ChyronHego Launches VistaCam for In-Studio Panoramic Video Wall Graphics

ChyronHego has launched VistaCam, an all-new broadcast graphics solution for panoramic in-studio video displays, which provides an ultra-high-resolution “video wall” backdrop for in-studio shows. At the 2015 NAB Show, ChyronHego will highlight VistaCam on an ultra-high resolution video wall demonstration that also features the company’s all-new Lyric64 graphics creation and playout platform, now re-engineered to support 64-bit deployments.

ChyronHego VistaCam In-Studio Video Display

ChyronHego developed VistaCam in close cooperation with a major sports broadcaster in the U.K., which was launching a new studio for its Monday night English Premier League football show. The broadcaster sought to provide a three-projector, panoramic backdrop behind the presenters’ desks featuring graphics and live video from football venues. However, signals obtained from wide-angle HD cameras located at the football pitch were appearing pixelated and out-of-focus when projected on the large video wall in the studio. Following up on ChyronHego’s previous panoramic video and image-based tracking systems, including its patented CogEye technology for stitching HD sources together, the broadcaster approached ChyronHego to provide a solution.

ChyronHego VistaCam In-Studio Video Display at Fox Sports Netherlands.

ChyronHego based the VistaCam solution on the Super-HD camera units used in the company’s acclaimed TRACAB optical player tracking systems. With TRACAB’s patented image processing technology, the compact HD cameras use stereo technology to ensure that the entire playing surface is constantly filmed from several angles. Using this technology, ChyronHego custom-designed and built a small, portable camera unit for VistaCam including four of the HD cameras. With the camera unit installed in the arena and transmitting the four HD video streams over a Gigabit Ethernet connection, the VistaCam presentation engine is able to stitch together the feeds to create a very high-resolution, near-180-degree video panorama. The VistaCam software includes an intuitive GUI for real-time color correction in the studio, and can be easily integrated with ChyronHego’s resolution-independent Lyric64 graphics creation and playout platform. This enables the system to deliver high-resolution video in virtually any size and dimension, an important capability for video walls that are often deployed in unusual widths and heights.

“There are a few solutions available that can create panoramic video feeds, but they’re primarily used for coaching and game analysis. VistaCam is the first-ever broadcast-quality system to deliver panoramic video for studio presentations that addresses the pixelation and other quality issues that have plagued panoramic video walls in the past,” said Johan Apel, president and CEO, ChyronHego. “After developing the solution for our U.K. broadcast customer, we’ve been able to test it with several other clients and it is now being installed by several other sports broadcasters. With VistaCam, they’re able to provide coverage that is truly unique, giving home viewers the sense that they’re right on the pitch even when they’re in their living rooms.”

Chyron Unveils Lyric64, All-New 64-Bit Grapics Platform
As mentioned, Chyron has re-engineered its flagship Lyric graphics creation and playout platform for the 64-bit environment.

ChyronHego Lyric64

Lyric64 features a completely new and highly customizable user interface that provides seamless usability and easy access to the platform’s rich and extensive feature set. In addition, Lyric64 is resolution-agnostic with full support for graphics authoring and playout in nonstandard aspect ratios, such as on video walls, and in resolutions to 4K and beyond. Lyric64 will be released for purchase in the third quarter of 2015.

ChyronHego Lyric64

ChyronHego’s Lyric has more than 9,000 systems installed in broadcast environments on every continent. Like its predecessor, Lyric64 offers a single powerful solution for graphics creation and playout including point-and-click access to external data sources using ChyronHego’s Advanced Data Object technology. With this feature, Lyric64 users can enrich their on-air graphics with data from a multitude of sources, including ODBC, JSON feeds, AP wire feeds, and XML from the Internet, simply by pointing and clicking in the Advanced Data Object window. Lyric64 now provides navigation tools that enable the system to cycle through and automatically update selected data sets on a periodic basis.

In addition to the Advanced Data Object usability enhancements, the all-new user interface in Lyric64 features docking panes that enable users to define interface elements by dragging and dropping them into position. Users can create tabbed windows and pre-build window configurations that can be instantly recalled for playing out a specific set of graphics.

ChyronHego Lyric64

“Lyric64 is the result of an extensive development effort to evolve our flagship product to keep pace with customers’ ever-challenging graphics requirements,” said Apel. “With Lyric64, we’ve taken everything that’s great about Lyric and ported it to the 64-bit environment to give users more power and versatility than ever before. In addition to new user interface features that bring all of Lyric’s rich functionality right to the surface and make them instantly accessible, Lyric64 positions ChyronHego and our customers perfectly for the coming world of 4K broadcasting.”

At the 2015 NAB Show in booth SL1110, ChyronHego will showcase Lyric64 in a 4K environment and in an advanced video wall application displaying resolutions far beyond 4K.