If you’re running the show on your own, you need controls that suit the way you work – intuitive and yet somehow also fully featured. The MCX-500 achieves this by carefully thought out physical controls that you will find easy to operate without looking away from the action for a second.
More advanced features can be tuned to your exact workflow requirements and mapped to an LCD touch-screen control with easily recognisable ICON buttons. Trigger the sophisticated effects you’ve pre-defined with a single touch on a user-defined ICON. It’s a robust, user-friendly system that’s easily extended to bring in additional team members as productions grow.
The switcher is designed to expand your operations for full control of a multi-camera shoot. There is no need to worry about swapping out inputs during a production – the MCX-500 features no less than 8 video inputs (plus dedicated Title input) to easily accommodate any small-to-medium sized production. Inputs include professional 3G-SDI (x4), standard HDMI (x2) and even composite video (x2), allowing you to connect a wide variety of cameras and other equipment. A dedicated RGB Title input allows you to connect a PC or Mac to use as a dedicated source of titles for your production.
See all your sources simultaneously on one display. The switcher’s multi-view output makes it easy for you to see all your sources and outputs on a single screen. Monitoring on the multi-view is always four inputs.
Advanced titles and effects
The MCX-500 allows you easily to create advanced video effects such as Chroma key, transitions and PinP (Picture in Picture).
Transitions
Cut, Mix and Wipe effects allow you to select the pattern, timing and more of each transition. The switcher lets you set-up your transitions beforehand or do it manually on the fly. The switcher lets you set-up your transitions beforehand or do it manually on the fly. You can also easily add effects and titles with a one-button operation both before or after a transition.
Chroma key
Superimpose a presenter over a background video or static image with pin-sharp accuracy using chroma key technology developed for Sony’s MVS Series broadcast switchers.
PinP (Picture in Picture)
To insert a second picture into your main footage, simply choose its size and position, then push live.
Insert and overlay titles
Down-stream key (DSK) function will automatically erase the white background and overlay the title for you. A dedicated RGB (DSK) computer input allows you instant access to titles stored on an external computer to overlay onto your video, freeing up your other eight inputs for camera.
All on-screen graphics simulated, for illustration purposes only.
Overlay Logo
Your logo data can be uploaded from an SD card and using the logo function you can overlay the graphic on the screen.
* Logo function requires version 2.0 firmware.
Stream content live over the internet
The MCX-500 is ideal for live streaming events and productions. The switcher allows you to live mix the output of multiple sources with direct streaming in real time using services such as Ustream®. Share scenes as they happen with high quality picture and sound, direct from the MCX-500 to a router via Ethernet – no PC required.
PC, Mac & Tablet integration
The MCX-500 is designed to allow you to control multi-camera shoots in the most flexible way possible. Plug-in an Ethernet cable or WiFi router to open up a fully functional control interface that can be viewed on a standard web browser with PC, Mac or Tablet. Use browser tabs to click between the Switcher’s main control panel and advanced settings, including the simple set-up of easily recognizable ICON buttons.
Worldwide Full HD support
MCX-500 is a global model allowing you to record a variety of HD standards depending on your needs. You can record AVCHD Full HD 1920x1080 60i/50i or 1440x1080 60i/50i.
Record direct to SD memory card
An internal memory card slot means all you need to record your production is an SD card, affordable and widely available with no need for an external recorder. As soon as the shoot wraps, you can provide the customer with a high quality AVCHD recording to archive, re-broadcast or even re-edit into a highlights package on any leading non linear editing software.
Audio mixing of up to 5 channels including XLR
You can perform a sophisticated multi-channel stereo audio mix in the MCX-500 with no need for an external audio mixer. With a stereo XLR (left/right) interface for external sources, the audio mixer function allows you to mix XLR inputs and 4 channels of embedded audio. You can control all five stereo channels individually, including intuitive audio level control on the LCD touch-screen control panel, mixing channels and also linking the audio to the video. Pre-Fader Listen (PFL) allows you to monitor each audio source before executing the mix.
Seamless integration with Sony camcorders and PTZ cameras
The MCX-500 works with some of the most popular Sony compact camcorders such as the HXR-NX5R and also remote cameras including BRC Series PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) HD camera.
Synchronised recording of connected cameras
You can trigger the recording of connected camcorders through the MCX-500 and record the output on SD memory card in the switcher.
Affordable tally system
Tally signals can be sent to the connected camcorders so you always know which camcorder is live on-air. A tally indicator will automatically appear on each camcorder’s LCD panel and Electronic View Finder – a red icon indicates when the shot is live (PGM) while green indicates preview mode (PVW).*
