PTZ camera (Pan Tilt Zoom) is a camera that automatically turns towards the speaker, following preset positions with the help of a rotary device. PTZ cameras can rotate, tilt, and zoom picture thanks to the special mechanical/electronic drives. PTZ cameras are equipped with a variable focal length lens. PTZ cameras have a wide range of view provided by a built-in rotation mechanism.
Controlled PTZ camera is an integral part of the surveillance system. It is used both for outdoor and indoor surveillance. During a video conference, PTZ cameras play the most important role as an inevitable attribute of the conference room or meeting room.
The key features of a PTZ-camera
- The image quality is provided by a CCD sensor. Color reproduction depends on the size and the quality of that sensor. Some PTZ-cameras provide high-quality recording even in low-light conditions. This property is particularly important for video conferencing as most conference rooms are under-equipped in terms of illumination.
- Preset positions. PTZ cameras have a different number of presets – from five to a hundred. The more preset positions a PTZ-camera includes, the better.
- Range of rotation and tilt. A PTZ camera should have a wide range of tilt/rotation angles at a maximum speed.
Ceiling/desktop/wall installation. PTZ-cameras can be mounted anywhere in the room with special brackets.- PTZ mechanism. It determines the range of pan, tilt and zoom.
- Control. You can control PTZ the tilting, zooming and panning features of the camera using various interfaces (like IR remotes and controllers).
- Alarming function. This feature is supported by most PTZ cameras. “The alarm” is activated when the illumination changes in a particular area.
A PTZ camera can be aimed at a particular speaker during a video conference or at the entire conference room with an optical zoom and servo unit. TrueConf Terminal hardware video conferencing system supports PTZ camera control from a touch-panel since version 1.3.0.