Cameras / recording for sports pitches

[TomHoward]

to replicate is some of the basic functionality in-house

You're just not going to manage that in any meaningful way without shelling out a fortune...

Can I make sure you had a quick look at the example of the kind of angles from a commercial system - it’s literally a fixed camera from one wide angle , if you’re lucky it changes to an angle at the other end when the ball changes halves - I can’t post a link to one of our own commercial system videos for CP as they aren’t public

 

My main concern is the recording method & cable runs. If it’s not easily viable they’ll just defer to another commercial solution

 

Say if you were trying to replicate the security style footage as a starting point, were would you start with IP cameras? Are they all of a standard that means they could all be integrated into OBS or vMix? Else I could use an SDI capture and recording device.

If I can get an internet connection reliably down there and stream to YouTube I may be able to sack the recording element and just use YouTube to replay. It’s about 300-400m from our nearest building so would need a point to point link.

[Dave m]

You could use an atem ISO mini/extreme? It records all the inputs (so four/eight sections of the pitch onto a SSD. It does streaming as well, among other stuff that you couldn't need.It's £8-1200 depending on inputs plus (obviously ) cameras

The files can be imported into davinci and multicam edited so the play can be guided but it would be a faff.

I wasn't aware that the sports analysis was an ongoing expense? The camera records 180° so is on the centre of the midpoint

Mevo's probably wouldn't do it but you can select zones on an iPad and switch areas to become full screen.

 

[Stuart91]

You could use an atem ISO mini/extreme? It records all the inputs (so four/eight sections of the pitch onto a SSD.

 

One nice thing about the ISO models is they record the mixed output as well. So you could have someone cutting shots during the game, then any "mistakes" can be corrected later, so there's a handful of edits required afterwards, rather than a whole match worth.

 

Like others, I've been seeing Facebook ads for the automated systems. I can't say I'm convinced, especially at the cheaper end of the market. For review/analysis, maybe. But punters are used to seeing very well produced match coverage.

 

I vaguely remembered this story from a while back:

https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/11/3/21547392/ai-camera-operator-football-bald-head-soccer-mistakes

Edited May 13, 2021 by Stuart91

[Dave m]

Better order a job lot of woolly hats/wigs!

[TomHoward]

The Veo system is subscription based I believe, as the unit uploads footage to their servers, where you can login and review your footage, which is what makes me think the automated tracking is something done in post-processing and not done in the camera.

 

We have Atem minis already, so with that, if you had a camera atop a 25ft tall goal post, so the camera was essentially inaccessible for 3 months, powered by 12V or POE, and you had to get HDMI down from that pole and power up it, what cameras and cabling would be your first thought?

The goal posts is the preferred angle but with them being removed with the seasons I can’t even tell if they’re in the same place every year.

 

I also have a TBS SDI to ethernet streaming box that also runs off 12v so it is a good broadcast quality complete package that can all run off the camera V lock batteries or a larger battery box with a 12v 85ah car battery in it.

 

https://www.pciex.net/collections/hdmi-encoders/products/tbs2603au-ndi-hx-supported-h-265-h-264-hdmi-video-encoder-decode?variant=32571628060756

Will the TBS devices go directly to Youtube? I wonder if an HD-SDI camera atop a telegraph pole and a stream direct to Youtube and relying on Youtube for the recording / playback might be a quick and easy solution. If I can convince them to have the cameras on the sideline where they can stay all year and closer to power, and try put the goal post idea to bed.

 

Thinking about their idea of replaying pitch side, I'm not sure they've thought that one through, as with only 12V & solar power I don't think they actually have anything like a big TV to review on. At best they might get away with an iPad, if we extend Wifi down to that area.

[GaryNattrass]

Yes the TBS devices will go direct to You Tube and even better you can TX to multiple platforms at the same time with the added advantage of a main and back-up stream at different config too but you will also need a 4G wifi router ethernet link to get it all there. <br><br>Sorry I gave a bit of duff gen as I haven't used mine for a few weeks but it is an HDMI in/out device but it is easy to convert to SDI if needed. They also do a more simple device for lower cost if all you need is to stream one camera source but the software can still do multiple streams at the same time.<br><br><a href="https://www.pciex.net/products/tbs2603se-ndi-supported-h-265-h-264-hdmi-video-encoder?variant=32205595869268" class="bbc_url" title="External link" rel="nofollow external">https://www.pciex.ne...=32205595869268</a><br><br>There is also a lower cost simple encoder too: <a href="https://www.pciex.net/collections/hdmi-encoders/products/easystream-es264-hdmi-h-264-hd-encoder?variant=21703459176532" class="bbc_url" title="External link" rel="nofollow external">https://www.pciex.ne...=21703459176532</a>

 

<div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div>

Edited May 13, 2021 by GaryNattrass

[TomHoward]

Ta, the building isn't within wifi range at the moment but it might be viable. We have a good 150M+ internet connection, it just doesn't reach that playing field yet.

If we can get reliable internet down to that building I'm thinking of just encoding direct to Youtube and letting that do the recording.

 

I see the first box also does local recording so that could be an option too to avoid having to install a PC pitch side.

[Andrew C]

There was a bit of a fuss recently when one of the auto-systems started tracking the "folically-challenged" ref's head rather than the ball in a football game.

[TomHoward]

Dragging back up an existing problem whilst I have 5 minutes....

We have been experimenting with some cameras and due to the cable lengths it's almost certainly going to be IP cameras.

Looking at the TBS box above, this takes IP stream as it's input and will relay to RMTP for Youtube by the look of it.

 

If I say had 3 IP cameras, and I wanted to either have the ability to switch between them, or I wanted to relay onto YouTube with them in a quad screen, for sure I could do this in OBS, so that would require a computer down there.

Is there a hardware way I can do this to avoid the administration of a computer?

 

The other thing I could do is bounce the IP streams away from the pitch, back up to one of the main buildings, and have something there relaying onto Youtube, but it feels like it might be easier self contained.

[the kid]

Seeing this pop up. Ubiquti have some new PTZ cams, The reviews look pretty good, IP rated, POE, and of course with their kit you can do airlink to each one. The few reviews I saw they look pretty good with all the features. But not used one myself.

 

Having said that I dont know the output and how it spits out, I know it will go to their controller but Im sure there is a way.

[GaryNattrass]

Tom Howard I would check with TBS regarding their stream boxes as my understanding is that the one I have takes HDMI inputs and streams via the IP connector.

 

They do have other interfaces available so don't take my word for it as I have only been using mine to do HDMI to Facebook and You Tube etc I am by no means an expert on all this IP stuff.

 

I think TBS do a streaming box with the four way split you mention as they are used for CCTV coverage etc, it may be the one I have does it too but I haven't been using it much recently.

Edited June 17, 2021 by GaryNattrass