September 2017 CREATION 21
German broadcaster NDR ’ s new virtual studio , powered by Avid ’ s virtual technology , allows a duo-presenter format to be introduced .
size or type , will begin to embrace virtual sets and augmented reality ( AR ), predicts Andrew Tan , director of sales , APAC , Ross Video .
He tells APB : “ Virtual sets can actually lower operational costs , depending on the application . For instance , ‘ blended ’ environments combine the best of traditional physical design and virtual design to eliminate the need for video walls and on-set monitors .
“ Not only can virtual sets be deployed at substantially less cost than traditional physical sets but multiple sets can be used in the same space . Virtual solutions are also enable to be operated and deployed in small spaces that require
Formosa TV , a Taiwanese free-to-air ( FTA ) broadcaster , operates four TV channels in New Taipei City , Taiwan , and has been a user of Vitec Group ’ s products for several years .
To equip new studios and a newsroom , Formosa TV decided to install the Autoscript E . P . I . C . 19-inch prompter from Autoscript , and Vinten ’ s Vector 750 and Vision 250 pan-and-tilt heads , alongside the Quartz One , Quattro-SL and Osprey Elite pedestals from Vinten .
Combining a LED-prompting screen with an integrated 19-inch HD-SDI on-air monitor , the lightweight E . P . I . C . prompter , when used as a combined system , utilises less power than other prompting solutions , according to Vitec Group . Furthermore , camera operators are able to perform a full camera tilt without restrictions , as the teleprompter eliminates the need for an extra mounting bracket .
For Vinten ’ s support systems , Formosa TV found the Vinten Quattro-SL pedestal particularly effective as it easily tracks in confined spaces , and installation was easy
Ross Video believes virtual sets and augmented reality can lower operational cost , and bring more operational efficiencies .” substantially less facility costs , and use less storage space due to needing fewer physical set pieces .”
If you are visiting IBC2017 this month , Tan invites you to visit booth 11 . C10 to check out solutions such as the UX software application . Providing integration with tracking systems , keying products and real-time 3D rendering engines such as Ross Video ’ s XPression and Frontier , UX comes installed on a touchscreen PC for virtual set camera calibration , scene manipulation , media replacement , event triggering , animation control , robotic camera move control , and more .
XPression is a motion graphics platform Ross Video offers in sports studios , broadcast and venue control rooms , as well as OB vans and other mobile environments . “ This advanced platform produces complex multi-layered 3D graphics for both SDI and IP infrastractures , and offers a wide range of capabilities such as virtual set , AR , clip server and transcoder with various workflow tools and software applications ,” Tan describes .
The same creation and rendering platform is also the basis for Ross Video ’ s Tessera system , which is used to deliver graphics to any number of displays of various sizes in sports venues ; and Ross Video ’ s
Trackless Studio system , which provides a cost-effective virtual set using a stationary camera that works effectively in small spaces .
While XPression is “ very well suited ” for virtual sets , some studio facilities desire even more realistic backgrounds , Tan points out . Thus , Ross Video designed XPression , in tandem with Frontier — based on a video game engine technology optimised by Ross Video — to work in virtual studio environments that renders hyper-realistic imagery . “ Even the most complex graphical elements , from rain drops and fire to live shadows , lens flares and dynamic highlights , can be created quickly ,
Vitec Group outfits Formosa TV ’ s new studios
due to its compact construction and design , said Formosa TV . The Quattro-SL can also be paired with the Vectro 750 pan-and-tilt head — which provides a counterbalance mechanism and TF drag system — to allow operators to make adjustments for better control and more consistent movement .
Tsai Shen-Tien , chief of photography for Formosa TV , concluded : “ The easy operation , precise tuning , local service , quality and reliability — these products are the complete package . Our technicians and camera
easily and with unprecedented realism ,” Tan says .
What truly makes virtual sets and AR an attractive proposition , he adds , is the ability to offer more visually arresting looks for viewers , on top of more variety . XPression , for instance , integrates with dynamic data sources to deliver up-to-the-second , on-screen updates .
Using the same space , multiple virtual sets can be designed by combining physical and virtual elements , and be quickly changed for different shows . “ Systems such as Tessera , XPression and Trackless Studio are utilised in stadiums and other venues to embellish the whole fan experience at the event ,” Tan highlights .
And while he concedes that using virtual solutions require changes in workflows , skill sets and domain knowledge , there is also a monetisation opportunity to be explored . “ Virtual solutions can provide new income sources through sponsorship of specific virtual elements ,” Tan explains . “ Advertising and sponsorships can be applied in the same manner for a variety of programming such as weather , traffic , sports , talk and variety on an annual , daily , or show-by-show basis .”
Taiwanese broadcaster Formosa TV has equipped new studios and a newsroom with Vinten support solutions and Autoscript teleprompters .
operators trust these brands so we were keen to keep using Vinten and Autoscript products when we built the new newsroom and studios .”
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