Blackmagic DeckLink and UltraStudio devices used with Slomo.tv’s sports officiating system
Blackmagic Design has confirmed that its DeckLink Quad 2, DeckLink 4K Pro and UltraStudio 4K Extreme capture and playback devices are being deployed with Slomo.tv Inc.’s sports officiating system, videoReferee. The VideoReferee line is a specialist multi-channel system for officiating sport, providing a means to resolve complicated game situations and creating a video document of the entire event. The system also works with official time, score and game logs from scoreboard control systems.
More and more governing bodies are now integrating video replay technologies to assist officials in their decision-making, particularly when it comes to reviewing contentious situations. The most recent example is the introduction of video assistant refereeing in football.
At a recent seminar in Zurich held by FIFA, referees were introduced to the technology with the videoRefere-4A server. Developed around the Thunderbolt and PCIe-based UltraStudio 4K Extreme, it offers an additional HDMI/SDI video output and can output to HD video over SDI and HDMI outputs simultaneously.
“We have been using Blackmagic Design boards for more than 11 years. Our very first replay server was based on one of the first DeckLink models, and we have been using the technology ever since,” said Igor Vitiorets, Slomo.tv CTO. “Throughout the years of working with Blackmagic Design, we know that they will always make precisely the boards we need. When we first saw the DeckLink Quad 2, we were able to come up with the design for the new and videoReferee Jr. We are grateful to Blackmagic for being at the forefront of industry needs.”
DeckLink Quad 2 provides four independent capture and playback channels, but also four extra channels that developers, such as Slomo.tv, can use for configuring the card in any combination of up to eight capture or eight playback channels.
The DeckLink 4K Pro is a PCIe capture and playback card with advanced 12G-SDI for working in SD, HD, Ultra HD and 4K DCI at up to 60 frames per second.