RCS Upgrades For Sky Sport Deutschland F1 Coverage

Reality Check Systems has upgraded its Uppercut production system for Sky Sport Deutschland in preparation for the 2014 Formula One season. The deal comes as part of a three-year engagement designed to streamline the network's live broadcasts and minimise production overhead.

To bring advanced digital video effects (DVE) capabilities to Sky Sport's existing Uppercut system, RCS' Steven Heimbold led a five-person team in designing software to simplify 3D DVE transitions and broaden graphics capabilities for Sky Sport's remote F1 productions.
"As usual, RCS went above and beyond. As far as we know, we're the first broadcaster in the world to have a production setup like this, and the options it's opened for us on-air are near limitless.
"We can now manipulate video in ways we never thought possible, which ultimately means our audiences get a higher-quality viewing experience," said Alessandro Reitano, Director, Sports Production, Sky Sport Deutschland. "RCS isn't afraid to push the boundaries of what's possible for live broadcasts, and working with their team has enabled us to deliver incredible, innovative productions. We're already talking to them about our next project and can't wait to see what they dream up next."
RCS designed a state logic software solution to continuously track multi-video box layouts loaded in to preview the video output through which operators view and queue up DVE effects, to program the video output that displays the picture viewers see on TV.
RCS' team also designed the software to handle all video sources as texture video within Uppercut to facilitate seamless on-screen management and manipulation of 3D video effects.
Leveraging the state logic software created on a mirror Uppercut system in RCS' Burbank office, RCS installed the upgrade to Sky Sport's Uppercut system in Munich before it was shipped to Australia for the first race of the season.
"Sky Sport has been an amazing client to work with. They're constantly looking to explore new innovations and approaches that enhance the audience experience," said RCS Co-Founder and Executive Producer Steven Heimbold. "This update to our Uppercut solution is a huge leap forward for creativity in remote live-productions, and we look forward to sharing the new functionality with current and future Uppercut clients who might also benefit."
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(IT/JP)