In this video, you can see how Shiloh Ministries in Mercer, Pennsylvania has set up and optimized the SimplTrack2 auto-tracking camera inside of their house of worship. The SimplTrack2 is an auto-tracking camera that is ideal for large spaces because it features a 20X optical zoom with the ability to automatically track a subject on stage. This allows you to mount the SimplTrack2 up to 55 feet away from the stage and still capture close up views of your pastor during live-streamed services.

When you are setting up a SimplTrack2, you have a couple video options to consider. First of all, you can connect the auto-tracking camera directly to any computer using a USB 3.0 port. This is ideal for Zoom meetings where your pastor wants to stay connected with an online audience. You can also use the USB connection for simple streams using a software like OBS for example, to live stream a sermon to Facebook. The SimplTrack2 also features an SDI connection which is better for long cable runs back to a video production area. SDI cables generally require a SDI to USB capture card or hardware video switcher to use with a live streaming software like OBS, Wirecast or vMix so that you can connect to Facebook Live, YouTube or Zoom. The camera also features a DVI/HDMI video output of the camera that can be used with HDMI based video switchers. Many churches like to use the HDMI output with a confidence monitor so that the pastor can see where the camera is at all times. The DVI output can easily be converted to HDMI and used with hardware video production systems like the ATEM which include a USB output that you can connect to your computer for live streaming and video recording.

Most churches wall mount the SimplTrack2 on a wall that is out of the way like this one here. The SimplTrack2 can be powered with the included power supply or a PoE injector, like this one from PoE Texas. Once installed, you should also connect the camera to ethernet. The ethernet connection allows you to control the camera remotely. Once everything is set up, you can easily setup the SimplTrack2 to work in your church so that you have a camera man 24/7 whenever you want to record a video to produce a live stream.

Back at your computer, you can run the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 software to set up the auto-tracking parameters. This is a once and done set up process, but it’s helpful to have your pastor present so you can tweak the tracking speeds to their presentation style. For example, if your pastor likes to walk around a lot, you may want to dial in the tracking sensitivity and pan speeds. When you first set up the SimplTrack2, you need to set up the tracking zone. This is used to tell the auto-tracking camera where your pastor will be walking around. If there is a projector or television on stage, you can use the blocking zones to remove those areas from the tracking area.

While you are in the software, consider the framing you would like for your camera. You can have the camera track your pastor with a close up head and shoulder shot or you can use a full body shot showing head to toes. To do this, you need to set preset 0 as your entire stage and preset 1 for your close up framing. Once this is all done, you can click the track button, and you’re all set.

Now your media volunteers can leverage an auto-tracking camera that will always follow the pastor during services. This makes video creation and live streaming easier to operate but also more engaging for viewers.

The post The SimplTrack2: An Auto-Tracking Camera for Your Church appeared first on HuddleCamHD.

On the first Friday of each month, my team and I host a live-streamed technology show to educate our viewers, while highlighting some of the interesting integrations we’ve been working on for our customers. Recently, we worked with our friends at Epiphan to showcase the Epiphan Pearl Nano, a video hardware encoder that integrates nicely with our HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 auto-tracking camera. These two products provide valuable, easy-to-implement solutions for schools of all sizes.

Simple Solutions for Education

Today, as K-12 and higher education institutions throughout the world continue to rely on hybrid learning environments, this duo provides a simple, effective yet strong solution. For educators and hosts of live, virtual events, automation is possibly one of the most appealing selling points. These two products provide users with the ability to professionally live stream, record, schedule and deliver content. For hybrid events that will likely be here for the foreseeable future, these solutions will remain integral for production teams.

Let’s break down both and their ease of use for a variety of scenarios.

HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2

Designed to simplify lecture capture, town hall meetings, conference recordings or worship streaming, the SimplTrack2 is the most advanced and reliable auto-tracking camera on the market. SimplTrack2 is a pan, tilt, and zoom USB camera that provides robotic auto-tracking of a presenting subject. We know that solutions for the education market need to be simple, and this solution provides that simplicity. No camera operator is required for the SimplTack2 to track and follow a presenter from up to 55 feet away.

The SimplTrack2 uses 3G-SDI or IP streaming for crystal clear video. Equipped with 20X optical zoom, the camera was designed to reliably track subjects at distances up to 55 feet away. The SimplTrack2’s set-and-forget programming allows users to place and configure the camera once, and thereafter completely automates camera control. Users can easily set up zones that they don’t want the camera to track, such as entryways, televisions, or other areas where distracting motion occurs.

Offered at $2,999, the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 comes with a one-year warranty, an IR Remote, USB 3.0 cable, RS232 control cable, power supply and User Manual.

Epiphan Pearl Nano

The Epiphan Pearl Nano is a full HD encoder with professional audio support via dual XLR, RCA, and USB inputs. The Epiphan Pearl Nano, offered at $1,495, is the most compact of the Pearl family, providing:

• Professional video and audio inputs (HMDI, SDI) and (XLR, embedded audio)
• A two-inch touch screen on the device to use for confidence monitoring
• Flexible storage options for recording (SD slot: storage)
• Power over PoE Plus (power over Ethernet)

Record and stream with the Pearl Nano, while scheduling lecture capture through popular lecture capture systems, Panopto or Kaltura. This creates a nearly automated experience. Once configured, commands can be triggered, making it an easy set-and-forget solution. This provides professors with the best capabilities to deliver their lectures to either in-class or remote students.

To learn more about live streaming and recording classes, sign up for SimplTrack2 demo here.

The post Hybrid Learning Gets Leg Up with HuddleCamHD & Epiphan appeared first on HuddleCamHD.

In this video, we are going to set up an Epiphan Pearl Nano with a HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 camera to show it can be used as a lecture capture solution. The Epiphan Pearl is the ideal lecture capture recording device that can be easily integrated into popular learning management systems such as Panopto and Kaltura. The HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 is an auto-tracking camera that can automatically follow a presenter from up to 55’ away when installed in a classroom. By using the Pearl Nano with the SimplTrack2 we can schedule lecture recordings directly through Panopto or Kaltura while also recording and streaming with the Pearl Nano whenever a lecture is being given. We will also use the Pearl Nano to create a few different layouts to show presentations and camera video together.

To get started, we will plug in the Epiphan Pearl Nano to power. For today’s demo we will use the ethernet port, allowing us to power the Epiphan Pearl Nano over PoE (using our PoE+ networking equipment). Next, we will make sure our SimplTrack2 camera is set up and ready to track the lecturer. To do this we already have our SimplTrack2 camera on and connected to the network. Using the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 software we can check in on the auto-tracking camera parameters to ensure reliable subject tracking for our video recordings. Once we have confirmed the tracking areas, and fine-tuned the cameras auto-operation parameters everything should be set for 24/4 camera operations.

Next, we will plug in our video sources to the Epiphan Pearl. Let’s start with the HDMI port to connect our presentation laptop. Next, we can connect the SDI port to the SimplTrack2’s video output connection. Because we also have an LCD monitor to show our presentation in the room, we will also connect the HDMI loop through port from the Epiphan Pearl Nano into the display. This allows the Pearl Nano to capture the HDMI for recording and streaming, while also allowing us to display the video on a local monitor.

From here, we can configure the Pearl using the IP address found on the Nano display. We can type this IP address into a web-browser to start laying out our recordings. Let’s start by checking our HDMI input. Yup, it’s working and it’s set to 1920×1080. That’s fine for this video recording. Let’s label it “Presentation PC” and move on to our SDI input. Next let’s label our SDI input “SimplTrack2”. Let’s check to make sure it’s set to 1920×1080 as well. From here, let’s configure a channel to show the auto-tracking camera next to the HDMI presentation feed. You can click Channel the open up the layout area. Here we can crop the video feed and optimize the layout, even adding a picture. You can set up this channel with a variety of layouts to make sure you are always capturing the most important content for your recorded lecturers.

Once connected to the Epiphan Pearl Nano the HuddleCamHD SimplTrack2 does not require a camera operator to follow presenters. Similarly the Epiphan Pearl Nano can easily be used with learn management software to automatically schedule recordings through the learning management system you are already using. Together we believe these solutions will create affordable and easily manageable lecture capture solutions for many organizations.

This has been a quick video showing how easy it is to set up the Epiphan Pearl Nano with the SimplTrack2. By combining the hands-off auto-tracking capabilities of the SimplTrack2 with the powerful LMS integrations of the Pearl, we believe this is a lecture capture solution many organizations will enjoy. Until next time, don’t forget to subscribe.

The post SimplTrack2 with Epiphan Pearl Nano for Lecture Capture appeared first on HuddleCamHD.