AVMATRIX PKC3500-NDI PTZ Camera Controller

Finding an NDI|HX2 camera on the network, pulling its picture onto the 5-inch screen and taking over pan, tilt and zoom happen in one pass on the AVMATRIX PKC3500-NDI. SEARCH scans for NDI, VISCA over IP and ONVIF heads, and once an NDI or ONVIF camera is added, PVW opens its stream without an RTSP address to type. On a talk-show set or in an interview booth, framing gets checked on the desk rather than in a spare multiview tile. Worth knowing in prep: search only sees cameras on the controller's own subnet, so settle the IP plan before the rig ships.

Handling follows broadcast habit. The 4D joystick pans and tilts, twists for zoom and locks all three axes with its top key, while a T/W seesaw takes the slower lens moves. Three encoders split image control into red/blue gain, iris/shutter/gain and near/far focus; AWB, one-push WB, AE, one-push AF and continuous AF each get a direct key. Up to 255 presets across 255 camera addresses can store exposure and white balance along with position, so a concert wide recalled mid-set comes back already matched. Joystick response can be set to fixed speed or proportional travel.

Seven F/CAM keys act as camera selectors or shortcuts: image flip, freeze, AI tracking start/stop where the camera offers it, or custom hex commands from a camera's protocol sheet. Track recording captures a pan-tilt-zoom move and can loop it. A sports hall opening every period with the same sweep no longer needs a spare pair of hands. Older serial heads stay in service too, since RS-232 and RS-422/485 carry VISCA, Pelco-D or Pelco-P from 2400 to 115200 bps with seven VISCA addresses per bus. One NDI PTZ camera controller runs IP and serial heads side by side, so crews learn a single surface.

The tally/GPIO port reads the switcher's programme signal, flags the live camera in red on the status page and can make the panel follow PGM, or pass tally on to the selected head. Camera lists, network settings and firmware updates also open in a web browser. One Gigabit cable controls and powers the unit via PoE/PoE+, with 7–24 V DC as fallback, at less than 8 W. Key backlighting dims for dark galleries, and the operating range spans −20 °C to 60 °C.