Ncam Technologies Aims To Demo AR Possibilities to Sports Broadcasters

The Sports Video Group is pleased to welcome Ncam Technologies as a corporate sponsor. Founded in 2012 to meet the need for an effective and reliable real-time augmented-reality solution, Ncam seeks to change the way content creators approach visual effects within the film and television markets and to introduce innovative possibilities for producing engaging, naturalistic real-time broadcast graphics. Ncam’s technology also opens up new opportunities within many sectors, including gamification of sports, product launches, and digital product placement.

“With sports viewers expecting more and more out of every broadcast they watch, only SVG can expose us to the production professionals that can bring augmented-reality technologies into the homes of their audiences,” says Morgan Beall, VP, North America sales. “Sporting-event viewers always want more information, delivered in compelling and engaging ways. As part of the SVG community, we are excited to educate fellow members and demonstrate what is possible with AR today.”

Recent technological innovations developed by Ncam — and introduced at NAB 2018 — include Real Depth, Real Light, and Extreme.

Real Depth provides an automated technique for sensing depth. Extracting depth data in real time, it enables subjects to interact seamlessly with their virtual surroundings for the most realistic and synergetic visual engagement. Real Light is designed to solve the common challenge of making augmented graphics look like they are part of the real-world scene. It captures real-world lighting (direction, color, intensity, HDR maps) and renders it onto augmented graphics in real time, adapting dynamically to each and every lighting change. Extreme is a new option for Ncam’s camera-tracking products, providing enhanced camera tracking for severe lighting conditions, especially stage lighting including strobing effects.

In 2017, Univision Deportes hosted its fourth-annual sports-awards show, Premios Univision Deportes, which celebrates the accomplishments of great athletes, recognizing their lifetime achievements and humanitarian efforts. Footballer Javier Hernandez was unable to attend the ceremony to receive his award as Mexican National Top Team Goal Scorer, so Ncam and Vizrt worked with Univision Deportes on a highly realistic effect to “teleport” him from Europe onto the stage during the show — in front of an audience — using the Ncam Reality camera-tracking system, an HD camera on a TechnoCrane, and Vizrt graphics-production systems. The result was a chorus of “Wows!” from the audience in the studio (watching on monitors) and positive social-media feedback from viewers at home.