SMPTE Fiber Cabling Simplifies Camera Infrastructures and Operations

The cabling simplicity, production flexibility and easy mobility of SMPTE Fiber are beneficial not only for streaming, but for all manner of house of worship applications including IMAG, multi-site distribution to satellite locations, recorded productions and more.

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In an earlier article “Streaming Success Starts with the Camera,” we briefly discussed how SMPTE Fiber connectivity enables signals ranging from video and audio to intercom and even power to be carried to and from broadcast-class cameras over a single cable. The cabling simplicity, production flexibility and easy mobility of SMPTE Fiber are beneficial not only for streaming, of course, but for all manner of house of worship applications including IMAG, multi-site distribution to satellite locations, recorded productions and more. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the cabling standard that enables these advantages.

System Cameras

Professional, multi-camera, live event productions most commonly employ “system cameras.” Unlike self-contained camcorders and ENG, EFP, or cinema cameras, a system camera consists of multiple camera components that are designed to work together in a chain. At minimum, a system camera chain includes the camera itself and a separate Camera Control Unit (CCU). Often, the camera also consists of multiple components, including the lens, a camera head (which acquires the image), and a camera head adapter (which is used to interface the camera head with the chosen cable connectivity standard).

The CCU is typically located some distance away from the camera, such as in the production control room (or, in the case of mobile event productions, in the production truck). Camera functions such as iris and shading can be adjusted remotely, enabling a technician to monitor, adjust and match multiple cameras from the control room – increasing visual consistency between multiple camera angles while freeing camera operators to concentrate on shot composition.

With a system camera, production equipment such as switchers and recorders typically do not connect directly to the camera. Instead, the camera connects to the CCU. The camera head is typically linked to the CCU with a single, all-inclusive camera cable.

Those familiar with camcorder-style cameras may think first of technologies such as SDI or HDMI for transporting live camera output. However, such connectivity limits the distance over which signals can be carried in very large venues. More importantly in smaller houses of worship, these cables often carry only one video signal (with audio). In contrast, SMPTE Fiber can carry program video and audio, return video, intercom audio, tally signals, remote control commands and power between the camera and the CCU, all on a single cable. The CCU then provides the familiar connections such as SDI video and XLR audio for connecting to production, monitoring, and intercom equipment in the control room.

Standardized, Single-Cable Simplicity

In the past, system cameras have been connected to CCUs using analog multicore, analog or digital triax, and even bundles of multiple coax and audio cables. Today, Hybrid Fiber-Optic Cable (HFOC) is the overwhelming camera cable choice of professional users for transporting HD, Full HD, 4K and even 8K signals back and forth between the camera and CCU. Internationally standardized and commonly abbreviated as SMPTE Fiber, this single, lightweight camera cable provides bi-directional, single-mode fibers for audio, video, intercom, tally and control while also delivering power over copper conductors for the camera and external devices such as a teleprompter, lighting, and a video monitor.

Under the Hood

Fiber optic cable supports wide bandwidth and high volumes of data, enabling it to serve multiple channels of video with high-quality images and minimal latency. It also provides low signal loss over great distances with excellent immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI), enabling it to reliably deliver signals everywhere from small churches to large sporting venues. Officially standardized under the SMPTE 311M designation, SMPTE hybrid fiber cable includes two single-mode fibers plus four parallel copper power conductors. This enables it to carry multiple video and audio signals while also delivering power.

The connector used by hybrid fiber optic camera cabling has also been standardized, with the designation SMPTE 304M. The connector system consists of a plug-and-jack (male-and-female) arrangement. It features a push-pull, quick-connect/disconnect coupling mechanism and multiple-key design for easy blind mating. The connectors are sealed to block out damaging dirt, dust and moisture, while dust caps are provided to protect against contamination of the interfaces when not in use.

Longer Yet Lightweight

SMPTE Fiber cables are available from over a dozen manufacturers in standard lengths ranging from 82 feet (25m) to 1640 feet (500m). The SMPTE 304M connectors can be mated end-to-end to further extend the camera system’s usable cable length. A key advantage of SMPTE Fiber is that it supports longer distances compared to triax cabling – up to 13,000 feet, well beyond the needs of most churches – while maintaining flexibility and light weight (about  10 pounds for a 100-foot cable assembly).

The single-cable simplicity of SMPTE Fiber enables greater production flexibility by allowing cameras to be stationed in positions that don’t have an external power source available. It also provides greater freedom to use the cameras handheld and move around the site without managing cumbersome, heavy bundles of multiple cables.

While SMPTE Fiber cabling can be installed in existing or greenfield deployments, some facilities that do not have a SMPTE Fiber infrastructure may already have single-mode fiber readily available. Other facilities may opt to install single-mode fiber and copper conductors separately as a cost-saving measure for longer runs. In either case, a variety of passive fiber breakout assemblies enable simple integration of SMPTE Fiber equipped system cameras over single mode fiber cables. In these cases, external power would be required at the camera head.

Hitachi Kokusai Brings Fiber to HoW

SMPTE Fiber connectivity is yet another way that professional camera systems deliver infrastructure and operational advantages to Houses of Worship creating sophisticated productions. Their deployment simplicity, production flexibility and remote iris, shading and matching capabilities are ideal for shooting live, multi-camera worship services and musical performances. Hitachi Kokusai’s SK and Z-Series cameras – such as the Z-HD5000, Z-HD5500 and SK-HD1800 – continue to raise the bar for quality and performance in HoW environments while offering SMPTE Fiber among their multiple camera connectivity options.

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