In Broadcast - June 2015 - 32


32

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 5 - Issue 6 | June 2015

InStudio

Timecode Systems
Teams Up For Goal
Post Camera

HEROCast plus embedded timecode gives NHL new viewing angles and review
capabilities for Stanley Cup Playoffs...

T

imecode Systems, a pioneer
in wireless technologies for
sharing timecode and metadata, has
announced its role in a new integrated
wireless goal post camera solution for
the NHL. The NHL project is a powerful
collaboration, with GoPro providing the
camera systems and Vislink providing
the wireless video transport in a
solution called HEROCast. Timecode
Systems is providing the wireless
timecode solution, and the complete
integration was delivered in time for
this season's Stanley Cup playoffs.
"We're making a continual effort
to broaden the range of applications
for our long-range wireless sync and
metadata exchange technology,"

said Paul Scurrell, Managing Director
at Timecode Systems. "We were
delighted that the NHL invited us to be
part of this exciting project following
the league's successful trial of the
Timecode Buddy :mini trx/rx system.
The demand for reliable long-range
wireless sync, status, and control on
live events is growing rapidly, and
this high-profile project will give
the industry a glimpse of the many
benefits our products can bring to this
sector. This is only the beginning."
HEROCast not only delivers unique
camera angles for the viewer, but
also provides valuable pre-timecoded
camera feeds to the NHL's "situation
room" in Toronto, where operators

monitor up to 16 simultaneous feeds
of NHL games. Whenever a goal is
scored or a contentious scoring play
occurs, the NHL situation room uses its
in-house instant replay camera/server
system to provide a quick analysis.
That analysis is immediately available
to each game's referees and goal
judge via dedicated communication
lines. Highly accurate "stadium"
timecode and sync get embedded
with the video feeds wirelessly at the
source, which ensures that all wired
and wireless cameras in each stadium
are synchronised with each other. This
function has tremendous technical
benefits not only in eliminating
timecode drift due to latency in the
wireless video-transmission path,
but also in key game-play decisions
that require absolute accuracy when
reviewing frame-by-frame footage.
"Bringing
Timecode
Systems'
wireless
sync
technology
into
the recent GoPro/Vislink product
partnership has enhanced the appeal
of the new HEROCast system," said
Adam Silver, Director of Strategic
Product Opportunities at GoPro.
Ashley Jackson, Vice President of
Engineering at Vislink, added: "We are
delighted to be working with Timecode
Systems and GoPro to enhance the
NHL viewing experience. Vislink is
well-established as a leading provider
of low-latency, high-performance
wireless camera transmission systems
for the world's most prestigious
sporting events. This project is a
testament to our industry-leading
wireless video technology and its
proven operational ability in even
the most challenging live broadcast
environments."
For each of the equipped
NHL arenas, HEROCast uses a
Timecode Buddy :mini trx ultra
compact timecode and genlock
generator
and
transceiver in TX
mode, locked to
the
stadium's
"house" timecode.

Timecode Systems collaborated with
GoPro and Vislink for HEROCast

Integrated into each goal post is a
stripped-down GoPro camera and
a Timecode Buddy :mini rx unit in
RX mode. In this way, each :mini rx
unit's super accurate TCXO timecode
and genlock generator is constantly
soft-locked over the long-range 915MHz data link. When in RF lock mode,
the Timecode Systems' products
are accurate to within less than five
microseconds of each other. This
highly accurate timecode is then
embedded into the video signal
going to the Vislink wireless video
transmitter, which in turn transmits
the two video sources separately, each
on its own RF path.
At the Vislink receiver in the arena
ceiling, the signals are received and
converted to HD-SDI with the timecode
included in the outgoing HD-SDI
stream as ANC timecode data. This
workflow ensures that all cameras are
synchronised, regardless of any local
encode/decode or TX/RX latency. The
signals are then distributed to the
NHL situation room in Toronto, to the
house video production area, and to
OB vans covering the event.
Timecode Systems has delivered 40
:mini rx units and 20 :mini trx units
for HEROCast systems that have been
installed in the 20 arenas that host
the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There are
four cameras (two at each goal), four
video links, and three Timecode Buddy
systems per arena. After successful
integration into those 20 arenas,
HEROCast systems will be installed at
the other 10 NHL venues, amounting
to 30 more Timecode Buddy units.
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://gopro.com/herocast http://www.truelens.co.uk http://www.timecodebuddy.com/ http://www.truelens.co.uk
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