Best Cinematic Cameras for Live Broadcast

There is more emphasis on live content than ever before. During the pandemic, houses of worship, corporate offices, entertainment, and many more groups needed to find a way to make people who couldn’t be in-person feel like they were in person. But it’s not just COVID-19 driving this trend. Social media, through Facebook and Instagram in particular, rewards live broadcasts with more viewers, more engagement, and more success. Now, the live broadcast field is flooded with not just typical production companies, but much smaller businesses looking to stand out and attract a large audience. Quality matters.

The quality of your live broadcast often comes down to the camera. Using cinematic cameras is one of the best ways to up the quality of your live streaming on any platform and make your production look more polished. Those in broadcasting and film, as well as those in the military, corporate environments, event companies, and houses of worship, should all consider using higher-quality cameras to support their live broadcasting efforts.

Using Cinematic Cameras for Live Multi-camera Productions

Why use cinematic cameras for live productions? These high-quality cameras have many features that make them suitable for live shooting, even multi-camera live productions. The MultiDyne SilverBack V adds many of the needed features for live production to cinematic cameras.  These features include live camera control, time-code, genlock, intercom, large viewfinders, CCU, optical-fiber output, call function, tally and video-return management and more.

These cameras need to accept external timecode and genlock, as these are signals you need for multi-camera live production. You also need to be able to deliver broadcast in high quality, as that is what viewers are demanding and what will get more interest in your live stream or production. The requirement is 4K video with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and high frame rates.

So, you know you want to use cinematic cameras for your large production. Which? You can use virtually any cinematic camera in your live multi-camera production when combined with the MultiDyne SilverBack V fiber optic adapter.  The MultiDyne SilverBack series support cinematic cameras from ARRI, Blackmagicdesign, RED, Canon, SONY, Panasonic and more.

Consider the SilverBack V

The SilverBack is used in some of the most-watched live events, including the Superbowl. If it sounds like this camera might be overkill for your live broadcast, don’t fret, it offers a great array of features for live broadcasting at a reasonable price.

The SilverBack V is platform-agnostic, which means it can accommodate essentially anything. It provides a full-bandwidth fiber optic link from your truck, control room or “video village” position out to your 12G, Quad-Link, or Dual-Link 4K camera. All of the signals that you need for your live streaming, studio or remote production and provided by a single SMPTE hybrid. This simplicity of connection makes everything easier.

Speaking of simplicity, the camera mounts seamlessly onto and Dual-Link or Quad-Link 4K camera with no corners or angles that will be frustrating. Your operator will find that while they can easily see the display, the blue LEDs are not intrusive while they have their eye on the action. You also don’t need to add external power to this camera when using the “Juice” option.

Consider the VariCam HS

The VariCam HS is another popular production camera that is often used in professional non-live broadcasts like TV programs, commercials and movies. However, you can take its renowned color reproduction, look and progressive workflows and use them for your live production instead.

The VariCam HS, unlike other members of the VariCam line, is specifically great at capturing motion. It offers continuous 240 fps recording, and a deal-codec recording that revolutionizes workflow. Expect in-camera color grading, modular design, and other great benefits of this camera.

Anyone who needs to capture movement should consider this camera. It can achieve great slow-motion effects when needed for replays during sports or other movement-based broadcasts. It was flexible and seamless set-up so that your team can spend more time shooting and less time running cables.

Fiber Optic Camera Backs

As well as your camera type you should consider using fiber optic camera backs. They allow you to incorporate large image digital cinema camera into live multicamera productions. SilverBack V cameras can be used with fiber optic camera backs.

Work with VidOvation

The experts at VidOvation have a great deal of in-depth knowledge about your production camera option for live broadcasts. We know how important it is for you to have great quality, but also seamless integration and simple controls in order to get the live broadcast of the quality that your viewers anticipate. We can help anyone in the space, from military and government productions to those in the business world, to houses of worship.

VidOvation offers the best cameras and support for live video streaming across all industries. Get in touch today, we are happy to help.