NAB Perspectives: AbelCine’s Moe Shore Addresses Need for Integrated Workflow

In live sports production, an integrated workflow from image capture to playback can mean the difference between getting the replay at the right moment and missing it. AbelCine is addressing this need for a seamless plug-and-play solution with its Live Sports System, shown for the first time at the NAB Show. Vision Research’s latest ultra-slo-mo Phantom camera, the v642, anchors the Live Sports System and is currently on display at the company’s Central Hall booth.

Director of Business Development Shore touts Live Sports System’s seamlessness.

“What’s unique about this camera is that it can record and play back at the same time,” says Moe Shore, director of business development and strategic relations, AbelCine. “For live sports, it’s a pretty good feature, being able to take in action as you’re playing it back so you don’t miss anything. This camera has been used quite a bit in live sports, and there are other companies that have integrated systems, but we wanted to make it a seamless integration into the existing infrastructure of live sports.”

Vision Research’s v642 Phantom camera is capable of recording up to 90X ultra-slow motion, supporting 2K, 1080p, and 720p resolutions. With multimatrix color correction, the camera can be quickly and accurately color-matched to normal-frame-rate cameras used for live sports production. Color matching and dual simultaneous outputs enable live or ultra-slow motion from one camera position, using Sony camera-control equipment over a single SMPTE 311M hybrid fiber-optic cable. The same cable handles communication with EVS servers, including such functions as partitioning, triggering, and playback control. Customers can seamlessly add the Phantom v642 to any established Sony/EVS ecosystem to create the Live Sports System.

“There’s no special or different system for the operator or the crew to learn,” explains Shore. “EVS is integrated into the system so that all the signals from the camera to the camera-control unit and into the EVS go through the single fiber. EVS and Sony are working together on one comprehensive, integrated solution that fits in the existing environment, so that it’s much more of a plug-and-play solution for sports broadcasting.”