Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

AVoIP Case Study: City of Riverview Upgrades Meeting Coverage

A first-time video professional gets an intuitive interface and wider capabilities through an IP upgrade at City Hall

The City of Riverview, Mich., wanted to improve coverage of city meetings with a more streamlined interface and broader reach for streaming and on-demand.

With this in mind, the City Hall control room was upgraded PTZ cameras and a BPswitch MX integrated production switcher from Broadcast Pix. The system is used to produce and broadcast coverage of one school board and two city council meetings each month.

According to Kim Harper, IT manager for the city, intuitive controls were a selling point because the city utilizes non-technical personnel in production. The Broadcast Pix Commander touchscreen control platform is a streamlined user interface that makes it easy to execute sophisticated productions, with  intuitive controls simplify switching, PTZ camera control, and the use of graphics, clips, and effects, as well as an in-chambers document camera.

Lawrence Cross, cable producer, said four PTZOptics PTZ cameras follow the meeting activities, with three cameras covering the dais and one camera positioned to capture guest and visitor comments. The Riverview control room includes both a touchscreen and traditional control panel. Cross said the cameras can be positioned using a traditional control panel or with preset macros through the Commander interface that automatically focus on members of the council.

A document camera, used in chambers to display supporting information during meetings, is also fed into the video switcher. Plus, meeting coverage includes limited graphics produced with BPswitch’s integrated NewBlueNTX multi-layer 3D motion graphics CG during productions. BPview, the system’s customizable multi-view, populates two screens in the control room.

Riverview is Cross’ first job in professional video, and he said he was able to quickly learn the workflow for meeting coverage using BPswitch. “I can put a show together in 10 minutes,” he says. “It’s really easy.”

Meetings run live on local Comcast and WOW! cable channels, and are streamed live and available on-demand on the city’s website. Meetings are shot in HD but downconverted to SD for cable distribution. Sound Planning Communications in Redford Township, Mich., handled the sale and system integration.

 

Featured Articles

Close