DV
He appears to be there every night. Whether it's live or pre recorded is another matter. There is another announcer during the matches too.
edit: it appears to be live as one announcer just reintroduced him.
Crikey, is the stadium announcer for tonight's Beach Volleyball, Peter Dickson (of X Factor and E4 voiceover fame) introducing the teams? Certainly sounded like him!
He appears to be there every night. Whether it's live or pre recorded is another matter. There is another announcer during the matches too.
edit: it appears to be live as one announcer just reintroduced him.
SC
Ah, yes! Somewhat cheapens the whole effect now...
Here's a clip for anyone who hasn't seen the replay
scottishtv
Founding member
Shame the first thing I thought of when seeing that was The Cube! Great technology though.
Ah, yes! Somewhat cheapens the whole effect now...
Here's a clip for anyone who hasn't seen the replay
NG
It's timeslice. You arrange a series of cameras in an arc around the area you want to shoot and then switch between them. Originally stills cameras were used - so you could do a frozen image that you could then track around - but now you can use video cameras, so you can take moving action from one of them, and then switch between frames taken at the same time from other cameras to appear to track around. Modern image processing can 'in-between' to smooth out the motion - and by using video cameras for all the view points you can select the point you want to 'time slice' after the event rather than firing stills cameras at a single point in time.
ISTR something similar has been done on some of the extreme sports at the Winter Olympics.
American Football used it a good few years ago as 'I-vision' I think.
noggin
Founding member
Anyone catch the gymnastics replays on the vault which do a freezeframe with gymnast mid-air with the camera then moving round the airbourne gymnast and blending into another shot from a camera on another side of the arena. (Think mid-air kung fu Matrix style).
I saw it on BBC One this evening (The live vid feeds ends at 10pm, and the shot isn't in the gymnastics feed replay online.)
It was pretty mental. I'd ask how it's done, but you'd proably have to have seen it before you could begin to comment. Impressive stuff for just a replay, if a over a little too quick.
I saw it on BBC One this evening (The live vid feeds ends at 10pm, and the shot isn't in the gymnastics feed replay online.)
It was pretty mental. I'd ask how it's done, but you'd proably have to have seen it before you could begin to comment. Impressive stuff for just a replay, if a over a little too quick.
It's timeslice. You arrange a series of cameras in an arc around the area you want to shoot and then switch between them. Originally stills cameras were used - so you could do a frozen image that you could then track around - but now you can use video cameras, so you can take moving action from one of them, and then switch between frames taken at the same time from other cameras to appear to track around. Modern image processing can 'in-between' to smooth out the motion - and by using video cameras for all the view points you can select the point you want to 'time slice' after the event rather than firing stills cameras at a single point in time.
ISTR something similar has been done on some of the extreme sports at the Winter Olympics.
American Football used it a good few years ago as 'I-vision' I think.
SC
scottishtv
Founding member
I remember seeing the setup for The Matrix when they first did it using still cameras, as you mention. However, it all looked so delicate and precise then that I didn't think it could possibly be used for a live event - certainly not with such a quick turn around.
Also, in the arena - even taking into account they can use the moving images now - does the effect not still demand a large number of cameras very accurately positoned?
Finally, (I think this maybe hints at an answer to my question just above), it looks like the background was pre-recorded earlier, as people disappear from seats in the background during the replay, so do you think the processing is picking out the foreground gymnast somehow and just applying that 'in-between' smoothing to them? I guess that could speed up the rendering process.
PS - Just before she vaults in normal time you can see a camera that has a long rectangular bit on it in the background. Would that part of the equipment that they've used?
Also, in the arena - even taking into account they can use the moving images now - does the effect not still demand a large number of cameras very accurately positoned?
Finally, (I think this maybe hints at an answer to my question just above), it looks like the background was pre-recorded earlier, as people disappear from seats in the background during the replay, so do you think the processing is picking out the foreground gymnast somehow and just applying that 'in-between' smoothing to them? I guess that could speed up the rendering process.
PS - Just before she vaults in normal time you can see a camera that has a long rectangular bit on it in the background. Would that part of the equipment that they've used?
NG
Yep - I think that image processing is now so advanced that you can achieve the same effect with a smaller number of cameras - and can do some clever background image-replacement processing (though also using different lenses and depth of field can make the background appear radically different whilst the centre of attention in frame appears the same)
noggin
Founding member
I remember seeing the setup for The Matrix when they first did it using still cameras, as you mention. However, it all looked so delicate and precise then that I didn't think it could possibly be used for a live event - certainly not with such a quick turn around.
Also, in the arena - even taking into account they can use the moving images now - does the effect not still demand a large number of cameras very accurately positoned?
Finally, (I think this maybe hints at an answer to my question just above), it looks like the background was pre-recorded earlier, as people disappear from seats in the background during the replay, so do you think the processing is picking out the foreground gymnast somehow and just applying that 'in-between' smoothing to them? I guess that could speed up the rendering process.
PS - Just before she vaults in normal time you can see a camera that has a long rectangular bit on it in the background. Would that part of the equipment that they've used?
Also, in the arena - even taking into account they can use the moving images now - does the effect not still demand a large number of cameras very accurately positoned?
Finally, (I think this maybe hints at an answer to my question just above), it looks like the background was pre-recorded earlier, as people disappear from seats in the background during the replay, so do you think the processing is picking out the foreground gymnast somehow and just applying that 'in-between' smoothing to them? I guess that could speed up the rendering process.
PS - Just before she vaults in normal time you can see a camera that has a long rectangular bit on it in the background. Would that part of the equipment that they've used?
Yep - I think that image processing is now so advanced that you can achieve the same effect with a smaller number of cameras - and can do some clever background image-replacement processing (though also using different lenses and depth of field can make the background appear radically different whilst the centre of attention in frame appears the same)
SC
scottishtv
Founding member
Fascinating stuff! Thanks.
And to think I was just about to change channel when I saw this. Not really a gymnastics fan.
And to think I was just about to change channel when I saw this. Not really a gymnastics fan.
BU
Odd time to do it given that slot is only 40 minutes long!
Shame the first thing I thought of when seeing that was The Cube! Great technology though.
BBC Two have just played out the 2"30' version of the titles with Gary saying that he thought we might like to see the longer version so I guess it's maybe the first time it's been shown.
BBC Two have just played out the 2"30' version of the titles with Gary saying that he thought we might like to see the longer version so I guess it's maybe the first time it's been shown.
Odd time to do it given that slot is only 40 minutes long!
IS
The fuss was to fill papers and news programmes before there was any actual sport to report on!
Off topic - but just thought I'd throw in my thoughts on the Olympics so far in general. And my overall feeling is, 'what was all the fuss about?'
The fuss was to fill papers and news programmes before there was any actual sport to report on!
IS
His voice welcomes people to the Basketball arena too
Crikey, is the stadium announcer for tonight's Beach Volleyball, Peter Dickson (of X Factor and E4 voiceover fame) introducing the teams? Certainly sounded like him!
His voice welcomes people to the Basketball arena too
:-(
A former member
On BBC Two Sue Barker stepped outside to allow Gary Lineker to settle into the set for BBC One, and promptly received loud chants of 'Sue Barker, we love you'.
Kay Burley can only be jealous.
Kay Burley can only be jealous.