What’s New with Virtual Placement?

Virtual Placement (VP) is a powerful, user-friendly visual storytelling tool known for its robust virtual graphics, integration with the PRIME CG engine, real-time data capabilities, and versatile multi-output options. These features collectively enhance broadcast quality and drive viewer engagement. With the release of Virtual Placement 7.6, Chyron realigns Virtual Placement’s key features to deliver an even more intuitive and impactful experience.

Key Takeaways of Virtual Placement 7.6

Virtual Placement 7.6 introduces upgrades that enhance both graphics and calibration capabilities. These improvements are geared towards providing broadcasters with high-quality visuals and deeper insights into gameplay, particularly in American football broadcasts.

Enhanced Sports Analysis & Graphics

The visual updates focus on making broadcasts more dynamic and engaging. Key features include:

• Red Zone tool
• Down & Distance update
• Team-branded style feathers and play clocks

Calibration Improvements

Calibration is essential for virtual graphics to align precisely with the actual field. Virtual Placement’s latest updates improve the accuracy and stability of this process.

• Calibration improvements for professional and collegiate football fields

Enhanced Game Analysis with Virtual Placement 7.6

Virtual Placement 7.6 offers improvements that enhance the analysis and presentation of sports broadcasts, particularly in American football. The upgraded features in this release are designed to provide broadcasters with more detailed and visually compelling ways to analyze and display game data, making it easier for audiences to follow and understand key moments.

Red Zone Tool

A notable tool in this product release is the Red Zone tool, which allows broadcasters to emphasize critical scoring areas on the field, from the end zone to a user-defined distance of up to 20 yards. This feature highlights potential scoring opportunities, helping viewers focus on the most intense moments of the game. The customizable options for color, opacity, and fade effects ensure that these highlights are visually striking and easy to integrate into different broadcast styles

Down and Distance Feature Update

The Down & Distance update further enhances sports analysis by providing dynamic and visually appealing representations of key game information.

• Play Clock Placement: Options for placing the play clock as a pitch or 3D billboard, allowing for more dynamic and visually appealing integrations.
• Auto-Follow Functionality: Ensures that the play clock and down markers automatically adjust their positions in real-time based on game progress.
• XYZ Positioning Updates: Improved accuracy and flexibility in placing the play clock and down markers in three-dimensional space.
• Simultaneous Off Animation: Allows for coordinated animation effects, ensuring the play clock and down markers transition smoothly and simultaneously off the screen when no longer needed​​​​.

Customizable Feathers & Play Clocks

The team-branded feathers and play clocks feature enables more personalized and branded analysis for professional football games.

• 1st & 10 Feathers: Customizable first down markers that can be branded with team-specific graphics and colors.
• Play Clocks: Accurate and visually appealing play clocks that can be branded for a team. These clocks can be integrated into the broadcast, providing viewers with clear and consistent timekeeping.
• Photoshop (PSD) File Customization: Broadcasters receive customizable PSD files, allowing them to modify graphics to fit their specific needs.

Precision Field Line Calibration in Virtual Placement 7.6

Virtual Placement’s improved line calibration ensures that virtual elements align perfectly with real-world field markings, providing a stable and accurate foundation for all virtual graphics. This improvement is maintains integrity of the visual data during analysis, especially in fast-paced sports environments.

Improved Calibration for Professional and Collegiate Games

Another enhancement in this update is the refined calibration algorithm, now tailored to accommodate the varying line widths and configurations found on both professional and collegiate football fields, like the NFL or NCAA for example.  This improvement ensures that virtual graphics remain precisely aligned with the field, regardless of its specific characteristics, leading to a more reliable and stable broadcast. Viewers can trust that the virtual elements they see accurately reflect the real-time action.

Moreover, Virtual Placement 7.6 introduces support for fields with thinner outside lines, a feature common in many collegiate football fields. Previously, these lines posed calibration challenges due to lower visibility and potential interference from shadows or other field markings. The updated calibration system effectively addresses these issues, accurately detecting and aligning with these lines to maintain stability.

End Zones Removed from Calibration for Better Stability

In Virtual Placement 7.6, the decision to exclude end zones from the calibration process was made to improve the stability and accuracy of virtual graphics during broadcasts. End zones often contain large logos, intricate designs, and varying colors, which can disrupt the alignment of virtual elements with the actual field. These visual complexities can lead to inconsistencies in the calibration process, resulting in potential misalignments during live broadcasts.

By removing end zones from calibration, Virtual Placement can focus on the more consistent field markings, such as yard lines and hash marks. This approach assists with the accuracy and stability of graphic placements, ensuring a smoother and more reliable presentation. The result is a better overall viewing experience, with broadcasters able to deliver virtual graphics that align perfectly with the game, free from the interference.

Football Graphics & Analysis Made Easier

From dynamic tools like the Red Zone feature to critical improvements in line calibration and graphical customization, this release provides broadcasters with the precision and flexibility needed to deliver more engaging and visually cohesive content. By addressing the specific needs of both professional and collegiate football broadcasts, Virtual Placement ensures that every moment on the field is captured with accuracy and clarity.

Learn more about Virtual Placement or contact an expert.