LCP400 puts camera control in the palm of hand

By Ken Kerschbaumer

Grass Valley is taking camera control to a whole new level with the LCP400 camera control software system.

Designed initially for the Infinity tapeless camcorder, the $499 application resides on Windows 5 compatible mobile devices and uses WiFi and Blue tooth to transmit controls from the PDA to the camera. The user pulls up an on-screen interface with the same look and feel as the camcorder and Grass Valley execs say the LCP400 software will also be able to control the LDK camera line.

Along with handling video functions like auto iris, white balance, the iris ring and more it also handles audio, displaying level bars for remote monitoring, handling input selection and also gain controls.

The real benefit, however, is beyond simple control. Because data is data the system can tie into a TV station or network newsroom system, pushing updated story assignments and even script directly to the device.

“When the newsroom phone rings and a story breaks the impulse is to get the team out in the field where they might not know what they’re doing,” says John Naylor, director of the Infinity camcorder program. “”With the LCP400 the newsroom will be able to send information to the field as an XML file so the crew can do a better job covering a story.”

A reporter can also drop interest markers into the video signal to mark in and out points for favorite shots as the camera is rolling and also synchronize and set the same levels across multiple cameras.