Sony has demonstrated a new sports broadcast application which tracks information, such as position and movement, of players for real-time graphical overlay, writes Adrian Pennington.
Entitled Data Augmented Video, the application combiners picture stitching with live statistical analysis and is driven by statistical engine STATS, which also drives the data feed provided by Deltra-Tre for UEFA’s football coverage.
The application is being targeted at broadcasters and sports rights holders such as UEFA, as well as leagues and individual teams for training analysis. It has also been optimised to work in 3D.
At IBC, the demonstration showed overlays for football and tennis. Three camera feeds, positioned close to each other on the pitch but recording separate spaces, are ‘sewn’ together, forming a wide HD view of the pitch. This video content is enhanced by graphical information sourced from sports data tools.
Until recently this type of enhanced match analysis has only been possible for match highlights or reviews. However, Sony’s software – which runs as a layer on its MPE-200 processor – enables this to be achieved live with the inclusion of data enhanced video clips within an event replay sequence.
Mark Grinyer (pictured), head of professional development – 3D and Sports, Sony Professional, commented: “Data Augmented Video provides broadcasters a chance to improve the viewer experience, but is also useful for coaches to analyse and assess their team’s performance as the action takes place. It is a fantastic tool for allowing fans to greater understand exactly what is happening on the pitch.”
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