Polecam to Intro New Goal Camera System at NAB
Story Highlights
Polecam has chosen NAB Show 2011 as the U.S. launch venue for its GoalCam and StadiumCam ultra-efficient stadium outside broadcast system. The three component system consists of two GoalCam cameras to capture highlights in and around the goal as well StadiumCam for an extremely wide view.
“Televising major sports matches has hitherto been notoriously time-consuming and labour-intensive,” comments Polecam founder and Managing Director Steffan Hewitt. “The GoalCam/StadiumCam system conforms to the Polecam ethos of achieving high image quality, true-portability, fast installation and easy operation. Once set in position, each camera can be left to supply video for the entire duration of a match. The system is logical complement to standard Polecam rigs as well as the long-range zoom cameras traditionally used to get close to the action.”
Each GoalCam and StadiumCam incorporates a 1/3 inch CMOS HD-SDI imager allowing the use of ultra-wide-angle lenses with high corner resolution. Both GoalCams are fitted with 125 degree low-distortion lenses giving images of the entire goal mouth without visible barrel distortion. And an adjustable bracket equipped with a weather housing allows the GoalCam to be positioned at the corner of the net and will re-stabilise quickly if the struck by a ball.
Suspended from a single point, the mount will flex if a player collides with it and the 125 degree lens allows the entire goal mouth to be seen even when the output video is cropped from 16:9 to 4:3. This gives commentators the ability to report accurately that a ball has indeed crossed the line.
StadiumCam is equipped with a 170 degree fisheye lens allowing the entire stadium to be encompassed in a single view. Like the GoalCams, StadiumCam can deliver 1080i line resolution at 50/59.94 hertz. An optional downconverter is available to provide SD-SDI output where required. StadiumCam is compact in size and weighs under 500 grammes, allowing it to be positioned overhead, at a halfway line or at a corner of the pitch, without creating health and safety headaches.
All three cameras plus two auxiliary cameras can be operated via a single Polecam RCP remote control panel and data receivers allow full control of camera functions, including motorised iris adjustment (the data signal can be sent along standard audio cable, over optical fibre or via a radio microphone link). Control data can also be embedded into, or extracted from, an HD-SDI stream.
