitate its integration with broadcast and cinematic color spaces and depth for SDR/HDR productions. Even dedicated spaces like the recent 709tone from Sony to make their PTZ easily comparable with their camera chains.

And with the ability to connect to RCPs for image control operators. Or with solutions from other manufacturers such as CyanView o Skaarhoy to have control panels with its mushroom for the diaphragm and other functions that facilitate the work regarding colorimetry.

The current engines are spectacularly accurate, with very slow or very fast movements if necessary. And with qualities that we previously only found in hot heads much larger budget.

Not to mention the IP connectivity and everything that entails facilitating installations, or the ability to power these cameras with PoE switchers capable of delivering power through the network cable.

Or if we comment on the movement itself, where the real narrative that a camera operator or a director is looking for comes together. The current engines are spectacularly accurate, with very slow or very fast movements if necessary. And with qualities that we previously only found in hot heads much larger budget. Along with hyper-developed control panels like the next one AW-RP200GJ from Panasonic capable of controlling other media such as camrails o telescopic towers.

We are facing a all integrated, de alta calidad de imagen y movimiento, con un presupuesto asequible, y capacidad para dar rienda suelta a las crecientes necesidades de los realizadores actuales. Y algunas, incluso con camcorders integrados, con todo lo que esto significa.

Por si todo esto no fuera poco, tenemos la integración de la IA –o programación avanzada como me corrigieron en un IBC– que nos dota de auto framing. Not automated monitoring that manufacturers offer to a greater or lesser extent, but rather self-framing. Not in relation to the cameras thinking about what framing is correct for each shot. Here there will always be an operator behind. But it maintains this automated tracking under a table composed of us. I have seen this technology first-hand a couple of years ago with the Sony BRC-AM7 and have been able to glimpse what this camera is capable of.

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A new phase for robotic cameras

The next step that I anticipate seeing is mobile units only with robotics. Supported by a minimal team, this time yes, hyper-qualified.

Some slow media managers, afraid of change and without a future perspective they will be out of combat.

Therefore, without fear of jumping into the void, I can say that we are indeed facing some new robotic cameras, sean Hiper-PTZs or with another name, which are changing our work.

I predict an exponential growth that will speak for itself – it already does – when even the advanced image-expert viewer cannot distinguish between a Hiper PTZ and another of the usual chain of cameras for broadcast productions.

Manu Balseiro

Technical trainer and responsible for Technical and Auxiliary Resources in RTVE