Matchbox Latency, the solution that Hitomi will present in IBC

With the aim of measuring the delay between an event that occurs in real life from multiple cameras to several points through the transmission chain, Hitomi will carry out in IBC demonstrations of its new solution MatchBox Latency.

Normally, live emission flows add a latency that can vary every time. It is necessary to synchronize different trajectories so that the viewer's experience is perfect. For example, in golf coverage the graphics that show the trajectory of the ball can take up to a second to be generated. If this latency is overcompaly, the ball flight is seen before the golfer hit it. The same principle applies when cut between cameras with different delays, including drones, cable cameras, shoulder cameras, etc.

Latence can increase if it is not measured. The causes of additional latency can often be accidental. For example, inherited adjustments of the last event or pieces of equipment in the chain that are not really necessary. Low latency is essential to maintain a transmission "Truly live": how annoying would you receive a message from a friend in the game about the goal that has not yet been seen on television?

Live interviews between presenters in the study and a distance correspondent require low latency links so that the conversation is really interactive in both directions: the public does not like long pauses waiting for answers. Matchbox Latency can measure the speed of links to determine if others are necessary.

Determine compensation Theoretically it can take a lot of engineering time. However, Ccon Matchbox is a matter of seconds. The Hitomi system is fast, easy to use and precise, which simplifies the task of measuring latency and also offers a reading of lip synchronization.

Matchbox is a solution in two parts. A timed test pattern is launched as a source and a customary analyzer receives it and decodes in the destination, which results in time measurement. This method can be considered as a multimeter for signal timing with a probe at each end of the section of interest.

The test pattern can originate from the Matchbox generator or using an iOS device in front of the camera with our free application Hitomi Glass. A license is needed to decode the latency signal, but not to send it. Existing users can simply update their generator software for free to create the timed signal. This added functionality has an incalculable value in events with multiple venues in several geographical locations, in which several stations must work together.