PTZ controllers have become a standard adornment of video control areas in the church world. Not surprisingly, churches will latch onto anything that allows them to improve production quality while lowering the number of volunteers needed. Interestingly, there haven’t been any real game-changing advancements in the PTZ controller realm; it’s all been standard quality-of-life upgrades recently. However, BZB may have made the next significant advancement with their BG-Commander Pro.
Right off the bat, what grabs you about the controller is the seven-inch screen that dominates the control surface. While nice to look at, it’s also a very functional 1024×600 capacitive touchscreen, which typically means it’s pretty intuitive to use, which is great for volunteers. The touchscreen has a few modes of operation, you can do the standard menu navigation, but it can also be used to display the camera outputs in a multiview fashion. Based on specs, it should be able to do a 2x2 or 3x3 multiview. If you are controlling nine cameras, this will be the controller for you.
BG-Commander Pro also has a micro USB port, a rarer feature found on most PTZ controllers, but what it can do moves this micro USB port from rare to epic.
The BG-Commander Pro is designed to be a stand-alone model; it features HDMI in and a headphone jack, which could reduce the number of peripherals needed for lightweight setups. The HDMI in should be able to project whatever HDMI feed it ingests on the seven-inch inch screen. However, it also features an HDMI out, so if you want to expand it, there is an option for that as well. If the HDMI out can project the 3x3 camera previews to an external monitor, the functionality and user-friendliness shoot off the chart.
Next, a USB port can interface with a keyboard and mouse. One has to assume this is for menu navigation and labeling, which in and of itself is a great feature. However, the hits keep coming; the BG-Commander Pro also has a micro USB port, a rarer feature found on most PTZ controllers, but what it can do moves this micro USB port from rare to epic. This micro USB can be used for video recording, and screen captures; right inside the device, no external devices are needed. Nowhere on the specs did it state the extent it could record cameras, so it might be able to record one camera or it might be able to record the multiview. Ideally, it would record independent camera feeds, but that is strictly speculation.
Last, the controller handles all the standard controller functions like POE, IP control, and auto-scanning. It also has four control modes RS232/RS422/RS485 & ONVIF 2.8, via 5 RJ45 connectors on the controller’s backside. It will handle H.264/H.265 encoding and expand to 2408 devices. All the standard controls for iris, white balance, pan/tilt speed, and autofocus can be found as independent buttons. There is also the familiar number pad for preset settings and recall. It does all the things you expect a PTZ controller to do.
Anyone can learn to navigate a touch screen; there isn’t a huge learning curve there, which means the barrier for entry for volunteers is down in the area of “if you can use a smartphone.” Tools that empower volunteers are always a great option for the church market.
The joystick is also more robust than the standard thumb-and-forefinger joysticks on many controllers. This one features a knurled top which looks like it can be used in a twisting motion for control. The documentation has it listed as a “4-Axis joystick, support jog shuttle, support knob, support button,” so multiple functions should be performed from just the joystick. Also, there is a large focus dial, which looks like a graduated dial, but the spec sheet didn’t specify. One of the more interesting buttons on that controller is the patrol button, which could do any number of things; hypothetically, if it allows the recording or recalling of preprogrammed motions, it will be a huge hit.
Coming in at a price point of just shy of $2K ($1,999.00), the BG-Commander Pro is not a cheap controller. However, with all the functionality it brings to the table, it’s hard to see this as anything other than a good value. It would be easy to spend more than that amount on just the extra devices you would need for recording and monitoring alone. Visualizing nine cameras without an external monitor and recording without an external recorder is a big deal. On top of that, touch screens always function as a level playing field for volunteers. Anyone can learn to navigate a touch screen; there isn’t a huge learning curve there, which means the barrier for entry for volunteers is down in the area of “if you can use a smartphone.” Tools that empower volunteers are always a great option for the church market.
BZBGear appears to keep hitting it out of the park, and the BG Commander Pro could be the next big step forward for PTZ controllers. Again that’s speculative because the controller is currently on pre-order only, expected to ship in Q3. While the specs are impressive, it will be interesting to see if this controller delivers on what it promises.
