The Sam M. Walton Auditorium, located inside the Walmart Home Office in Bentonville, Arkansas, has a lot of history. Not only does it regularly host Walmart's investor relations and hundreds of all-hands employee meetings, but the company's founder himself was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom there by then-president George H. Bush in 1992. So every event they produce there is about high quality and the company's low-cost mantra.
When it came time to upgrade its audio-visual systems supporting the room, the technology had to be high quality, but it also had to adhere to Walmart's mission: Everyday low prices. Last Fall they chose a full complement of robotic camera control products from Telemetrics and new Hitachi cameras. Four Hitachi DK-200 HD cameras on Telemetrics PT-HP-S5 pan/tilt heads were mounted on the walls throughout the room, with another two Hitachi SK-HD1300 HD cameras mounted on pedestals in the back of the room.
The robotic P/T heads were combined with an existing Telemetrics RCCP-1A robotics and camera control panel that was previously being used with existing pan/tilt heads. They've also purchased Telemetrics' Studio (STS) and Legislative (LGS) software, which helps streamline the production of events.
Dave Magnia, Chief Engineer of Event Solutions at Walmart, said the new equipment has made an immediate difference. During each event, one person serves as the TD and robotic camera operator.
We'll look at a particular meeting and say, does this require a dedicated operator or can we double up roles and put a technical director that can punch and run the cameras at the same time?', he said. We run all of our auditoriums that way. We have an audio operator to ensure good sound and we have a TD running a robotics panel. It's a bit different than what other corporations do, but we're leaner because of our everyday low price model.
The AV staff likes the natural motion of the Telemetrics pan/tilt heads, which include Advanced Servo technology that provides smooth motion and quiet operation, which has improved Walmart's production values. The control panel gives the operator the ability to easily save visual presets and recall them quickly with a simple button push. They have a touchscreen interface that they use to preview what the shots are going to look like before taking them during a production. Operators can also switch back and forth between the STS and LGS software, but at Walmart, the STS Studio software is used most often.
We bought both the LGS and STS software for the panel, said Magnia. We've used LGS some, but STS is more useful for our application, as we're using camera pre-sets and reFrame auto-tracking software. However, if we have a more structured meeting where we are blocking shots and we know the seating locations are going to stay the same, like in an investor relations meeting, the LGS software works great.
We'll look at a particular meeting and say, does this require a dedicated operator or can we double up roles and put a technical director that can punch and run the cameras at the same time?
The LGS software includes a feature called Seating Map which allows the user to load a 3D map of their particular auditorium and the software can track who is sitting in a particular seat. Camera pre-sets can then be created to focus on each speaker or guest.
During an investor relations meeting, we know what's going to happen, so LGS works better there, he said. The Seating Map is a great feature because we can load a custom map of our particular room and then select camera shots based on the seating chart. It's very helpful.
Magnia also speaks highly of the Hitachi cameras, stating that image quality is outstanding.
From setup to day-to-day operation, we find the controller to be a natural fit for the operator with a logical user interface, he said. From a setup and maintenance perspective, being able to jump into the menus on the cameras using Ross Dashboard to paint the cameras and copy those settings quickly to other cameras is a time-saving feature.
The Hitachi DK-200 cameras and the Telemetrics Pan/Tilt heads work in concert together, allowing for smooth motion control coupled with a high-quality image, Magnia said. The ability for the camera and robotic head to respond quickly to the touch screen interface on the controller allows our operators to serve the audience in the auditorium as well as those watching online.
Overall, the system is working well. So well, that Walmart plans to purchase four more cameras and a Telemetrics RCCP-2A control panel and related Pan/Tilt Heads in the Fall for the David Glass Auditorium, which is networked to all of the company's meeting spaces. It's also the largest auditorium in the Bentonville, Ark. Area.
The Telemetrics robotic camera control systems, Magnia said, help them keep a tight schedule and operate as lean as possible across three auditoriums and two studio operations in the Bentonville area, along with locations in Hoboken NJ and San Bruno, Calif.
At Walmart, our founder said there are no cash registers at the home office, so we're an expense to the company, he said. That's why we operate as lean as we do. Our productivity is very high across all of our production spaces.
With Walmart being an everyday low-cost operator, Magnia and his team have made it their goal to operate at a low cost. Camera robotics is a big part of that.
About Telemetrics, Inc.
Founded in 1973, Telemetrics revolutionized television camera control with the development of Triax control systems and continues to be a pioneer of innovative robotics and camera control systems used in the Studio, Legislative, Military, and Education markets. The company began designing, manufacturing and supporting its own camera
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
The Sam M. Walton Auditorium, located inside the Walmart Home Office in Bentonville, Arkansas, has a lot of history. Not only does it regularly host Walmart's investor relations and hundreds of all-hands employee meetings, but the company's founder himself was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom there by then-president George H. Bush in 1992. So every event they produce there is about high quality and the company's low-cost mantra.
