Orad Equipment at Core of MLB Network’s New Studio 21

April 6, 2015 marked Major League Baseball’s Opening Day as well as the debut of MLB Network’s brand new Studio 21, which utilizes a variety of Orad technology.   The 8,000-sq ft Studio 21, named in honor of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, will be home to three daily studio shows: the new regular season morning show “MLB Central,” “MLB Now,” and “Quick Pitch.”

Studio 21 features more than 1,100 12×16 LED tiles installed in different configurations for a total of 1,400 square feet of video wall displays.   All content displayed on the video walls and traditional plasma monitors is processed by Orad’s TD Control system, which enables a single operator to manage all studio display content through a simple to operate touch screen GUI. The largest of the display walls is a 14×25 ft LED wall which is being fed content at 4K resolution from the Orad HDVG4 render engine.   Orad’s TD Control offers real-time 3D graphics and transitions, as well as full program/preview confidence monitoring required for such a complex studio.

MLB Network worked with Orad, Big Studios, and Motion Path to design a combination of augmented-reality graphics and what the network is terming “extended-studio perception,” which refers to pieces of the set that act as windows with large LED displays behind the scenery.

“We plan to enhance depth by putting images in the displays that ‘extend’ the set, such as ballpark interiors, exteriors, or other outdoor or indoor images,” explains Mark Haden, VP of Engineering and IT for MLB Network. “These LED walls will track the jib’s movements in a spatially correct way. The perception is that we are inside a space with a breathtaking view. The studio will appear gigantic and the depth breathtaking.”

The Orad TD Control system was integrated with the LED wall systems by AVDS, and the motion tracking telemetry of the jib camera sent to the Orad engines with a solution manufactured by Stype Grip.