How Canon PTZ cameras helped a Tibetan medical centre master the art of streaming

Even the ancient teachings of Tibet are not immune from the pandemic, as Austria-based organisation Nangten Menlang International (NMI) found out. Dedicated to the promotion of Tibetan Medicine, NMI teaches body movement practices, healing methods and meditation to enable students to live a happier life. Founded and led by master Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche, their mission is to share this medical philosophy with audiences all over the world. However, when COVID-19 hit, the non-profit organisation faced their biggest challenge: transitioning their in-person events to an online platform.

Client: Nangten Menlang International

Location: Vienna, Austria

“We always had the idea to stream, but both organisation and audience weren’t ready for it,” says Kathrin Jany, Chairwoman of Nangten Menlang International. “Of course, it suddenly became a key part of our survival strategy.”

They initially started streaming with a standard webcam, but it became obvious that this was only a short-term fix, unable to recreate the immersive, intimate feel of their sessions.

Enter the Canon CR-N300 PTZ camera. Featuring high-quality 4K UHD resolution, a 20x optical zoom, Hybrid Auto Focus, numerous IP streaming and control protocols, this solution provided a much-improved experience, closing the distance for teacher and audience.

“The deciding factor was the intuitive control, the ability to create pre-sets, the excellent autofocus and 20x zoom, which is great for our hybrid events. For all streaming purposes, we use the PTZs,” says Kathrin.

After a seamless integration, the PTZ cameras were remotely operated from a different room, providing the perfect solution to stream events from their small space in Vienna.

As their productions improved, so did their online audience, which enabled them to invest in an additional CR-N300 unit. Kathrin now operates the two together for an even more sophisticated output. “With a two-camera set-up, we can prepare all the pre-sets ahead of time, covering the front and side view. We then use an ATEM Mini Extreme to switch between views and navigate the camera without being behind it.”

“We are very happy with the AF of the Canon CR-N300 PTZ,” adds Kathrin. “In some sessions, the teacher is standing up and sitting down or moves further towards the camera, for example. The camera stays in focus, while the image stabilisation ensures a steady image throughout. When we produce hybrid events, the PTZ camera is placed very far away and we still get impressive quality thanks to the 20x optical zoom.”

Streams are hosted on Zoom, via the ATEM Mini Extreme, with sometimes hundreds of participants tuned in at one time to the practice. It was a huge jump up to 4K UHD resolution, Kathrin confirms, which received immediate positive feedback about the overall professional quality of the streams.

The Canon CR-N300’s advanced features and impressive performance proved to be a wise choice for the team, enabling them to upgrade the standard of online teachings. As a result, Nangten Menlang International has extended its reach beyond borders and brought the ancient teachings of master Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche into the modern world.