Planar, OptiTrack Present New Motion Capture and Display Technologies

Planar
(Image credit: Planar)

LAS VEGAS—Visualization technology provider Planar and sister company OptiTrack, a developer of advanced 3D tracking systems, have outlined a diverse portfolio of new and improved advanced broadcast technologies that they will be featuring at the 2023 NAB Show.

“Planar and OptiTrack are continuously bringing the most innovative and cutting-edge display and mocap technologies to NAB and this year is no different,” said Planar executive vice president Adam Schmidt. “This year, we have an array of new and improved products designed specifically for on-camera and in-camera environments - the most advanced offering for the market to date, backed by decades of on-camera broadcast industry leadership.” 

At NAB 2023, Planar will be showcasing the Planar CarbonLight CLI VX Series, featuring an improved scan ratio, eliminating display-to-camera artifacts from being captured during a camera panning motion. Planar will also present the NAB debut of the Planar Venue Pro VX Series, as well as the award-winning and longstanding choice of broadcasters Planar TVF Series and the premium fine pitch MicroLED Planar DirectLight Ultra Series.

OptiTrack will demonstrate their extensive line of motion capture cameras, optical motion tracking software and object tracking capabilities at NAB 2023, including CinePuck, a tracking tool designed specifically for virtual production, mixed reality and broadcast studios. 

Featured products include: 

  • Planar CarbonLight CLI VX Series: Cutting-edge LED displays that feature unrivaled image quality and versatility to revolutionize the production of realistic on-camera and in-camera content. Featuring an improved scan ratio, the series provides greater flexibility in how video walls adapt to different cameras and effects. The lightweight LED display is available in 1.9 and 2.6 millimeter pixel pitches and includes models with Brompton and Colorlight controllers. The series supports hanging, wall-mounted, free-standing and curved installations to beautifully integrate with broadcast, VP and XR studios. It features improved thermal management and uniformity, precise yet flexible color management and a wide color gamut for greater color compatibility. With an LED refresh rate of 3840 Hz and frame rates ranging from 24 – 144 Hz, customers benefit from smooth motion and compatibility with a variety of camera settings. 
  • Planar CarbonLight CLF VX Series: LED flooring with a 2.6 millimeter pixel pitch that can be used to create a high resolution, continuous canvas, virtually expanding physical environments. The square (500x500 millimeters), thin LED flooring displays feature carbon fiber frames with layered wear-proof masking to support up to 1,102 pounds per display, facilitating heavy loads.
  • Planar Venue Pro VX Series: Indoor fine pixel pitch LED video wall displays that deliver exceptional in-camera visual performance for VP and XR studios, as well as on-camera visual performance for broadcasters. The series combines high-performing scan and refresh rates with high brightness and narrow pixel pitches, making it well-suited for LED volumes in markets as diverse as film and video production, corporate, broadcast, rental and staging, as well as live events. Designed to support hanging, stacked or wall-mounted installations, support for HDR-ready content, a wide color gamut, including up to DCI-P3 color space and compatibility with a wide range of cameras, the series delivers the unmatched visual performance and deployment versatility needed to develop lifelike recorded, streamed or broadcast video content. 
  • Planar TVF Series: An award-winning family of fine pitch LED video wall displays delivering superior on-camera performance with a wide range of refresh rates to ensure that it can be used with a variety of broadcast needs. The series offers models with fine pixel pitches from 0.9 - 2.5 millimeters and features a front service, cableless, stackable design that gives new meaning to multi-functionality and reduces the complexity of installation and vertical alignment, making it a longstanding favorite for broadcast customers. 
  • Planar DirectLight Ultra Series: Premium fine pitch MicroLED video wall displays presenting several display technology advancements that, in combination, deliver big performance. Available in 0.6, 0.7, 0.9 and 1.2 millimeter pixel pitches, the series features models with MicroLEDs, off-board power supply, proprietary alignment technology and built-in processing to deliver always-on, high resolution display experiences for unmatched visual performance for close viewing distances and the most refined applications. The Planar EverCare Lifetime Limited Warranty is also included, offering customers complete confidence in their LED video wall purchase while reducing lifetime cost-of-ownership.
  • OptiTrack Motion Capture: Chosen for its precision, accuracy, ease of use, reliability and polished integration with on-set tools, OptiTrack’s high speed and wide field-of-view motion tracking cameras, active tracking components, passive tracking markers and advanced motion capture software remain the choice for the world’s premier volumes.
  • CinePuck: The purpose-built, active marker tracking tool for studios, CinePuck mounts directly to cinema or broadcast cameras, enabling studios to know the camera’s movement and continuous field of view with leading-edge tracking accuracy and precision. CinePuck data integrates with the on-screen environment to adjust virtual background imagery from the perspective of the cinema or broadcast camera, minimizing parallax error. It can be seamlessly integrated into any production workflows, including crowed rigging configurations.

Planar and OptiTrack’s extensive selection of LED display and camera tracking solutions designed to support today’s diverse production needs will be on display at Booth #W2633.  For more information, visit www.planar.com or www.optitrack.com.

George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.