Sport 5 Adopts Stergen 2D to 3D Conversion System

Stergen Hi-Tech has announced that it has cut a licensing deal with the Sports Channel of Israel, also known as Sport 5. The Sports Channel has chosen Stergen Live system as the channel’s conversion solution for its upcoming 3D broadcasts, starting later this week.

“Stergen software enables broadcasters and sports production companies to produce games in stereo 3D from their studio,” said Dr Miky Tamir, founder of Stergen.  “This spares them the huge operational costs associated with the transition to stereo 3D sports productions. The system can ingest a ‘program’ feed and automatically detect ‘cuts’ and classify the on-air camera. A convenient scene algorithm is then chosen for the said camera. This presents a very compelling value proposition for those seeking to expand their stereo 3D program offerings as simply and cost-effectively as possible.”

Stergen Live, which receives an HD signal via its SDI input and outputs the conversion results from dual SDI outputs, generates a realistic 3D stereoscopic video program of the event. This is a realtime process based on image understanding and application of the real stereo shift to each group of objects.

Designed specifically for 3DTV sports, Stergen’s software takes advantage of sports- specific features, such as the planar and uniformly colored playing field, enabling accurate segmentation of objects like players, balls, and goal posts. A known geometry is then assigned to those objects; for example, players and goal posts are vertical, the field is horizontal, and stands have a known slope. On–the-fly calculation of the scene’s geometry and its stereoscopic 3D image rendering are then performed.

“We have found that Stergen Live is the best conversion technology for sports” said Avi Bar, the Sports Channel’s CEO. “The resultant stereo 3D is the closest we have seen to real 3D shooting and in many cases it’s even better than the real thing. This is a compelling alternative to the very expensive and logistically complicated 3D outdoor production. It’s also the only alternative to 3D display of archive legacy material and 2D pre-recorded games.”