What to Look for When Choosing a PTZ Camera

What to Look for When Choosing a PTZ Camera By BirdDog

By BirdDog

The image sensor matters

There’s an old saying ‘garbage in, garbage out’ and this holds true for the component most important to the overall picture quality you will get out of your PTZ; the sensor. It’s always best to carefully consider the sensor type, manufacturer, and model. Many manufacturers use low quality sensors which can negatively impact the picture quality and low light performance, so the type and model of sensor should be top of your list when looking for your next PTZ camera.

• Look for a sensor designed for broadcast video use. Sony Exmor R back-illuminated sensors are the gold standard for amazing picture performance while still delivering at a competitive price point.

• Many PTZ cameras cut corners and use of security camera sensors which won’t perform as well in any lighting conditions.

• Beware of sensors advertised in MP or Megapixels. No broadcast sensor is ever advertised this way.

Movement & Control

PTZ cameras are a tactile experience so it’s worth ensuring your camera has precise and fast movements and control. Look for:

• Cameras that can Pan and Tilt simultaneously. Many models will either Pan or Tilt but often not at the same time. This is a key feature of BirdDog PTZ’s, being able to move diagonally in a smooth motion without stepping.

• Zoom aware movements. When a camera is zoomed in even a slight adjustment can seem way too dramatic. A PTZ camera should always have zoom aware movement controls to provide the most human and tactile user experience.

More connections means more flexibility

Look for more connection options to increase flexibility. Multiple connection types increase your options to connect to varying platforms.

• USB UVC is great for video conferencing applications like Zoom

• HDMI is great for connecting to a screen and low-cost HDMI production switchers.

• SDI allows connection to broadcast infrastructure

• Full NDI gives unrivalled IP connection compatibility to an entire ecosystem of hardware and software products

Full NDI support

NDI is an AV over IP format that has taken the world by storm. Zoom and Teams supports NDI output meaning there are already hundreds of millions of devices on the planet that support NDI. There is also an entire ecosystem of NDI tools ranging from hardware converters, and software applications for live streaming, live production, broadcast, conferencing, and more. There are a few NDI format options such as NDI HX2 and NDI HX3 so it’s important to look for Full NDI to deliver:

• Full NDI delivers the lowest latency.

• The highest picture quality. Visually lossless, broadcast quality images.

• A little-known fact is that all software-based tools are natively Full NDI, not NDI HX. When you output any software it will be Full NDI—the same format right through.

• Full NDI simply offers lowest latency, better picture quality, and 100% software compatibility.

One Cable Operation.

When using Full NDI from a PTZ camera, you can connect to a PoE+ switch and run a single ethernet cable. This then delivers video, audio, tally, power, and the ability to control the PTZ movements all over one cable. This makes the PTZ’s ideal for fixed installations and removes the need for camera operators at each camera.