What Is Video Switcher?

There's so much noise in the background when you're at a party trying to talk to someone. If you want to hear what they say, all you can listen to is loud music or the people talking in the next room. Do you know what you need? A video switcher! You can do many things with a video switcher, but switching between different audio or video sources is the main one. You could use it to select between the heads of audio or video and mix in the footage or special effects on a secondary basis. Video switchers are primarily used in film and video production environments like production trucks and television studios. There are different types of video switchers available on the market. They can be rack-mounted or panel-based. Some models also come with software that allows you to control them remotely. Also, depending on the number of inputs they can have, they are classified as 1-input, 2-input, 3-input, etc. The most common type is the 2-input switcher, which is helpful in most cases. If you plan to use and implement more than two sources, you can choose and use a 3-input model. When it comes to video switchers, most people think of them in terms of channels and sources. Each head is connected to a particular channel, which can use to select the source about to go live on air. You know the deal. There's the program bus, and then there's the preview bus. The program bus is where you send your video, and the preview bus shows you what's going on in case you need to make any adjustments. Sometimes, if you're doing visual effects, you'll use both of these buses simultaneously, but that's only occasionally necessary.