lxkev Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 I'm looking at setting up a video relay system using wireless 2.4GHz........ My plan is one colour camera focused on stage/with infra red transmitting on 2.4GHz using this transmitter http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criter...Y&DOY=29m10 Then using three receivers. http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=...7&criteria= receiver one: Control Roomreceiver two: Orchestra PITReceiver Three: stage right prompt corner Receiver three will also have a AV splitter http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=L82AH which will send feeds down to the changing rooms. However Im stuck on what type of camera is best for this application, and would appreciate any advice on a suitable camera.... Currently looking at: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criter...0&source=15 Many Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broadcast_techie Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 just a note on the camera, the range for the infared is claimed at 50m, how far is the back of the stage to where you are planning on hanging it? As for 2.4Mhz tx, how much metal work will be in the way between it and the rx? quoted range is line of sight with nothing at all in the way, or near by. - yes this kit is great at home to go between one floor, but this is a professional theatre... also there's the whole 'picture quality' issue. Firstly what's the life span of the equipment? Secondly, are you after the ability to see blobs moving across the stage, or would a nice sharp picture be needed, if the latter then I'd seriously consider wired system. The quality is also determed by your monitors, are you using old worn out tv's or nice new LCD's. If you invest today, you won't have to replace kit today. Kris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete McCrea Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Ok:TX £19.99TX PSU £9.00RX £44.97 (3x 14.99) Total: £74.95 250m of Type 100 Satelite coax for £118 from VDC. Click here for Details. It is suitable for CCTV usage. it won't be under the same problems with interference that the 2.4Ghz spectrum could be. I prefere cables. You know where you are with them, especially for long term type installs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Chivers Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I'll second the wired approach. We recently had to set a 'shell' theatre up for a summer season. It had been de-comissioned at the end of the last season. Initially we were using RT comms, but it was a relief when we could switch to wired comms. Even with these radios, which should give up to 1 mile in good conditions (far further than the system suggested for the video link), we were subject to signal drop-outs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxkev Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 System will have LCD Screens and old TV in places...... Its only a small theatre, all the receivers will be in the auditorium aprox 20 meters from the Camera. The reason I'm looking at the wireless is that its a multi purpose venue doing theatre in the round one day and proscenium the next. So the idea to be able to locate the camera anywhere in the space without running cables is great :-) Amy views on cameras? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Its only a small theatre, all the receivers will be in the auditorium aprox 20 meters from the Camera. Surely this makes it even easier to run cables! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broadcast_techie Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I have recently used cat5 video balun (however you spell them) to great effect at leeds festival. 80m cat5, worked a treat. the advantage of this is that it was one cable, no separate mains / video... very easy to re rig and guaranteed to work without the risk if interference from anything else using the 2.4MHz... why not do a bit of future proofing of the venue at the same time and install cat5e/6 patch panels all over the place, (if it already exists then even better / extend it) has multiple uses and is very flexible, plan it well and you'll not tie any equipment to particular locations, all you need to do is swap a patch lead. if you are needing to make a cost plea then remember that the baluns are about £10/pair from ebay - fairly fast delivery from hong kong. Also the network will give you many more years of use than a few fixed wires. (which are still better than wireless) Kris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Allen Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Also take lighting dimmer interference into account as it can cause interference to wireless distribution in some venues. Run the dimmers at 30% for noisiest interference output. Usually dimmer interference is a result of poor mains distribution. Some wireless systems can be affected by the close proximity of cellular mobile base stations. The strong signal strength affects the agc of the wireless receivers and can cause reduced range. Always handy if you can try before you buy as you are sometimes forced into wired systems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxkev Posted October 31, 2006 Author Share Posted October 31, 2006 Ive used a cheap ebay 2.4 wireless cam and there was no prob with the wireless. but the cam was cheap and the pic was dreadful....Thus im looking for advice on what cameras are good for this type of use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emsgeorge Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 You need a decent camera - and thats the bit that costs the cash !. We did this in our theatre only recently : Cameras: the cheapest of cameras are CMOS type - they are no good for anything more than 5 metres away (the 'B&Q' type we call them!) and are of very low quality.CCD cameras are the 'professional' type used by most shops etc, and are higher quality. We went for a dome camera tpye first of all, and then changed - the body cameras are a lot more versatile. Colour works well, but only with enough light. Black and White cameras work down to virtually no light, and you can suppliment them with infra red if you want to (ebay is a good source of cheap LED based infra red lights) or, if you are felling flush, then go for a day / night camera - excellent colour, and will switch to black and white when its too dark for colour. With a body camera, it means you can change lenses easily, and if you get a zoom lens, yo can change the view you get. We have got ours at the rear of the auditorium, and use a manual zoom lens, to either have a 'zoomed in' view of the stage only, or a 'zoomed out' view, which shows most of the auditorium as well as the stage. Good if you need a cue from the auditorium. We used RG59 coax cable, and crimp on BNC cables (crimps are about 10p each from ebay - or over £1 each from maplin !!!!. Cable was about £13.00 a reel of 100m. You can either feed the camera to the tv's in a daisy chain, or if you want (and this is the way we did it) feed the camera cable to a central store / location, (we used our telephone exchange room) and then an individual cable to each dressing room and prompt desk etc. With this way, we couldnt affortd an amplifier initially, but this gave us the option to put one in if we needed to. All the feeds worked fine, and didnt mind being distributed 5 ways, with minimal signal loss. We terminated the coax at the patch area with BNC's, and then used 't pieces' to connect it all together. Well pleased with the install, and now the money is less tight, we have put a rack on the wall, and a cheap rack mount video amplifier as well. The next thing will be a switcher to alternate the sources in the dressing rooms from a central point - so we can feed camera footage, or dvd / video footage to the dressing rooms (had the idea of an evacuation / 'what to do' style DVD on a loop for the first few hours of a company coming in, you never know, they might actually learn something from it !!). Screens are a mixture of LCD and TV screens, and with currys selling TV's for £60, and Richer Sounds selling 14" LCD's for £130, it will be all LCD soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henny Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 if you want to be able to move the cam about easy as mentioned in an above post try, cpc's cctv cable http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/pa...jsp?SKU=CB02516 it has video,12v, and 3 spare lines for data. we use it for ptz dome cams we use in events work, with 7pin XLR on each end, warning dont send 12vac down the cable only 12vdc, or you will get AC interferance on the video. ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Beere Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 Just Installed a relay system in a professional theatre. Tried using a wireless system didn't really work. Poor quality of picture was the main reason don't think that the amount of metal work really helped (RSJ'S). Final System ended up being Colour camera with ir function.here The System ran to both sides of backstage, 2 dressing rooms and control box. I used a 1 input - 5 output booster and a humbug to boost quality and to reduce distortion. R59 is definitely what you want and RS is a great dealer for it. Hope this Helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonymaslen Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I would go with the cable option all the time.... you still have to get power to the cameras so hard wire the cabling in and relocate the cameras as required/ or buy another camera! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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