U.S. sports broadcasting and technology provider Sportvision has purchased four Safire HD chroma keyers from Crystal Vision, for use in virtual advertising at sporting events.
The virtual ads are similar in concept to virtual sets, in that they aren't visible to the fans or players at the stadium, but to the viewers at home. A main component of the ads is the chroma keyer, which generates a key signal to enable the ad graphic to be keyed into the video signal and then onto to the blue or green screen.
Sportvision also operates a camera tracking system that keeps the ad consistent in size and shape as the camera pans and zooms.
Sportvision chose the Safire HD when they made the upgrade from SD, after having used another manufacturer's product. An appealing aspect of the system is the flexibility found in its ability to be used in both HD and SD broadcasts. They were impressed in their testing, performed this winter, and appreciated the ease of control and the fact that other Crystal Vision interface modules would fit in the same frame.
The four systems are to be used in four outside broadcast trucks, and each is comprised of a Safire HD chroma keyer, LKEY HD linear keyer and two HD Distribution Amplifiers. An Indigo 2U rack frame houses the modules, and they're controlled via the dedicated Safire Remote Control Panel.
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