Hammond Communications Taps BirdDog P200 PTZ For NCAA March Madness Press Conferences
By Adam Noyes
Hammond Communications has delivered over 500 press conferences using the BirdDog P200 PTZ Camera to keep up with the NCAA’s Covid Guidelines. The cameras were valuable tools for interviews, and press coverage, while the robotic motion in the camera helped maintain social distancing without sacrificing quality.
Check out some highlights from this article from sportsvideo.org to learn more about this workflow.
Check out this workflow in action:
The press conferences production operated out of a centralized media production room, which serviced several “interview pods” to maintain appropriate distance from players and coaches. These services were provided to support the NCAA’s March Madness Bubble approach to conducting the events at 11 playing venues across Texas and Indiana.
Hammond Communications chose the BirdDog P200 after consulting with Prusik Media and finding their success with UFC’s Watch Party and the support delivered by the BirdDog Team. The BirdDog P200, is a full NDI 1080p60 PTZ camera that combines BirdDog’s custom NDI silicon chip, 30x optical zoom, and Sony backlit sensor and image module. The P200 allows for simultaneous live SDI, HDMI, and full NDI outputs.
The production used multiple output methods from the P200, NDI for remote control and monitoring via Studio Monitor while using SDI for 1080i59.94 for media distribution and recording. With press conferences moving into smaller rooms, the PTZs allowed the press team to move into a much smaller equipment footprint, shifting from the traditional dais and riser press format to the P200s mounted above a 42-inch television hosting the virtual Zoom Press Room in order to connect the members of the media directly to the coaches and student athletes. Multiple 75 inch 4k displays were also deployed as backdrops to complete the press pod.
All press conferences were recorded on HyperDeck Studio Minis and transmitted at 1080i59.94 to Turner / CBS for network content and expanded coverage, to PSSI for satellite transmission via KU Uplink to off-site affiliates covering the participating teams, as well as to streaming services for a multi-faceted approach to media delivery. The ease of use of the cameras and web control panel allowed for a fast paced onboarding of crew onto this new format.