Marshall PTZ Cameras Bring Competitive Robotics into Focus for C3Studios

WEBSTER, TX, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 ꟷWhen C3Studios, Clear Creek Independent School District’s live production student crew, was looking to expand and establish its C3Mobile team, Program Director Amber Pecsenye turned to Marshall Electronics. Tocapture off-site productions including the district’s Robotics Events Center, C3Mobile deploys over 25 Marshall CV730 PTZ cameras, with 20 of the CV730-BK (black) models mounted at the robotics center, one white CV730-WH for beauty shots, and five white CV730-WH’s designated for travel applications.  In addition, C3Mobile utilizes four VS-PTC-IP camera controllers, two of which stay at the robotics center and two for travel.

The new C3Mobile team supports audio/video requests from around the district. From streaming robotics tournaments and the FFA Livestock Show, to covering graduations and other school-related events. C3Studios also creates feature videos promoting the Career and Technical Education department’s initiatives.

Centered on competitive robotics, the Marshall CV730 PTZ cameras capture the action in the Robotics Event Center gymnasium. All the cameras can be operated by a single individual, using the VSPTC-IP camera controllers. The department is upping the ante by pushing out three simultaneous live streams of the matches. With a crew of 24 students, C3Studios has streamlined the production of its live steamed events and now only needs three students per stream.  For one particular robotics event, The C3Mobile team streamed 246 matches in a single day using only seven student positions.

Pecsenye and the team worked with BTS Houston (Broadcast Technical Services), a full-service broadcast systems integration, production and engineering solutions company, to build out the Robotics Events Center. “We built a four-column infrastructure for the CV730’s,” says Pecsenye. “We wanted to go big and we wanted to have every angle possible and not worry about missing a shot. We are using the CV730s in the corners and in the front of the field, and with the presets on the controllers, we are able to make sure we are capturing a cross shot of both teams competing, as well as crowd shots and award presentation shots. We do not need to have an operator in anybody’s eyesight, which is ideal for robotics. Using Marshall, we can capture any angle needed for any project.”

The Marshall CV730 camera features a 30x optical zoom block and flexible 12GSDI/HDMI/IP simultaneous outputs with crystal clear UHD images up to 3840x2160p at 60fps. Remote adjust and match settings include but are not limited to iris, zoom, pan/tilt, white balance, exposure, pedestal, over long distances or during setup with capable auto settings that track environmental fluctuations.

Pecsenye has been very pleased with her CV730’s. “We found the CV730’s have been very easy to use,” she says. “Just the fact that I can throw students into a situation with minimal instruction, and they are able to catch on right away speaks volumes for the camera. I find the zoom and easy focus to be standout features. Also, the ability to use both the toggle and the knob on the controller, and all the presets is amazing.”

Pecsenye and the crew use the Marshall VS-PTC-IP camera controller to operate seamlessly across multiple camera protocols on a single network. The VS-PTC-IP can set up seven cameras via RS232, 14 cameras via RS422, and 255 cameras via IP, which are all selectable through a single controller. The Marshall VS-PTC-IP is fully compatible with most PTZ cameras on the market, including all Marshall PTZ cameras. In addition, the ability to power the camera system using PoE is extremely beneficial, as the robotics center is an older building with not a lot of power.

“Working with Marshall has proven to be a wonderful experience,” says Pecsenye. This is a great program that utilizes top-of-the-line equipment, including the CV730 PTZ cameras. For the students, it’s a privilege to be part of the program and for me it’s an honor to work with such talented and intelligent young individuals. It’s exciting that our district supports us. They are not afraid to take chances and having access to the latest gear that is used at the professional level is really benefiting the students.”

C3Studios’ live production student crew is based at Clear Creek ISD Challenger Columbia Stadium. C3Studios students are learning and applying skills that position them for success in future careers. All students are introduced to a wide variety of live production positions including producer, director, technical director, replay, graphics, camera, audio and video shading.