Vizrt improves analysis tools, 3D, and more at IBC
The Vizrt stand at IBC this year continued a tradition of being a place where next-generation asset management, graphics, touch screen, and 3D technologies converge.
“What we try to achieve is as broad a portfolio as possible for sportscasters,” says Dr Stephan Wurmlin Stadler, CEO of Liberovision, a company which was acquired by Vizrt last November and this year displayed the fruits of the merger at IBC in the form of the Playbook analysis tool for sports like football and basketball.
“Beforehand…we would team up with Vizrt’s products and leverage the two product lines with each other,” says Dr Stadler. “And we would generate clips and highlights but then have to figure out how to get them into the control room for playback and then manually put them into the archives.”
The Libero Playbook changes that. Depending upon setup, in-game analysis can go live, on-air in as little as 30 seconds. LiberoVision’s powerful 3D annotations work in the same way as Libero Highlight, seamlessly combining live camera feeds. All major annotations are included, such as arrows, areas, player marks, etc.
“With integration we can push highlight clips into the Viz workflow and it becomes instantly available on Viz tools,” says Dr Stadler of a system that allows clips to be put online and on mobile devices with graphics in the correct location.
As for the European marketplace, Dr Stadler says clients are looking at things like 3D in Western Europe but they are not sure how it fits into their current budgets and goals. But stereoscopic 3D is part of the solutions on display at the Vizrt booth.
Analysis, however, is something all customers are looking to address.
“It is not necessarily for live games but to make studio show, pre-game shows, and post game shows better,” he adds. “And in Eastern Europe there is still the transition to HD and now we need to help broadcasters there understand why they should open up their pocket books, revamp their studios and operations, and make their programs better.”