Rascular’s Commander range of PC-based ‘soft’ control panels for broadcast equipment give fast, powerful, networked control of the equipment they support. While the full range of controls and visual and numerical control methods are invaluable for experienced operators, the familiar PC-style interfaces give occasional users the confidence to use the they require.
Commander-IS is a PC-based control panel for Miranda’s “Oxtel Series” Imagestore range. When connected over Ethernet using standard TCP/IP protocols, Commander-IS gives instant control and feedback on the status of any Imagestore on the network.
Commander-IS is built using Rascular’s ultra-reliable IS-API toolkit, which uses the Imagestore’s automation protocols to give full control of every feature of the Imagestore in a way that has never been seen before. Commander-IS truly ‘opens up’ Imagestore, allowing operators, engineers and graphics departments simple control of this incredibly powerful channel branding and master control engine.
Best of all, Commander-IS uses a totally unobtrusive approach: When connected over Ethernet, all your existing control methods (including station automation systems and Presmaster master control panels) continue to operate unaffected by Commander-IS. When the operator makes changes using automation or Presmaster, those changes are automatically tallied back to Commander-IS, which updates its displays accordingly.
Potential application areas include:
- Master Control areas, for easy parameter adjustments and emergency on-air control.
- Graphics areas – for easy control of a local Imagestore to check and adjust image positioning and setup, and to experiment with the full capabilities of the Imagestore.
- Engineering – To verify Imagestore configuration and operation at remote sites without leaving your desk.
Naturally, Commander-IS is only as powerful as the system it controls. In a few areas, limitations of the Imagestore automation protocols prevent Commander-IS from achieving total and seamless control. These cases are also noted in this manual.