Hello everyone,
I hope you’re all doing well, and thank you in advance for any help or insight you can share.
I’m experiencing a tracking sync issue that started after a temporary 4K test in my setup.
Setup: 4-Engine Aximmetry (2025.3.0 Broadcast DE), DeckLink 8K Pro G2, SDI input 1080p50, 3-Sony BRC-X1000, currently genlocked.
Everything was working perfectly two days ago. I temporarily inserted Blackmagic HDMI ↔ SDI bidirectional converters to test 4K with the PTZ (limited SDI on set) and added genlock to the whole setup.
After the test, I removed the converters and returned to the original 1080 SDI configuration (same cables, same framerate, same routing). Since then, tracking no longer aligns properly. Even after disabling the sync generator to revert to the previous non-genlocked setup, I cannot achieve a correct tracking delay.
The issue only appears during motion — at rest everything aligns perfectly. This suggests it is not a calibration, lens, or static offset issue, but rather a timing or phase problem between video and tracking.
Has anyone experienced tracking that aligns at rest but drifts during motion and cannot be corrected ?
I even did try to change the frame delay in both the cam module and in the settings
The auto tracking delay find around 2 frames but I have these results :
https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/6631ba96-40c2-4e1b-95a2-a09929623e99
It’s the best I can get with the 3 cams
Thanks again for your time and support — any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi,
I think what we are seeing is that, although the tracking position no longer changes after the movement stops, the camera still slides slightly. In other words, the physical camera movement does not stop exactly when the movement command says it should. This is a common issue with PTZ cameras, so it was probably not caused by the factors mentioned in your post. It is more likely related to a setting in the PTZ camera, or it may simply be how the camera normally behaves.
The first setting to check is RAMP CURVE in the PAN TILT/ZOOM menu. According to Sony, this controls the pan/tilt acceleration and deceleration behavior: MODE1 is quicker, MODE2 is standard, and MODE3 is slower. In the VISCA command list, these map roughly to Sharpness / Standard / Gentle.
If the camera seems to ease out after motion instead of stopping sharply, MODE3 is the most likely reason. For the best starting point, test with RAMP CURVE = MODE1. P/T SLOW MODE and P/T SPEED TYPE can also influence how the movement feels, but they mainly affect speed range and step resolution, not the actual acceleration/deceleration curve. Sony also notes that Extd. STEP should only be used with a compatible controller.
Here is a practical BRC-X1000 tracking-alignment checklist:
If the metadata appears to stop while the image still “coasts” slightly, MODE1 is the best baseline test because it uses the quickest accel/decel behavior.
Sony states that this reduces the speed of each pan/tilt step for slower operation, which can make stop behavior harder to evaluate clearly.
Sony offers NORMAL, Extd. RANGE, and Extd. STEP. For diagnosis, NORMAL is the safest and simplest baseline.
Sony’s preset table shows that RAMP CURVE is not stored in presets, and PAN TILT SLOW is not stored either.
Sony’s integration manual lists the PTZF metadata transmission interval as 16.68 ms for 1080/59.94P, 1080/59.94I, and 720/59.94P; 20.00 ms for 1080/50P, 1080/50I, and 720/50P; 33.36 ms for 2160/29.97P; 40.00 ms for 2160/25P; and 41.70 ms for 2160/23.98P and 1080/23.98P. Higher-rate formats are the better baseline if you want the tightest sync.
A good baseline test setup is:
RAMP CURVE = MODE1
P/T SLOW MODE = OFF
P/T SPEED TYPE = NORMAL
Use a higher-rate format such as 1080/59.94p.
We have also recently added new documentation on testing tracking and tracking calibration, which starts here: https://aximmetry.com/learn/virtual-production-workflow/tracking/testing-of-the-calibration/scene-setup
Warmest regards,