Sportvision and TBS, Turner Broadcasting System, have teamed up for the second consecutive year on the production of “Braves TBS Xtra presented by Sonic” telecasts to incorporate Sportvision-developed graphic enhancements.
The 17 “TBS Xtra”’ telecasts, which debuted April 9 as the Braves hosted the New York Mets, included new-look graphics and enhancements, such as a virtual leadoff line, virtual hit charts, virtual starting line-ups, virtual on-deck cards, virtual substitution cards and Xtra Motion effects.
Highlighting the effects is an enhanced version of the virtual leadoff line and virtual hit charts. Appearing on the base path between first and second, the virtual leadoff line measures the distance of the base runners lead off the base, revealing -based on an accumulation of data- the likelihood of a runner successfully stealing the base. The virtual hitting charts enable analysts to highlight specific hitting zones for a player or a team on the field of play, in a manner that’s unobtrusive to the viewer. These charts are designed to inform the viewers of any distinctive occurrences throughout the telecast, as well as each hitter’s tendencies throughout the season.
Additionally, virtual starting line-ups, virtual substitution cards, and virtual on-deck cards are being incorporated into each telecast. These effects insert 3-D virtual animations of the players and their statistics, in their position on the field or on-deck, and when pitching changes and defensive changes occur, providing viewers with relevant and up-to the minute information.
The Xtra Motion effect lets TBS track pitch trails from the moment a ball leaves the pitcher’s hand to the time it crosses home plate, painting a visual map and showing viewers the actual movement of the ball in slow motion. The Xtra Motion effect uses StroMotion, powered by Dartfish technology, which analyzes rapid movements of a moving object and displays them as a series of static images along the objects trajectory.
The Wind Meter, a graphic informing viewers of the wind speed and direction, and Video in Perspective, a video window in 3-D space inserted on or adjacent to the playing field, will be incorporated into future telecasts.
For more information, visit www.sportvision.com.
