IBC: Shotoku To Show Expanded Pan/Tilt Head Series And Enhanced Control Systems

Shotoku Broadcast Systems, international manufacturer of  robotic and manual camera support systems, is heading to IBC 2022 (Amsterdam, Sept. 9-12) with an expanded line of pan/tilt heads and enhanced control systems that will be demonstrated at stand 10.F38. The company will also be showing its full range of semi and fully-autonomous systems highlighted by SmartPed, the company’s flagship fully robotic pedestal, and SmartRail rail camera system.

TG-47 Pan and Tilt Head — The latest addition to the Shotoku range of pan and tilt heads, the TG-47 sits between the well-established TG-27 and TG-18i heads in terms of payload. Like all Shotoku heads the TG-47 moves with fine control and smoothness for perfect on-air moves. With a payload of 22kg it can support a wide range of cameras and accessories, including typical 17-19” teleprompters. Being compact and lightweight, it can be used in smaller studios and on SmartRail ceiling systems too.

TR-XT Control System — The latest version of the TR-XT control system will be on show highlighting the wide range of powerful features available whether controlling simple PT heads or multi-camera fully robotic SmartPeds and Rails. With smoothed key-frame sequences as standard and now with AutoFrame face tracking options, TR-XT really is the state of the art in studio robotics control.

Orchestra CMS v3 Automation for Parliamentary TV — The new Orchestra CMS v3 is a powerful automation system specifically designed for parliaments and legislatures, providing a high level of multi-camera control for semi- or fully-automated operation. Orchestra is capable of controlling a large number of pan and tilt heads within a full-size debating chamber and is fully integrated with audio conferencing systems for rapid shot acquisition following active microphones. A high-resolution UI touch screen is provided for manual control and immediate indication of active shots and seat positions.

SmartPed Robotic Pedestal — SmartPed, a fully robotic studio pedestal and the flagship of Shotoku’s product range, is in use around the world at leading TV news broadcasters. SmartPed gives broadcasters the flexibility to effortlessly position full camera payloads to any floor position in the studio. Supporting remote and local operation and with full VR/AR compatibility, SmartPed is the perfect solution for any live news/sports TV studio looking for exceptional on-air performance and increased production efficiency.

SmartPed supports traditional Relative navigation systems with a ‘home’ reference tile or Absolute methods provided by optical camera tracking systems supplied either as existing third-party systems or Shotoku-supplied and embedded within SmartPed itself.

SmartRail — For studios where floor or ceiling rail cameras are required Shotoku’s SmartRail system is ideal. With an industry leading range of elevation columns SmartRail can be installed in almost any studio – even those without traditionally high studio ceilings. Being rail mounted enables the camera to move in perfect smoothness regardless of the floor condition or studio environment. Ceiling mounted rail systems enable the studio floor to be completely clear of cameras and cables providing a uniquely clean visual appearance and freedom of movement for presenters and guests alike.

For IBC, the SmartRail system will be demonstrated in floor configuration and will showcase the very latest addition to the range of elevator columns, the high-performance X-Height column.