Antelope PICO Extreme – Slow Motion / Recording Systems / VTRs

The PICO Extreme outputs dual HD-SDI live and replay signals directly compatible with standard broadcast routers and vision mixers. No conditioning required for distance runs under 300 m on quality 75 Ω coax. Verify your router supports 10-bit HD-SDI input if you're capturing the full bit depth; older 8-bit infrastructure will accept the signal but downsample. RS-232/RS-485 control requires a serial gateway or CCU with those ports. Confirm your existing control backbone supports these protocols before deployment.

58 dB SNR (Y, normal gain) is solid for broadcast standard-def work; at high frame rates (350 fps), noise floor rises slightly due to shorter integration time, though global shutter minimizes motion artifacts. De-flickering targets AC mains-frequency flicker (50/60 Hz) under artificial light. Mixed daylight/tungsten scenes may show residual flicker in transitional areas—test with your actual lighting rig beforehand. Confirm firmware revision, as de-flickering performance has been refined across firmware updates; check the installed version.

At 350 fps 1080p, uncompressed HD-SDI output (≈1.5 Gbit/s per stream) requires external recording infrastructure—the PICO itself outputs live and replay HD-SDI only; it does not include onboard storage. You must connect dual HD-SDI outputs to a professional video server or recorder (Grass Valley, Sony ELC, EVS, etc.) supporting 10-bit capture. Plan for ~200 GB/hour per stream at 10-bit 4:2:2. Confirm your recording system's SDI input card specifications and latency.

The PICO Extreme accepts 12–24 VDC at 20 W, so 12 V battery operation is feasible. At 12 V, draw is ~1.67 A; typical broadcast 12 V batteries (e.g., AB Gold 100) deliver 8–12 hours run time per charge depending on battery condition and accessory load (remote head, control cables, breakout boxes). 24 V reduces voltage drop on long cable runs and is preferred for permanent OB installations. For gimbal/handheld use, confirm your battery management system includes low-voltage shutdown; under-voltage will corrupt the video chain.

Control is via RS-232/RS-485 serial (XLR Female connectors). The PICO Extreme does not ship with a dedicated CCU; you must supply an external control surface or integration layer that speaks RS-232/RS-485. Some integrators use software control panels over Ethernet-to-serial gateways; others interface directly into existing Ross, Grass Valley, or Hitachi CCU serial backbones if compatible baud rates and command sets align. Obtain the full RS-232/485 command protocol documentation from Antelope and confirm your CCU vendor supports the PICO command set before specifying.

The PICO Extreme supports frame-rate operation across standard broadcast formats (23.98–60 fps) with global shutter controllable via RS-232/485. Dual-unit synchronization requires external sync reference (Black Burst or tri-level sync from your studio clock). Feed sync to both units via a master control system issuing identical shutter/frame-rate commands to each camera's serial port with minimal latency skew. Confirm both units are the same firmware revision and test sync timing offsets at your target frame rate before production. This setup demands professional integration support.

At 1500 ASA (0 dB gain @ f/8.0), the PICO Extreme is rated at 640 ASA normal gain—this aligns with broadcast ENG performance (~3 foot-candles at f/8). At 350 fps, shutter speed shortens (e.g., 1/350 sec or faster), reducing photon collection; plan for 4–6× more light than standard 60 fps operation, or accept elevated gain and higher noise floor. Global shutter eliminates rolling-shutter artifacts but does not improve low-light sensitivity inherently. Test on-site with your lighting rig at target frame rates; SNR degradation vs. frame rate is nonlinear and design-dependent.

Firmware updates are periodically released; confirm current version compatibility with your recorder and CCU before installation. Spare-part availability includes standard broadcast connectors (XLR, SDI) and power harnesses. The CMOS sensor and global-shutter silicon have no user-replaceable wear items; CCD/CMOS degradation is minimal under normal operation. Request Antelope's spare-parts list and mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) data for your specific application. Establish a service contract with an authorized integrator covering firmware updates and logistics. Long-term support is typically vendor-dependent; confirm in writing before final purchase.

Yes, every used or ex-demo unit is tested and covered by a 90-day warranty. In the event of a failure, the round-trip transport cost is shared equally between the customer and Broadcast Depot.

Yes, Broadcast Depot ships worldwide. We arrange transport on quotation, or you can use your own carrier. Delivery usually takes 3 to 5 days. OB vans are delivered by driver or collected on site.

Yes, in case of an error or if you would like another product from our stock: returns and exchanges are possible with no time limit. Contact us to arrange it.