Hollyland launches $1,999 Astra P1 PTZ with NDI HX3 and AI auto-tracking

The Astra P1 launch signals an aggressive move into the professional PTZ space, packaging premium NDI HX3 and AI automation at a sub-$2k price point. By bundling the NDI license and simplifying tracking workflows, Hollyland is lowering the technical and financial barrier for corporate, education, and religious organizations and enabling more sophisticated multi-camera setups with fewer personnel. This pressures legacy broadcast incumbents to accelerate the inclusion of AI and IP features in their mid-tier offerings. Watch for adoption rates among vMix and OBS users, which will indicate how well this hardware competes against established players like Panasonic and Sony in the growing IP-native production ecosystem.

The PTZ market is currently undergoing a structural shift toward IP-native workflows and AI-driven automation to offset rising labor costs. Per Market Report Analytics (May 2026), the global PTZ camera market for broadcasting is projected to reach $2.28 billion in 2026, growing at an 8.5% CAGR as institutions transition away from traditional SDI infrastructure. This growth is increasingly concentrated in 'operator-efficient' solutions that rely on AI to manage framing and focus without a dedicated camera technician for every lens.

Competitors are rapidly deploying similar technology. Per NewscastStudio (June 2026), Telycam recently announced its Explore series, which also features 4K/60 fps over NDI HX3 and brushless DC motors for smoother robotic movement. Meanwhile, established players like Sony and Panasonic are leveraging larger 1-inch sensors to defend their high-end positions in the broadcast segment. Per Key Code Media (2026), Sony's latest AI-assisted tracking is being positioned as a standard for high-stakes environments where reliability and skin-tone accuracy are paramount.

The adoption of NDI HX3 is a critical catalyst in this expansion. Unlike Full NDI, which requires roughly 250 Mbps for 4K video, HX3 delivers near-lossless 4K over standard 1Gb networks at approximately 80 Mbps. Per Z Systems (2026), this protocol allows facilities to utilize existing IT infrastructure for professional-grade video, effectively turning any network switch into a video router. This trend toward interoperable, software-defined production is expected to reach a tipping point in late 2026 as aging hardware forces late adopters to commit to IP transitions.