NHK unveils the twin cam system for better coverage of water sports, smaller broadcasting vehicles and the sky map system that can overlay Google Earth-like labels onto live views from news helicopters.
Japan’s national broadcaster NHK this year unveiled some of their new broadcasting technology that might change what you see on TV.
The twins cam system – This new gadget will improve live coverage of water sports such as synchronized swimming. With conventional coverage, it’s not possible to use one single camera to capture all the action because of the refraction of the light in air and water. Half-submerged cameras which are now in use are only a partial solution because the image still doesn’t match up and appears shifted. This new twins cam is something different. It uses two cameras — one above and one under water – where both the zoom and focus are synchronized. This produces a pretty stunning result with one single realistic image. NHK has used the system at last year’s Japan Open Synchronized Swimming Championship and expects to use it next year at London Olympics.
Smaller broadcasting vehicles – When on the road, broadcasters typically must use big and heavy trucks to carry around all the technology. But that’s the past. NHK has unveiled a new, much smaller and quieter broadcasting vehicle that’s based on a Mitsubishi i MiEV electric car. It has all the equipment needed to support and switch up to four video sources. The car battery lasts for 100 kilometers (62 miles), while the second battery can power the equipment for up to two hours. According to NHK, they will be able to use the car in areas where big trucks can’t go, places like temples that demand quiet or during early morning hours when engine noise would bother people in the neighborhood.
The sky map system – This new concept can overlay Google Earth-like labels over live TV images from news helicopters. Along with the live video feed from the helicopter, the systems transmits GPS data and information on camera’s position, direction and zoom to a computer that combines a virtual camera in the same position on a 3D mapping system. The labels are then extracted and overlaid onto the live broadcast image. NHK has already implemented this system in some shows on TV.