
When the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, home to the Dallas Symphony, was shut down in March due to the pandemic, administration and staff were eager to find a solution for its thriving community of classical music lovers. The Eugene McDermott Concert Hall, where the orchestra performs, was outfitted with a Telemetrics robotic camera system, and the hall is now streaming concerts live and recording multiple performances with reduced audience in attendance.
When they returned to the stage in August, a venue that can seat 2,062 people was limited to 125 maximum with social distancing measures in place. They even extended the performance platform to provide an additional 744 sq. ft., enabling the musicians to sit farther apart. All agreed that a virtual experience was critical to sharing music performed by the Dallas Symphony.
The Dallas Symphony is now streaming its performances live and recording its performances with the help of this new robotic camera control system. The DSO started capturing performances with the system the first week of October. The concert videos are available on the DSO's website, and the organization streamed its first live concert on November 9. They closed 2020 with a series of Christmas concerts that were televised on local station WFAA-TV and on Bloomberg Television globally. Now, season ticket holders are able to view live and on-demand performances for free. Non-subscribers pay a nominal fee for VoD access.
It became important to share the Dallas Symphony in a way that keeps everyone safe yet still allows patrons and performers to experience the music they love, said Lamar Livingston, Director of Technical Operations at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. We take our mission of delivering the best music in the world very seriously.
The camera robotics system was installed from August-October and includes six Telemetrics RoboEye Pan/Tilt systems and a RCCP-2A robotic camera control panel that is operated by a single person. This operator is also responsible for a seventh (Panasonic PTZ) camera that is installed in the second tier of the venue and provides alternate shots of the stage.
The RoboEye2 (PT-RE-2) is a fully integrated, aesthetically pleasing robotic camera system that can include a1 -type EXMOR R CMOS 4K digital camera or an HD camera with zoom lens and a compact pan/tilt head. The system's robotic servo controls use motors of ultra-high position and velocity accuracy, which makes RoboEye2 the perfect choice for venues like this.
Innovative features aside, the camera's operational sound was perhaps the most critical factor in Livingston's buying decision.
There were not going to be noisy cameras installed on my watch, he said, confidently.
The McDermott Concert Hall is one of the most well-respected concert halls in the world, and its low ambient noise plays into that reputation. It was critical to Livingston and his team that the RoboEye camera does not introduce any extra sound during operation. Looking at its specs, Livingston recognized that the RoboEye offers a maximum audible noise level of 25 dB. That's comparable to a human whisper from five feet away.
I was standing right next to one of the cameras while it was being operated, and I didn't hear a thing.
I was standing right next to one of the cameras while it was being operated, and I didn't hear a thing, said Livingston. That's huge for us. Other robotic cameras we considered are noisier and not suitable for our purposes. The cameras can't be disruptive to our audience. Our HVAC, lighting, dimming systems are all incredibly quiet, so the robotics had to match that. I can confirm that the RoboEye is whisper quiet as it pans and tilts. We are very pleased with their performance.
With the help of system integrator TM Television (based in Carrollton, Texas), they've mounted three RoboEyes in the soffit areas of the orchestra terrace ceiling. Two others are on poles to the left and right at each stage entrance, and one more is positioned upstage center in the choral terrace (behind the performers). Livingston said this carefully thought-out configuration-including the Panasonic PTZ camera on the second tier-provides the best coverage of the entire stage as well as closeups of the performers.
During each production, the control room is manned by a robotics operator, a TD operating a Blackmagic Atem Constellation switcher, and a music score reader to help the technical staff anticipate the music.
They added a Blackmagic router in the video control room (there's also a separate audio control room) to manage the venue's new fiber-optic infrastructure. It allows them to patch and route signals from the portable cameras back to the control, or when using a TV truck, broadcast cameras may be used.
The RCCP-2A Robotic Camera Control Panel features dual joystick controllers, user configurable control surface, and high-end processors to support complex automated key-frame based motion paths, as well as snapshot thumbnails for shot presets and live video preview. A single operator on Livingston's team can maneuver the cameras with more powerful, yet natural control over camera moves. The RCCP-2A's TeleKeys automatically adapt to show options relevant to the task at hand, while customizable wheels and knobs make it easy to operate the robotic cameras. A series of Hot TeleKeys provide fast access to favorite camera angles and other system parameters for on-the-fly changes and individualized program settings.
Operators of the panel were trained on the Telemetrics control panel for about a week before they began the recordings.
The productions we've completed thus far have been smooth and error free, said Livingston. Everyone has been thrilled with the way that the image looks and the performance of the robotics.
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
13/09/2025
ATLANTA Cox Media Group has announced that the company's vice president of news, Misty Turnbull has been inducted into the National Academy of Television Ar...
13/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a major developer of robotic systems, has announced plans to take studio robotics to the next level at IBC2025 by debuting ...
13/09/2025
At IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero Mini, the company's lightest and flattest wireless intercom beltpack to date. Designed to del...
13/09/2025
Shotoku Broadcast Systems, the international developer of dependable, userfriendly robotic systems, is taking studio robotics to the next level at IBC 2025 with...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today released the 9th annual Video Developer Report 2025/26, offering an in-depth look at the evolvi...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with StreamShark, the trusted video platform for enterprise...
13/09/2025
Ikegami has chosen IBC 2025 in Amsterdam as the launch venue for a major addition to its range of viewfinders. The new VFE-P711AD is a 7-inch high resolution OL...
13/09/2025
Founder-led Merger to Fast Track R&D, Asset Library Upgrades, Tools and More; No Disruption to Pricing or Support for Users
Today, KitBash3D, a pioneer in 3D a...
13/09/2025
With NDI certification, Atomos integration, Grass Valley collaboration, and a new Monitor app, at this year's IBC, Mavis is showcasing a series of powerful...
13/09/2025
Creamsource, maker of artisan LED lighting for film and television, has unveiled the Vortex24 Soft (V24S), a 1950W native soft light and the largest soft source...
13/09/2025
When international sports streaming service DAZN secured the global rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup football tournament, it set out to deliver an unmatch...
13/09/2025
Riedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface from Broadcast Solutions, bringing a powerful, vendor-agnostic control system to it...
13/09/2025
Building on its long-term relationship with audio metering specialist RTW, Calrec has integrated the company's brand new TMxCore metering platform across it...
13/09/2025
Calrec is expanding its family of future-ready self-contained Argo M control surfaces at IBC2025, with the addition of a brand new powerful 48-fader console. Co...
13/09/2025
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking Study by Scripps Research scientists shows how the brain learns to seek alcohol for relief, not jus...
12/09/2025
College Football Kickoff 2025: Fox Sports Ups Look as Canon, Sony Power Shallow ...
12/09/2025
ABC/ESPN Excited For WNBA Postseason Coverage In Revamped FormatThe Finals moves to a best-of-seven series in 2025By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor
Friday, Sep...
12/09/2025
(L-R) Jade Croot, Rosy McEwen, and Bryn Chainey attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Rabbit Trap at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park ...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
IBC2025 began on Sept. 12, with exhibits and conferences running through Sept. 15 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center. Explore the full TV Tech coverage of t...
12/09/2025
The Best Fictional Bands (and the Artists Who Make Them Great) With Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hitting theaters and songs from KPop Demon Hunters ruling...
12/09/2025
Industry veteran Tom Baldassare has joined Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, as a Se...
12/09/2025
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, and more, today announced a...
12/09/2025
PlayBox Neo, a leading provider of media playout solutions, has partnered with AI-Media, pioneering developers of AI-powered captioning technology, to integrate...
12/09/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
12/09/2025
New alliance strengthens the IT channel in Germany and Switzerland in protecting business-critical SaaS data.
Keepit, the world s only independent, cloud-nativ...
12/09/2025
Fincons Group, an international IT business consultancy and systems integrator company with more than 40 years of experience in the market, is proud to announce...
12/09/2025
Following its acquisition of Telemetrics, EVS continues its push into robotics with an announcement at IBC2025 that it is acquiring XD motion....
12/09/2025
TORONTO The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) has announced the appointment of Eduardo Ruiz Sanchez, deputy director, broadcast operations at Telev...
12/09/2025
Ed Miller, a longtime broadcast engineer in Ohio and a former national president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, has died....
12/09/2025
AMSTERDAM At this year's IBC2025, the Advanced HDR by Technicolor initiative will be pushing broadcasters to adopt a more dynamic, frame-by-frame conversion...
12/09/2025
Feature-length retrospective from Studio Crook to air in 2026
Sir David Jason returns to the nation's favourite comedy channel, U&GOLD, for Open All Hours:...
12/09/2025
September 12th, 2025
Tribeca X and The Female Quotient to Host Powerhouse Em...
12/09/2025
Friday 12 September 2025
The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday
Sky today ...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom BeltpackAt IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero M...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interfaceRiedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface fro...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
New International Crime Series Road (WT)' Explores Twiste...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
First Look: Thai Crime Drama Everybody Loves Me When I'm ...
12/09/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Marks 10 Years in Japan, Announces Three New Series Th...
12/09/2025
CORE+ virtually removes distortion, setting a new standard for church sound and giving worship teams the clarity and confidence they need.
Read the full artic...
12/09/2025
The Late Late Show is back with a bang after the summer break, and Patrick Kielt...
12/09/2025
The World Athletics Championships, Ireland v France in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, the Irish Champions Festival, and two Sports Direct Men...
12/09/2025
The Records Show starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.
Katie Hanno...
11/09/2025
Report: Busy Live Sports Streaming Execs Have Low-hanging Fruit' in Front o...
11/09/2025
Inside Game Creek Video's Big Week as Ovation, Flagship Make NFL DebutsBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 7:00 am
Pr...
11/09/2025
NFL Kickoff 2025: Prime Sports Starts New Season at Lambeau Field; Sets Sights o...
11/09/2025
College Football Kickoff 2025: NBC Sports Pushes HDR Image Quality, Aerial Drone...