can anyone recommend a good video switcher

Event Videographers

can anyone recommend a good video switcher

Posted by Micah Ginn on March 9, 2007 at 3:54 am

I would like to find the best video switcher for $5,000 available. I shoot primarily in SD, but do have HDV capability.

I would like to be able to come out to the switcher in either composite, firewire, or s-video, and I’d love to have at least for inputs with said quality.

Also don’t want to deal with Gen-lock.

I’ve looked at several at B&H and other spots on the web, but I just don’t know what’s good or not. I haven’t found any reviews of any of the ones I’ve looked at. Those being the FocusEnhancements switcher, the DataVideo switcher, and a Panasonic.

Anyone have a switcher that they love (that was bought for under 5k)???

thanks in advance,

Micah Ginn

Bouncing Account needs new email address replied 19 years, 2 months ago 4 Members · 9 Replies
9 Replies

Doug Graham
March 9, 2007 at 2:25 pm

The Focus Enhancements products are a development of the old Videonics switcher line. I owned one of those, and found it to be unreliable…it would sometimes substitute a transition of its choice for the one I’d selected.

Haven’t tried Datavideo, but I haven’t heard anything bad about them.

Panasonic has a long reputation for making good, reliable switchers.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Clare Neff
March 9, 2007 at 3:35 pm

We use Panasonic MX-70 – it’s reliable, consistent, works really well in a live environment and can be integrated into post with GPI’s…can use a laptop downstream… up to 8 inputs.
Micah Ginn
March 10, 2007 at 2:04 pm

thank you very much! Panasonic is the direction i’m leaning.
Micah Ginn
March 10, 2007 at 2:05 pm

does it require Gen-Lock?

also, how easy is it to add titles? I notice it requires a software to interface with the PC to download titlels/graphic files.

thanks for you suggestions!
Clare Neff
March 10, 2007 at 2:27 pm

The software is included with the switcher, easy to operate. You can operate without genlock – there’s one sync buffer, 2 mixing busses. You get a momentary ‘freeze’ if you try to cut between sources on the same buss, but as long as you alternate everything runs great. We do live i-mag with ours all the time – camera, ppt, video playback. Lots of wipe choices, keys, etc. Most of the time, we just run composite from the cameras. You have one preview output, but 2 program outputs – and you can run component and composite simultaneously.
Micah Ginn
March 10, 2007 at 2:36 pm

I am a novice, and don’t know what ppt is. Or i-mag. Sorry to ask, but what are those?

Also, would there be any way to pass HDV camera images through this machine? I have two HDV capable cameras, but they also function as SD…would this switcher allow for either?

I really only need to do some very basic switching. Three to four camera shoots with titles added, sometimes need to use a playback device for conferences (to show their lame videos).

Thanks for all your advice and help!

micah ginn

ginn42@mac.com
Clare Neff
March 10, 2007 at 3:34 pm

Sorry, Micah – ppt is powerpoint. I-mag is image magnification – you know, putting the speaker on the screen with cameras. HDV cameras set to 4:3 output would work.
Micah Ginn
March 10, 2007 at 3:36 pm

thanks for the clarification.

well, i don’t think my JVC’s will shoot HDV in 4:3…seems they have to be in 16:9. I’ll check again.

thanks for all your help!
micah
Bouncing Account needs new email address
March 11, 2007 at 4:21 am

I own 2 Panasonics and they work well.

The DataVideo is a very good switcher as well (I’ve use it many times.)

And another choice is Edirol by Roland.
There are a couple of models.

https://www.videomaker.com/article/9990/

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=359583

The second one (B&H link) I have used successfully.

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