Remote Cameras for TVS

I am considering getting some remote cameras for my TVS live event system. I saw some units that had a joystick control unit but I would be fine with a software based control/ I will need 1080i from the cameras.

Can anyone comment or recommend any economical units? Also any tips would be appreciated.

Define economical. Anything that works in a production environment with an HD switcher is going to cost thousands of dollars no matter how you slice it. If that's within your budget, then I use a collection of Panasonic HE60's and Vaddio HD18's

I would recommend renting them from a place like VER (Video Equipment Rentals), they are nationwide. I haven't used any robos personally, but a few TV shows I've worked on use Sony BRC-H700's with HD-SDI cards. They aren't cheap though. If you watch a bunch of the Gordon Ramsey reality shows like Kitchen Nightmares you'll find these exact cams mounted everywhere. You'll also need to rent a controller (Sony RM-BR300 is what I've seen used) and the control cabling. The RM-BR300 can control up to 7 cameras daisy chained.