VDS, a developer of graphics automation software, content design and plug-in products, has delivered a new HD ticker to The Score Television Network in Toronto. The signature graphic on The Score, the new ticker is the first native 720p ticker in North America, built from the ground up to deliver dynamic sports information to sports fans across Canada.
The heart of the system is a central database designed by VDS for the storage and distribution of live sports scores, statistical and other related information from multiple data sources. This database serves as the single source of data for all automated graphics applications at The Score, including the ticker, Web site and other applications planned for the future.
Designed with three independent but simultaneously updating regions for main ticker, game bug and breaking news, the ticker includes advanced animations and transitions not yet seen in on-air tickers. It also includes a progress indicator, which shows how many entries remain within a specific subject, as well as advanced line-up bars indicating upcoming sports segments.
The integrated display of live game data from Stats Inc. and sports odds data from Chalk provides up-to-the-minute information to the sports fan, including game situation display features, with base-runner indicators for baseball, ball possession and field position for football and power-play/man advantage for hockey.
The Score ticker also has multiple modes of operation and display, including standard ticker mode and live event mode, in which the ticker transforms, on the fly, to a smaller size at the bottom of the screen to minimize the video squeezeback required.
An authoring tool allows The Score personnel to create ticker playlists with as many as 1,500 entries, which is common for the dynamic and comprehensive production requirements of The Score.
The VDS ticker system also allows for automatic scheduling and playback of multiple playlists based on date and time, as well as scheduling features for enabling individual or groups of playlist entries based on game situation and time of day.
As part of its contract with The Score, VDS will also be delivering other tools for the production of automated graphics, including a system that will drive full-screen graphics or “boards” with live game situation and statistical information.
For more information, visit www.videodesignsoftware.com.
