dock10 has invested in the Hitomi MatchBox system to help its virtual studios team align their audio and video outputs efficiently.
The facility has installed virtual production capabilities in every one of its studios, and has now added Hitomi’s MatchBox Generator, Analyser and licences to use the Glass iPhone app.
The Hitomi MatchBox Generator creates a unique signal, including video and up to 16 audio channels. The complementary MatchBox Analyser compares the video and audio and determines precisely the delays in each path. For quick, on set tests, MatchBox Glass uses an iPhone or iPad to generate a test signal, with the phone simply held in front of the camera to be tested.
“We looked at MatchBox at IBC, then we borrowed the kit from our friends at Timeline Television so we could give it a full workout,” said Michael Lodmore, duty technology manager, Dock10. “Compensating for video delays through the various processing engines can be time-consuming and not very satisfactory. We found MatchBox did just what we needed, saving our crews a lot of time to get the audio and video outputs in sync. Not only does it measure by how much it is wrong, it also gives us reassurance when right.
“The future of studio production is going to rely increasingly on virtual reality,” Lodmore added. “It allows us to create bigger, brighter environments through virtual set extensions. Producers love it because they can create looks which make their programmes stand out from the crowd and enhance the format. MatchBox means we can get on with delivering that quality without waiting for complex line-ups.”
