In modern sport, the quest for accuracy and fairness in decision-making has led to the integration of advanced technologies, particularly high-speed cameras. These cameras play a crucial role in various sports, especially in scenarios where split-second actions, where the human eye cannot capture the details, can significantly affect the outcome of a match. High-speed cameras provide an extra-detailed view of such events, helping referees and officials to make more informed decisions.
Although broadcast cameras capable of capturing high-speed video are widely used in sports, they have some limitations when used for video judging. Their availability is not always guaranteed, as broadcasters may have their own priorities or be unable to provide the footage for VAR purposes.
Camera and server integration
In order to be independent of the broadcasters and to be able to use the high-speed cameras in video refereeing, the user needs a balanced solution, which consists of two main components: the camera and the server. The server must be able to work seamlessly with the camera and vice versa.
The ideal solution is characterized by several key aspects:
- Functionality: must provide the necessary features and capabilities to meet the requirements of video judging and sports broadcasting.
- Cost: should be economically viable, providing a balance between performance and affordability.
- Ease of use: should be easy to install, configure, and operate, minimizing the need for specialized staff.
Unfortunately, specialized broadcast-grade cameras are often expensive, bulky and require significant human resources to install and configure.
AIDA's NDI® camera solutions: a perfect match for high-speed camera requirements
Based on extensive experience, SLOMO.TV has concluded that one of the best ways to meet the challenge of integrating high-speed cameras into video refereeing is to use AIDA's NDI® 120 fps camera solutions (AIDA HD-NDI3-120).
These high-speed cameras offer several advantages over traditional broadcast-specialized cameras:
- Compact size: small and easy to install, making them suitable for various sports environments.
- Single cable connectivity: use a single ethernet cable for signal transmission, control, synchronization, and power, simplifying installation and reducing clutter.
- Affordability: the cameras and cables are cost-effective, and they do not require specialized personnel for installation and configuration.
- Weatherproof option: available in a waterproof version, allowing for use in outdoor settings. This option also allows the camera to be installed in areas that are completely inaccessible to unprotected cameras, providing unique and important angles.
High-speed camera integration with SLOMO.TV's servers
In SLOMO.TV's solutions, it's possible to work with high-speed cameras seamlessly.
For the user, working with high-speed cameras is no different from working with standard cameras. The system provides the same functionality and ease of use, with the added benefit of enhanced control of the high-speed camera footage and data management options.
Key features of SLOMO.TV's high-speed camera integration:
- Compatibility with 2x SuperMotion cameras: SLOMO.TV systems are able to work with 2x SuperMotion cameras with 100-120 fps. These cameras are ideal for monitoring critical areas, e.g., the blue line and the goal area in fast paced sports such as ice hockey and football.
- Ethernet connectivity and PoE: The cameras can be connected via a single Ethernet cable, which is cheap and common, making the setup process simple and efficient.
- Synchronization technology: SLOMO.TV uses its own technology to synchronize the high-speed cameras with the main cameras, ensuring accurate and reliable footage.
- Enhanced precision: The use of high-speed cameras together with SLOMO.TV's user-native system interface increases the accuracy of analyzing complex situations, such as offsides and goal incidents.
- Easy upgrades: For SLOMO.TV servers with 4G support, upgrading to use up to four 2x SuperMotion cameras is as easy as purchasing a software license. In addition, a 16-channel SLOMO.TV server effectively becomes a 20-channel server, with 16 SDI channels + four 2x SuperMotion channels, without changing the hardware.
- Specialized servers: For users who need to install a large number of 2x SuperMotion cameras, SLOMO.TV offers specialized servers to handle the load efficiently.
- SDI signal transmission: If the high-speed cameras are used for broadcasting or internal broadcast systems, SLOMO.TV's specialized server can transmit SDI signals in any required format. What's more, in some sports there are regulations that require footage from the cameras used by the video refereeing system to be transmitted to the broadcaster - this is reliably provided by the SLOMO.TV servers.
