Helm

Powerful, customisable control and monitoring system
for broadcast, streaming and A/V.

Better control means happier viewers

Design

Design

Design panels for your operators using the intuitive and powerful Helm Designer. Place visual controls on the panel and specify their functions.

Deploy

Deploy

Deploy your panels to operators, either for PCs with the Helm run-time engine, or to WebCentre for panels accessible directly via the browser.

Control

Control

Operators use Helm to control their broadcasts and A/V productions, using panels built with just the functions required.

Why Helm?

It’s a common scenario: You’ve designed your broadcast, streaming or A/V workflow using best-of-breed equipment from a number of different suppliers, and now you’re thinking about control. Every manufacturer offers their own software to control their technology, but typically it’s designed by engineers, for engineers. And it doesn’t work with anyone else’s equipment. You need something that allows you to operate the system in the way you want, hiding those bits that don’t matter. You need to link controls for related equipment in a straightforward way, concealing the complexity underneath. That’s where Helm comes in.

With Helm, you design a control system dedicated to your operators’ requirements; there’s no clutter of unnecessary controls or information and no risk of confusion between channels as you switch from one manufacturer UI to another. There’s no hunting for the right buttons to press. We can help you design and implement Helm control panels, and you’ll have all the tools to modify and extend them as your requirements change.

Benefits
  • Totally customisable: All the control you need, none that you don’t
  • Smaller footprint: Not all environments have room for multiple hardware panels
  • Lower cost: Helm panels run on entry-level PCs, or even on mobile devices via WebCentre
  • Faster training: Only one system to learn for new operators
  • Enhanced productivity: Simpler interfaces mean operators can work faster and more effectively
  • Extend and replace: You can add or change equipment in the facility without impacting operators.
Simple, but scalable

Helm is ideal for all system sizes, from simple router control to large multi-channel master control environments. It’s been used  by some of the world’s biggest and best know broadcasters.

Helm panels can be operated by either touchscreen or keyboard and mouse. Taking broadcast, streaming and A/V control to new levels, Helm is unique. It’s ease of deployment, scalability and cost-effectiveness make it the control solution of choice for broadcasters worldwide.

What does Helm control?

With Helm, you can control a wide range of broadcast, streaming and A/V equipment, using Rascular’s customised drivers. Support for generic devices via SNMP and GPIs is also available. And, we’ll also produce new device drivers on request.

Other integrations

As well as device control, Helm can be integrated with other subsystems and devices, allowing you to integrate their functions into your panels or use them to control Helm devices. Integrations include:

  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • SQL databases
  • MIDI controllers
  • JL Cooper hardware panels
  • NewTek NDI®
  • Contour ShuttlePRO
  • VLC Player
Features
  • Application-specific and device-specific control panels
  • Multiple device control from a single control panel
  • Designed for multi-channel and multiple-operator environments
  • Event-based scripting
  • Lua scripting language support
  • Control devices over networks, serial ports and GPI
  • User-customisable buttons, icons and backgrounds
  • Integral timers for device and event triggers
  • Drag-and-drop panel design
  • Point-and-click or touchscreen operation
  • Flexible system architecture
  • Powerful alarm monitoring and generation
  • Seamless operation with automation
  • Text entry via control panel for character generator applications
  • Powerful controls including buttons, faders and dropdown menus
  • Integral tally system
  • Device media browsing and thumbnailing
  • SQL database query option
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Applications
  • Broadcast Master Control
  • A/V and broadcast live events
  • Ingest Management
  • Router Control
  • Live graphics management
  • Status monitoring