Texas A&M Athletics mejora la experiencia de los aficionados al baloncesto con AJA RovoCam

The RovoCams are strategically located in different areas of the arena, capturing 1080i thanks to their high-resolution UltraHD sensor.

Los aficionados del Texas A&M pueden ahora disfrutar de una amplia perspectiva de cada partido gracias a las imágenes que recogen cinco cámaras AJA RovoCam UltraHD / HD HDBaseT installed in the Reed Arena.

These cameras capture all the action inside the pavilion displayed on a large 54' x 24' video wall thanks to the production of 12th Man Productions, the university's production company.

Led by CTO Jesse Janosky, 12th Man Productions initially explored some camera options to augment in-game content for fans on its new video scoreboard. After testing several options, the team opted to test a RovoCam during the regional baseball championships. “We quickly discovered that RovoCam offered high-end camera quality that we were looking for at a fraction of the usual price. “We were able to use our initial budget to purchase five RovoCams and RovoRx-SDI for the cost of another single camera we were looking at,” said Janosky.

The RovoCams are strategically located under the video scoreboard, the baskets and on top of Reed Arena. Each camera captures 1080 HD of video from its high-resolution UltraHD sensor, and all are mounted on PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) heads, except for one of the centrally mounted cameras. The live feed is sent to a PC running VISCA-based command control software on the production set, where a crew member controls camera movements. Zoom controls are used for close-ups on gamers and hobbyists, with iris controls used to adjust the light for shots with shadows.

The RovoRx-SDIs receive the uncompressed RovoCam signals over an Ethernet cable, and the SDI outputs are converted to fiber via the AJA FiDO Mini-Converters and sent to a control room located three kilometers away. They are processed through a professional video router and sent back to the stadium or a mobile unit, recording replays, and other marketing materials. For subsequent editing, the team's editing bays are equipped with AJA KONA desktop I/O cards. AJA distribution amplifiers are also used for a playback system.

The simplicity provided by the RovoCam and RovoRX HDBaseT ecosystem has proven to be a boon to the production team, ensuring that key plays are not missed. "RovoCam gives us the flexibility to do the work of multiple camera operators with a single professional in real time - it's been a game changer. We can capture the game experience on the fly without worrying about missing something due to the location of a camera operator," Janosky concluded.