If have a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K or 6K, you might be wondering how to control your camera settings remotely with your ATEM. Using the ATEM Software or the ATEM Camera Control Panel for instance. Good news is that it is possible ! So let’s see how you can control your BMPCC using ATEM Switchers.
It actually depends on your Blackmagic Design ATEM model. If you have an ATEM Mini or ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic has released on 04.03.2020 a firmware update both for ATEM software (8.2.1) and Pocket Cameras (6.9.1) . This free update allows you to control most of your Pocket settings remotely through the HDMI connexion. Controllable settings include Shutter, Gain, Aperture, ISO, Color Correction, Zoom, etc… You can either use the “Camera” Tab of the ATEM Control Software. Or the Blackmagic Camera Control Panel. Please note that this control functionality is only available using an HDMI connexion on ATEM Mini and ATEM Mini Pro switchers.
What about other ATEM switchers ?
If you have any other ATEM switcher, such as an ATEM Television Studio HD, you can’t benefit from this feature. This is why we have built the Pocket Live Controller. It’s a small device that sits right next to your Pocket Camera. It can read the ATEM camera instructions through SDI and send them to the BMPCC using Bluetooth. This way, you can control your BMPCC using ATEM Software just like an URSA Mini, an URSA Broadcast or a Micro Studio 4K camera. It’s like adding an SDI Input to your BMPCC camera, that you feed with the switcher PGM output.
Bluetooth Reliability
Now you might wonder how this wireless Bluetooth will behave in a very crowded venue. Well the trick is to put the Pocket Live Controller as close as possible to the Pocket Cinema Camera so that the Bluetooth strength is at its maximum. Then, using a traditional long range wired SDI connexion, you connect the Pocket Live Controller to the Program Output of your ATEM.
Also, in order to maximize bluetooth signal, we’ve included an external bluetooth antenna. In practive, we didn’t run into specific issues in the venues we tested. Especially if the camera is very close to the controller.
You can pair your Pocket camera with the controller using our iOS iPhone App. It also allows you to select which ATEM camera ID corresponds to your Pocket camera. Once the camera is paired to the LPC and you have set the proper ATEM ID, there is of course no need to keep the app open.
Where can I find the controller ?
Pre-orders are soon going to open soon on this website so we strongly recommend you leave us your email on the product page . That way we can let you know as soon as it’s available !
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