Looking to grow its fan base, SNY, the official TV home of the New York Mets, Jets and BIG EAST Conference, is using the Orad MVP real-time graphics system for its live HD coverage of regular-season New York Mets telecasts. The network is the first regional sports network in the U.S. to implement Orad MVP during live broadcasts.
Curt Gowdy Jr., SNY’s senior VP and executive producer, said SNY will use the Orad technology this season to enhance the network’s telecasts with five new graphics features: SNY Magnify, Flow Motion, Pitch Differential and speed and distance trackers.
SNY Magnify takes advantage of MVP’s HyperZoom technology to magnify a tracked video segment that moves with a player or an object, giving the viewer the best possible replay whether it’s a close play, questionable home run or a foul ball. On a close pickoff play at second base, for example, the ball, the glove and the runner’s foot or hand all can be magnified and followed.
Using MVP’s Flow Motion tool, SNY analysts Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez can break down and dissect the operation of a pitcher’s arm or batter’s swing in detail because arm or swing can be overlaid on repeated plays, highlighting differences and patterns during the course of a game.
The Pitch Differential feature illustrates a pitch sequence by zooming in on where a catcher sets up, where the pitch actually ends up and where the ball makes contact with the bat. Speed and distance trackers can be applied to base runners or baseballs to graphically demonstrate where and how fast they are moving.
The MVP system allows SNY’s broadcast partners to enhance the story of a game with post-production capabilities in real time. They are also creating additional sponsorship opportunities. MVP relies on image tracking instead of costly, complex camera modifications, making it easy to set up and operate.
