Television Broadcast invites readers to weigh in on the Champions of technology application in sports coverage. Sports coverage represents the knife's edge of technology development, whether it's capturing, recording, processing or storing content.
NBC went all out this year with full hi-def coverage of the Summer Olympics, combined with a massive multiplatform distribution effort that provided the impetus for many of these nominations. Snell & Wilcox, for example, provided standards conversion for the network's 3,600 hours of coverage in the space of three rack units.
NBC tapped Omneon to orchestrate storage and transcontinental transport. Digital Rapids encoded 2,200 hours of video for the Web. Football contributed once again, however, driving development in live production in the way of Ross Video's multidefinition switchers.
Coverage of horse racing in New York compelled the creation of mobile units outfitted with enough Omneon storage and server capacity for 12 channels and 3,100 hours of content. Focus Enhancements streamlined Bike Motocross production for one overwhelmed videographer, while Microwave Radio Communications provided the wireless links for the HD cameras used in Major League Baseballs' 2008 All Star Game.
Finally, NASCAR leveraged its own substantial library using a digitization and archiving workflow created with the help of Front Porch Digital.
Television Broadcast congratulates these nominees and urges readers to vote for the top three technology applications they find most innovative, interesting, useful and extraordinary in the realm of sports TV coverage. Send votes, thoughts, input and feedback to Editor@televisionbroadcast.com.
Winners will be announced in March for recognition at the NAB convention in April. Nominees include:
Digital Rapids Olympics Streaming
Focus Enhancements BMX Coverage
NASCAR's Front Porch Digital Deployment
MRC's Wireless HD Link MLB Application
NBC Olympics Omneon Server-Storage Strategy
New York Racing Association's Mobile Omneon Configuration
Ross Video at Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson Stadium
Snell & Wilcox Olympics Conversion
