Computers Replacing Camera Ops?

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Categories: TV Sports

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Computers Replacing Camera Ops?

Seems I missed the news that Disney is underwriting research to improve automated cameras by having them mimic the moves of human sports camera operators.

“Having smooth camera work is critical for creating an enjoyable sports broadcast,” said Peter Carr, an engineer at Disney Research. “The framing doesn’t have to be perfect, but the motion has to be smooth and purposeful.” “This is the sort of progress we need to realize the huge potential for automated broadcasts of sports and other live events,” added Jessica Hodgins, a vice president at Disney Research.

I wonder if having the basketball actually in the frame will be a future a requirement for televising a college “C” game on ESPN? After all, who needs camera ops when you have recurrent decision trees?

(Click on thumbnail for a larger version.)

UPDATE: The robots are taking over. See The robotic cameras tracking the stars of German football.

HDMI Spec 2.1 Coming In 2Q 2017

HDMI Spec 2.1 Coming In 2Q 2017

bandwidth_2-1_wThe HDMI Forum, Inc. has announced that Version 2.1 of the HDMI® Specification is on track for release in the 2nd quarter of 2017. Just when you thought your high-speed 18 Gbps cables were good enough for 4K HDR, here comes this new spec which promises us 8K video with HDR at 60 fps and 4K video at 120 fps. Well, if you are not a gamer, then where’s our 120 fps software – er, TV programs? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t know of anyone – broadcast, cable or streaming – that has any 120 fps programs. (Except for some 3D titles. Remember 3D?) And unless you have a streaming subscription or a UHD Blu-ray player, there’s no readily available 4K content for your 4K TV.

This is just another case of the consumer electronics industry trying to obsolete our good ‘ole 1080i/1080p HDTVs so they can sell us a new 4K model. But buyer beware! At the present time, there are four (count ’em 4) versions of HDR designed for home use. If you buy a set today, it could be obsolete by Christmas 2018. (Still got that Betamax in your garage?)

(Thumbnail from CE Pro Magazine.)

Why Else We Can’t Trust the MSM:

Why Else We Can’t Trust the MSM:

Washington Post Mobile Viagra AdBecause if you happen to search an article that has the word “sexual” in it, the ad-server software automatically serves up a Viagra ad. This makes the Washington Post look no different to the average person than one of those fake news sites.

So what’s a mother to do? Well if you are a reputable news site like the Post or the New York Times, stop doing business with those meat market computerized ad services like Google Ad Sense or DoubleClick. Raise your paywall subscription rates, sell your own digital ads and find a reputable Ad-Rep firm (if one still exists that actually employs people.)

(And yes, this screen grab is from an actual article I searched for on December 9th. Click on the picture for a high-res version.)

UPDATE: And as another cautionary tale in a world where the ad space buyers and sellers never interact with each other – The Wall Street Journal reports on the “Methbot” – a scheme for generating non-human loads of web-pages featuring video ads (and thus generating fake plays.) That’s what happens when you don’t go out for drinks with the gals & guys at the agency.

Happy 46th Birthday U-Matic!

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Categories: Other Technology

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Happy 46th Birthday U-Matic!

Color VideoplayerFrom the Winter 1970 Sony® Dealer Newsletter: “Exciting the world!… Sony Demonstrates Color Video Videoplayer” says the headline. “The Color Videoplayer is considered the next home entertainment product that will win wide acceptance.” Well of course they were a bit wrong about that, as it was not what came to be known as the U-matic cassette player but the smaller and cheaper Betamax and its rival’s VHS players that became ubiquitous in peoples homes. But the U-matic VTR saw many professional applications (such as replacing news film with videotape) and the machines persisted in advertising agency offices well into the early 2000’s.

Click on the thumbnail for a larger version.

We Don’t Need No Stinking MSM

We Don’t Need No Stinking MSM

HouseSit-InThe forces of democracy have managed to harness social media’s new live video tools to televise their own 70’s style sit-in for gun control legislation in the House.

In the late 1960’s and early ’70s, the Videofreex, TVTV, Global Village and other local groups with portapacks tried to present “the peoples TV”. Unfortunately they were stymied by underwhelming Public Access channels and no good way of presenting their work live. As someone who accompanied “Ray Notredos” to many protest rallies in New York and Washington so they could be presented on his New York City Public Access show Relevance, the dreams of all us long-haired media freaks have now come true.

And CSPAN is carrying the feed live…