Olympics 2012: Live Coverage

No - I think it's streaming the OBS coverage and adding commentary in the main. Sailing may be the odd one out as they have in-vision presentation on the red button stream.

The Olympics 1-24 service are designed for live coverage. Running an operation to provide replays (and having extra server playout channels), rather than just passing on the OBS feeds (with very basic graphics either side), is going to add to the costs pretty significantly. The current operation is pretty much as low-cost as it can be.

Sailing seems to have quite a BBC production going on - they're basically creating a full programme from the OBS race feed, and the GPS graphics for the other feeds, along with a couple of hand helds out on boats, mainly caused by OBS only covering one race at a time.

It's a bit of a difference going from the OBS race feed, with graphics, replays, speeds, close ups and aerial shots, to a BBC race, with 3D graphics and the occaisional very wobbly camera feed when their boat can get close enough. Although it is nice to see them actually taking advantage of the other feeds to cover the other races in more than just highlights (in Athens there was a couple of PSC cameras sent out to cover the other races, which were then edited up into a highlights package for distribution to the rights holders).

This is the first time I've been able to watch Olympic sailing and actually understand what's going on. The BBC live feed and OBS/BBC graphics have nailed this. I remember being a bit confused by the coverage from Beijing and giving up.

(I believe Sunset and Vine are doing the BBC coverage ?)

That doesn't surprise me, I've been sat in the back of the gallery and struggled! Although we didn't have a commentary feed, which makes a big difference, as does access to the 3D feeds.

Basically the 3D graphics are what is making it. The live stuff shows some of the drama - but the graphics have introduced the ability to see what is actually happening - like a wide overhead shot on the swimming, rowing etc. does.

There are helicopter feeds on the OBS coverage, but even with a wide angle overview, it's tricky to identify what's actually going on, and who's who. What would be good would be to add the GPS driven 3D tags and tracks onto live helicopter pictures.

That would be amazing - but quite a tricky feat to engineer I suspect. Piero works well on fixed areas, though I guess with a Gyro-ball camera and a GPS in the helicopter you would have access to a lot of 'field of view' data?

That said - the 3D gfx can be oriented to tell the story best ?

All happening at once tonight - BBC3 look to be sticking with Murray v Djokovic at the moment - I think they're supposed to be showing athletics, and then swapping with BBC1 for the swimming after Adlington's final.

Great interview from Sue Barker with Wills and Harry - and wouldn't Dame Sue Barker have a nice ring to it!

I actually think BBC Two should be brought into Olympic action tonight.

Could have done with it tonight, though they weren't banking I suppose on Murray still being on court (Federer had a long three set match earlier). Even last minute I doubt there was anything that couldn't be dropped from 7-8pm on BBC2.

BBC2 will come into action on Sunday for the gymnastics finals - with another potential scheduling headache with a potential five-set final at Wimbledon running into the early evening cycling schedule.

Also notice the 3D coverage on Sunday night is billed as from 8.30-10pm, so most of the athletics finals on Sunday, not just the 100m final at 9.55pm.

The red button coverage of the football getting full presentation, with Manish on the red button/extra channels from the BBC Three set.

The swimming commentators were just talking about the route the medal winners take around the pool before arriving at the interview positions. It was mentioned that "the cost of adding systems to allow the interviews to be carried on the interactive stream would be prohibitive", so presumably the BBC is investing quite a bit to have the more detailed sailing coverage mentioned a few posts above.