Government

Briefcase of Wonders

Sony Anycast™ delivers big results in small package
As reviewed by Government Video Magazine - Jun 21, 2005.

The promise of technology is that it's supposed to make your life easier. In this era of "paperless" offices and spam-filled e-mail accounts, sometimes I wonder.

Thankfully, the Sony AWS-G500 Anycast Station renewed my faith. In the same footprint as a typewriter (remember those?), you have a remote production facility - a six channel video switcher, audio mixer, monitor, and more.

Choices For Production

The back of the 17-pound unit features a drop down panel that houses all of the inputs and outputs. Simply carry the Anycast to your location, plug it into an AC outlet, and begin connecting your sources.

There are six audio inputs for the mixer. Strangely, only the first two inputs are XLR. Granted, they are the newer combination XLR/TRS 1/4-inch type with switchable 48V phantom power for direct connection to condenser-type microphones. Inputs three through six are 1/4-inch phono. These six inputs are switchable between mic/line with two additional RCA line connectors.

Still in the audio realm, the outputs are: Mix, a left and right RCA; Program, a left and right 1/4-inch phono; a 1/4-inch one and two aux; and a left and right monitor. All of the 1/4-inch connectors are TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) balanced audio. The intercom may also be connected with a nine-pin cable. The video inputs are where you really have a choice: four inputs that accept either IEEE-1394 (i.Link), S-Video, or composite. The IEEE-1394 interfaces (labeled DV IN/OUT) function as outputs by default unless assigned as inputs via the user menu. You also have two HDD (hard disk drive) i.Link S400 interfaces (input/output), as well as two 15-pin RGB inputs. The video outputs include two BNC reference outs, two RGB outs, a BNC composite, and S-Video, plus up to four DV outputs as previously mentioned.

A drop down side panel reveals the hidden power switch, Memory Stick receptacle, network connection, and two USB connectors. There is also a 15-pin RGB connector for external display of the unit's GUI.

The built-in 17-inch LCD screen is the perfect size and clarity for indoor shoots. (Any larger and the portable unit would be too cumbersome.) Once the unit powers up and goes through its booting cycle, you can access the menu functions. There are a lot of menu layers, but the navigation is simple. Two tiny audio speakers flank the left and right sides of the screen and provide tinny sound; I preferred to plug in my own headphones. Plus, in a noisy environment, such as a sporting event, you can't hear the speakers even at maximum volume. The sliding audio faders and switcher buttons are easy to use and seem durable. Just like a baby version of our studio's switcher, you have the same power and control in a smaller package. The one M/E keyer is adequate with a luminance and chrominance key, which is all you need in a portable unit. The wireless keyboard is detachable and will easily break, but you can store it upside down to protect it from the elements (including your students' sandwiches) and prevent erroneous keystrokes.

The Anycast does have very, very basic text capabilities but no crawl or scroll functions. A jog/shuttle control is great for getting footage from an external source (HDD or VTR) connected via the DV I/O connectors, and may also be used to control Sony remote cameras (which I didn't have access to). The unit also has streaming capabilities.

Play Ball

One of the assignments in my advanced directing class is to produce a three-camera shoot of a live sporting event. The exercise gives my students the hands-on experience of a live game - and the production challenges associated with it. A group of five took the Anycast with them to one of our university's baseball games.

Three Canon XL1 cameras, each with a mounted shotgun for ambient sound, were tethered to the Anycast. The on-air talent used a handheld microphone and the director operated the Anycast. The output went directly to an external hard drive and a Sony DSR-11 DVCAM deck. After each inning, the students would reverse roles so everyone hand an opportunity at the helm.

The first obstacle with the Anycast is that it must be powered by AC - there are no DC options. The cameras easily ran on batteries, but the DV deck, hard drive, and Anycast had to be AC powered. Using a 200-foot cable run, we found the only outdoor outlet and plugged in all three. Normally I would not feel happy about using a cable run this long, but none of the units pulled that much juice.

In the past, we had used a portable Sony switcher that needed external monitors for the director. The LCD was a little dim in the late March dwindling daylight, but when the outdoor lighting came on, all was right with the world. The young eyes of the students found the Anycast impressive, while spectators probably figured the Anycast operator was using her laptop for homework instead of switching a live game.

Before the students used the Anycast at the baseball game, I had them in tow with me for a basketball game. In hindsight, the Anycast works better indoors, due to easier screen viewing. However, if you're in a noisy environment, you're going to have to choose between an intercom headset and headphones (unless you can handle the sound of separate audio in each ear). I had each camera operator follow a specific action rather than call when I was cutting to each.

In small crew situations, it's possible to have one person wrangle the Anycast and serve as tape operator, TD, and audio. In the past, I would have a crew person on each task, but that seems to be old school with lightweight units like the Anycast available.

After the baseball game, the students used the Anycast again to post the event. Graphics stored on the Anycast's internal 60 GB hard drive were keyed over the incoming source material and mastered to tape. As a result, my students didn't need any time on the NLEs.

So far, the Anycast has been a blessing to my class, an easy-to-use portable system that works where a big switcher isn't practical and without the expense of a remote truck. I only had the unit a short period of time and wanted to use it in our auditorium when we had a three-camera shoot with a famous speaker. Instead, we ran long cables from our TV studio and switched in the control room half a building away. The Anycast would have allowed us to be "in" the room with the event instead of being sequestered.

The only thing stopping me from buying an Anycast immediately for the university is its cost. At $19,500, it's a bit expensive for our tuna fish budget and caviar tastes. According to Sony, upcoming features (available as free software upgrades) will include ISO feed recording on external IEEE-1394 hard drives, SDI and HD-SDI I/O options, and picture-in-picture. For the time being, we will have to wait until the price drops before we add it to our fleet. But if you have the need and the budget, the Anycast is an excellent portable tool for those remote events where you need a production truck in a laptop package.

Usage of this article was granted by: Government Video Magazine.