On March 14, TopVision, the Berlin-based OB van production company, helped Sky Sports produce the first live 3-D HD Bundesliga football (soccer) match in Germany, with a variety of HD cameras and 3-D graphics from Vizrt. TopVision also worked with Sky to broadcast the first HD production from a Bundesliga football match in December 2005.
Nine 3-D camera rigs (18 cameras in total) provided the video, and Vizrt’s software generated the graphics. The Viz Trio CG and the dual-channel Viz Engine created and synchronized graphics for the left and right eyes to create the 3-D effect.
With its Viz Engine, Viz Trio and Viz Virtual Studio products, Vizrt now has a range of 3-D products that are targeted at live productions.
The 3-D soccer game was transmitted by satellite to a closed-circuit audience in Munich where all viewers were given RealD 3-D circularly polarized glasses. Achim Jendges, TopVision’s CEO, said the 3-D production and transmission was a success, and the company plans to continue producing more sport events in 3-D.
For the 3-D HD graphics, Vizrt supplied a 3-D HD Trio CG and Viz Engine rendering system. Out of the switcher, the right eye and the left eye images were streamed in full HD 1920 x 1080 to 3-D HD monitors. Using circularly polarized 3-D glasses, the TopVision crew could view flicker-free 3-D HD images and work on the production with no eyestrain.
“Live stereo 3-D productions have different needs than film, where you can change the stereo 3-D parameter in post production,” said Johann Rückel, sales manager at Vizrt. “In a live production, you need real-time tools like the Viz Engine, where you can change every parameter and see the changes right away.”
