TriCaster Broadcast
By
Rob Williams
Consultant
Category: Video Post-Production , Video Production
TriCaster
Broadcast lets schools and colleges create original TV studio
productions in the comfort of their own building. This little black
box of sockets, plugs, inputs and outputs turns any room in your
school (no matter how big or small) into a fully operational TV
studio. Your students can be surrounded by live functioning sets,
without the need for a brand new multi-million pound media
facility. All you need to go with it is a green screen and a couple
of cameras.
The live production facilities allow the user to connect up to 6 cameras, choose a studio backdrop from a library of pre-installed 'live sets', create simple graphics and mix the audio - all during live production. The presenter stands in front of a chroma screen while you select a 'live set' background and line up a camera or two. When viewed on a monitor, your student will be standing in a 3D studio, complete with desks, screens and logos of your choice. They can move around in the environment and viewers need never know that they're not really seeing a television centre.
While setting up the cameras and chroma to create your "studio" is relatively simple, you will need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get moved or adjusted accidentally. It can be a little distracting for the viewer if they're watching a bulletin that features a headless presenter, with a triangular section of beige wall floating in the corner of the studio...
The software mimics a real vision mixer that you can find in any professional TV studio and gives you complete control over the behaviour of your set. After uploading external VTs, you can edit their content and cue them up to be inserted during a production. Your 'live set' corresponds to the angles of your cameras, with the live chromakey changing the view of the studio background to match each angle. It also allows you to create titles (without having to import files from Photoshop), adjust video and audio levels, and insert transitions between all your shots.
The downside of TriCaster Broadcast is the selection of pre-designed sets it offers. If your students want to report school news against a backdrop of American flags or autumnal leaves, they're in luck. Otherwise they could struggle to find a studio they like on the list.
Luckily, any students that want to take their productions a bit further (or avoid looking like the Sky News Desk) can design their own virtual studio using Lightwave and import it into TriCaster Broadcast.
The system supports Flash, Windows Media and VC-1 streaming and can record full screen MPEG-2 whilst simultaneously archiving the stream. As you don't have to make duplicate copies of your students' work for the archive yourself, it can save you a huge amount of time. The interface and controls are intuitive, and the software automatically detects and adjusts aspect ratio, so any clip you insert adjusts to fit in with your production. It's also portable; compact and light enough to be transported to any location and quickly setup at your destination. With the option of connecting numerous cameras, you can provide full coverage of any event, mixing and archiving as you go, so it's ideal for school performances and concerts.
This piece of equipment gives every school the chance to own a large TV studio, or even multiple studios, no matter how little real space they have. Your students can now learn the skills and techniques needed to produce a studio broadcast, without construction costs and extensive building work.
TriCaster Broadcast unit is available from Jigsaw for £10,750 exVAT.
If you would like to know any more about it, give our education team a call on 03332 409 300, or email us at learning@jigsaw24.com.
The live production facilities allow the user to connect up to 6 cameras, choose a studio backdrop from a library of pre-installed 'live sets', create simple graphics and mix the audio - all during live production. The presenter stands in front of a chroma screen while you select a 'live set' background and line up a camera or two. When viewed on a monitor, your student will be standing in a 3D studio, complete with desks, screens and logos of your choice. They can move around in the environment and viewers need never know that they're not really seeing a television centre.
While setting up the cameras and chroma to create your "studio" is relatively simple, you will need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get moved or adjusted accidentally. It can be a little distracting for the viewer if they're watching a bulletin that features a headless presenter, with a triangular section of beige wall floating in the corner of the studio...
The software mimics a real vision mixer that you can find in any professional TV studio and gives you complete control over the behaviour of your set. After uploading external VTs, you can edit their content and cue them up to be inserted during a production. Your 'live set' corresponds to the angles of your cameras, with the live chromakey changing the view of the studio background to match each angle. It also allows you to create titles (without having to import files from Photoshop), adjust video and audio levels, and insert transitions between all your shots.
The downside of TriCaster Broadcast is the selection of pre-designed sets it offers. If your students want to report school news against a backdrop of American flags or autumnal leaves, they're in luck. Otherwise they could struggle to find a studio they like on the list.
Luckily, any students that want to take their productions a bit further (or avoid looking like the Sky News Desk) can design their own virtual studio using Lightwave and import it into TriCaster Broadcast.
The system supports Flash, Windows Media and VC-1 streaming and can record full screen MPEG-2 whilst simultaneously archiving the stream. As you don't have to make duplicate copies of your students' work for the archive yourself, it can save you a huge amount of time. The interface and controls are intuitive, and the software automatically detects and adjusts aspect ratio, so any clip you insert adjusts to fit in with your production. It's also portable; compact and light enough to be transported to any location and quickly setup at your destination. With the option of connecting numerous cameras, you can provide full coverage of any event, mixing and archiving as you go, so it's ideal for school performances and concerts.
This piece of equipment gives every school the chance to own a large TV studio, or even multiple studios, no matter how little real space they have. Your students can now learn the skills and techniques needed to produce a studio broadcast, without construction costs and extensive building work.
TriCaster Broadcast unit is available from Jigsaw for £10,750 exVAT.
If you would like to know any more about it, give our education team a call on 03332 409 300, or email us at learning@jigsaw24.com.
