Video Mixer Advice for PIP

[neil11975]

Our church has a modest video system with 3 sony ptz cameras, a videonics 4 channel mixer, and a dvd recorder. We have a deaf ministry and would like to always have one camera on the sign language interpreter displayed in the corner of the screen at all time and still be able to transition between the other cameras. Is this even possible with any mixer? If so, are there any specific ones that anyone knows about? The mixer we have now will not allow that. Once I am in PIP mode, it is stuck like that until I remove the picture in picture. I can't transition the background picture. Thanks in advance for any advice...Neil

[tdangelo]

Your post does not say whether you are looking for SD or HD, but we use a For-A HVS-500 Hanabi switcher which will do exactly what you are asking for.

[neil11975]

We use analog cameras with S-Video cables. Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into that switcher.

[neil11975]

I looked at the switcher that was mentioned and it is definitely out of our price range. We are looking for something under $1000. Less if possible and needs at least 3 channels. Are there any other suggestions. Maybe there is a way to congfigure the system so that we can always have that one camera on the screen? I am new to this, so bear with me please.

[neil11975]

What about adding something like this between the mixer and the dvd recorder and then connecting the interpreter camera directly to this unit as the second source?
I just tried to post the link but since I am new member, the forum will not let me. It is an "Ambery 4 channel quad video picture-in-picture video processor". If you google that it should come up with it.

[prochlea]

What about adding something like this between the mixer and the dvd recorder

That's what I was going to suggest...

[jgfrost]

neil11975,
Just a thought, I to have put together sermons for the Hard of Hearing and attempted to use mutable cameras. After a lot of work I discovered the Hard of Hearing community relays pretty heavily on the speakers facial expressions and switching cameras was pretty distracting for them.
Just a thought.
In Christ.

[Rennie]

You might look into the Roland V4 which handles up to 4 inputs and can do PIP. You can find them used on ebay/craig's list for around $700.