Enabling Technology
Our software is open and IT based – but of broadcast quality. We carefully select and qualify 3rd party products that we guarantee are 100% compatible with our tOG based products. These are all products that we use ourselves in our development environment, our support environment and during customer engagements around the world.
HP offers well engineered PC products that include 3 years on site hardware support. The Z800 and xp8600 products are supported for TX use, and the Z400, xp6600, xp4600 and nVidia based laptops for tOG-Edit design use.
Due to the ever changing nature of hardware, the exact specification should be confirmed at time of order, but a recent example of the full specification is available here.
The generic specification for a broadcast specification system is:
– Dual CPU
– Mirrored fast SAS disks
– 4GB RAM
– Appropriate nVidia gpu and DVS video cards
– PS/2 keyboard and mouse
– Red Hat operating system
The generic specification for a tOG-Edit system is:
– Single cpu
– Any disk
– 2 GB RAM
– Any k/b and Any disk
– Red Hat or Windows operating system
Due to the ever changing nature of hardware, the exact specification should be confirmed at time of order, but a recent example of the full specification is available here.
The generic specification for a broadcast specification system is:
– Dual CPU
– Mirrored fast SAS disks
– 4GB RAM
– Appropriate nVidia gpu and DVS video cards
– PS/2 keyboard and mouse
– Red Hat operating system
The generic specification for a tOG-Edit system is:
– Single cpu
– Any disk
– 2 GB RAM
– Any k/b and Any disk
– Red Hat or Windows operating system
The Dell R5400 packs a lot of punch into a small (but 70cms long) 2u footprint. It is qualified for SD and HD TX and freely available worldwide. The nVidia based XPS M1730 laptops are also qualified for tOG-Edit design use.
Due to the ever changing nature of hardware, the exact specification should be confirmed at time of order, but a recent example of the full R5400 specification is available here.
The generic specification for a broadcast specification system is:
– Dual CPU
– Mirrored fast SAS disks
– 4GB RAM
– Appropriate nVidia gpu and DVS video cards
– PS/2 keyboard and mouse
– Red Hat operating system
The generic specification for a tOG-Edit system is:
– Single cpu
– Any disk
– 2 GB RAM
– Any k/b and mouse
– Red Hat or Windows operating system
Due to the ever changing nature of hardware, the exact specification should be confirmed at time of order, but a recent example of the full R5400 specification is available here.
The generic specification for a broadcast specification system is:
– Dual CPU
– Mirrored fast SAS disks
– 4GB RAM
– Appropriate nVidia gpu and DVS video cards
– PS/2 keyboard and mouse
– Red Hat operating system
The generic specification for a tOG-Edit system is:
– Single cpu
– Any disk
– 2 GB RAM
– Any k/b and mouse
– Red Hat or Windows operating system
NextComputing designs and manufactures innovative portable, broadcast-quality computers.
Its NextDimension Evo HD “flextop” is a graphics workstation and broadcast server that packs the high-performance specifications required for live 3D graphics into a convenient briefcase-sized package for easy transport.
This compact and portable NextDimension system makes it especially suited for live sports graphics where there’s limited room to move. The NextDimension Evo HD is available through RT Software as a pre-qualified platform for running the tOG-Sports suite.
This system can be used to run any of RT Software’s on-air products based on the tOG graphics engine.
The NextDimension system features Dual Quad Core Intel® Xeon® processors and NVIDIA Quadro® FX graphics, enabling real-time 3D and 2D rendering and output in all SD and HD formats.
Based on this unique and powerful hardware platform, RT Software can provide a complete turnkey solution for any of your graphics needs, including sports bugs, news tickers, real-time election coverage, interactive entertainment, or virtual sets.
nVidia GPU::
When we moved our code from SGI onto the PC platforms in 2001 we choose nVidia as our GPU partner. Since then, nVidia has gone from strength to strength in the broadcast market and is now the clear market leader in the broadcast sector.
TX Qualified Products
For an application as critical as your TX we do not cut corners on hardware quality. The nVidia Quadro GPUs are the only boards actually manufactered to nVidia’s exacting standards, and the boards stay consistent over the product’s lifecycle. In addition there are performance enhancements over the seemingly similar lower cost GEFORCE products.
– For SD we recommend the Quadro 4800, but still support the 4600.
– For HD we recommend the Quadro 5800, but still support the 5600.
In order to minise video delay and for HD pre tOG v4.1 (July 2009) we support the SDI-2 daughter board.
For thermal reasons, in the Nextcom luggable we only support the Quadro 4600.
tOG-Edit Qualified Products
You are of course free to use the Quadro series in an Edit system, but the GEFORCE family of cards offer a similar punch for a lot less green. These boards are based on the nVidia chipset but nVidia does not control the actual board design, for this reason there can be subtle changes not just between the different manufacturers but even throughout the life cycle of a specific board from a specific manufacturer. For this reason do not qualify these boards for TX, but have no hesitency in recommending them for use in an Edit system.
Its NextDimension Evo HD “flextop” is a graphics workstation and broadcast server that packs the high-performance specifications required for live 3D graphics into a convenient briefcase-sized package for easy transport.
This compact and portable NextDimension system makes it especially suited for live sports graphics where there’s limited room to move. The NextDimension Evo HD is available through RT Software as a pre-qualified platform for running the tOG-Sports suite.
This system can be used to run any of RT Software’s on-air products based on the tOG graphics engine.
The NextDimension system features Dual Quad Core Intel® Xeon® processors and NVIDIA Quadro® FX graphics, enabling real-time 3D and 2D rendering and output in all SD and HD formats.
Based on this unique and powerful hardware platform, RT Software can provide a complete turnkey solution for any of your graphics needs, including sports bugs, news tickers, real-time election coverage, interactive entertainment, or virtual sets.
nVidia GPU::
When we moved our code from SGI onto the PC platforms in 2001 we choose nVidia as our GPU partner. Since then, nVidia has gone from strength to strength in the broadcast market and is now the clear market leader in the broadcast sector.
TX Qualified Products
For an application as critical as your TX we do not cut corners on hardware quality. The nVidia Quadro GPUs are the only boards actually manufactered to nVidia’s exacting standards, and the boards stay consistent over the product’s lifecycle. In addition there are performance enhancements over the seemingly similar lower cost GEFORCE products.
– For SD we recommend the Quadro 4800, but still support the 4600.
– For HD we recommend the Quadro 5800, but still support the 5600.
In order to minise video delay and for HD pre tOG v4.1 (July 2009) we support the SDI-2 daughter board.
For thermal reasons, in the Nextcom luggable we only support the Quadro 4600.
tOG-Edit Qualified Products
You are of course free to use the Quadro series in an Edit system, but the GEFORCE family of cards offer a similar punch for a lot less green. These boards are based on the nVidia chipset but nVidia does not control the actual board design, for this reason there can be subtle changes not just between the different manufacturers but even throughout the life cycle of a specific board from a specific manufacturer. For this reason do not qualify these boards for TX, but have no hesitency in recommending them for use in an Edit system.
We believe DVS has consistently delivered the very best in video capture and output boards. All the products we support are available in either SD or HD derivitives, with the move from SD to HD just a firmware licence upgrade away.
Supported Products
– Centaurus 2 Lite (not supported on Dell)
– Centaurus 2
Older products including the SD Station 1 and 2 and Centaurus 1 cards may well be supported, call to discuss.
The DVS web site has a useful review of board functionality, click http://www.dvs.de/products/video-boards.html
Comments
DVS products are described as OEM products, which means they can sometimes be difficult to source. RT Software is of course an OEM customer with DVS and we can ship worldwide.
For tOG Sports make sure RS232 is included
For fill and key output add Key Option
Centaurus 2 Lite does not have an on board linear keyer option
Centaurus 2 has an on board keyer included as standard
Centaurus 2 can be upgraded to a 2nd video input chanel
Supported Products
– Centaurus 2 Lite (not supported on Dell)
– Centaurus 2
Older products including the SD Station 1 and 2 and Centaurus 1 cards may well be supported, call to discuss.
The DVS web site has a useful review of board functionality, click http://www.dvs.de/products/video-boards.html
Comments
DVS products are described as OEM products, which means they can sometimes be difficult to source. RT Software is of course an OEM customer with DVS and we can ship worldwide.
For tOG Sports make sure RS232 is included
For fill and key output add Key Option
Centaurus 2 Lite does not have an on board linear keyer option
Centaurus 2 has an on board keyer included as standard
Centaurus 2 can be upgraded to a 2nd video input chanel
For TX
– Red Hat Linux
For Edit
– Red Hat Linux
– MicroSoft XP (SP2 and SP3)
– Apple (in development)
– Red Hat Linux
For Edit
– Red Hat Linux
– MicroSoft XP (SP2 and SP3)
– Apple (in development)
RT Software’s tOG-Edit is a node based 3d editor, with all objects placed in an intuitive parent-child hierarchy.
tOG supports the import of 3d objects with the Autodesk® FBX® technology. FBX is one of the most widely used and supported platform-independent 3D data interchange solutions around. Our FBX import options allow designers the freedom to conceptualise, visualise and capitalise on their workflows by using the most popular and powerful 3d content creation applications on the market – such as Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3dstudioMax, Lightwave and Cinema4d – to design their masterpieces and simply export them to tOG 3d and into the real-time environment. A full set of tOG primitives compliment the modeling toolset within tOG.
Our FBX import options include embedded multi sub-object materials, position and scale information, animated object transforms, camera moves and lights.
Supporting most image formats for import such as tif, tga, jpg, mov, avi, bmp and png, bitmaps can be used as backgrounds, cyces, and virtual tv screens as well as textures on 3d objects.
tOG’s powerful animation features allow keyframes on nearly every parameter of an object from material and colour changes, transforms on all axis and even the amount of duplicates that form arrays. tOG’s timeline and editors provide all the flexibility demanded by the most meticulous 3d broadcast designers around, with full curve edit capabilities, out of range cycles and user scripting with Ruby.
And because it’s all real-time there’s no waiting for a test render to check vital frames, just scrub the timebar for instant feedback to fine-tune complex moves or material properties.
tOG supports the import of 3d objects with the Autodesk® FBX® technology. FBX is one of the most widely used and supported platform-independent 3D data interchange solutions around. Our FBX import options allow designers the freedom to conceptualise, visualise and capitalise on their workflows by using the most popular and powerful 3d content creation applications on the market – such as Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3dstudioMax, Lightwave and Cinema4d – to design their masterpieces and simply export them to tOG 3d and into the real-time environment. A full set of tOG primitives compliment the modeling toolset within tOG.
Our FBX import options include embedded multi sub-object materials, position and scale information, animated object transforms, camera moves and lights.
Supporting most image formats for import such as tif, tga, jpg, mov, avi, bmp and png, bitmaps can be used as backgrounds, cyces, and virtual tv screens as well as textures on 3d objects.
tOG’s powerful animation features allow keyframes on nearly every parameter of an object from material and colour changes, transforms on all axis and even the amount of duplicates that form arrays. tOG’s timeline and editors provide all the flexibility demanded by the most meticulous 3d broadcast designers around, with full curve edit capabilities, out of range cycles and user scripting with Ruby.
And because it’s all real-time there’s no waiting for a test render to check vital frames, just scrub the timebar for instant feedback to fine-tune complex moves or material properties.
Touchscreens are often a component in a tOG-Sports solution, but the truth is they can be used on almost any production.
Elections, big sporting events, social TV and news rooms all come alive with touchscreen technology, and often the touchscreen can take centre stage. Over the years we have become experts on touchscreens and can guide you through the myriad of choices there are. As always we carefully select and qualify the screens we are comfortable recommending to you.
Considerations when choosing touchscreens
With tOG-Sports the following resolutions are supported:
Classic interface with no VTR control or clips selection.
1024×768 (4/3) screen.
Classic interface with VTR control and clips selection.
1366×768 (16/9) screen.
Manager interface with VTR and clips.
1920 x 1080 (HD) screen.
For other projects most resolutions are useable.
Qualified Screens
16/9 – ELO SAW Screen 3239L
16/9 – ELO Resistive Screen 1939L
16/9 – NEC ClearTek II Capacitative Screen
4/3 – Smart Sympodium ID350
4/3 – Smart Sympodium ID370
4/3 – Smart Sympodium DT770
4/3 – ELO Resistive – 1739L 17″ LCD Open-Frame Touchmonitor
4/3 – ELO Resistive Screen 1939L 19″ LCD Open-Frame Touchmonitor
HD – U Touch UT65/INTLCD/OS 65″ Screen
HD – Samsung interactive eBoard 65″ Screen
HD – Samsung 460TS-2 46″ Screen
HD – HP 2310ti 23″ Screen (requires additional £100 driver)
HD – Pacer W22L100-CHA1/PTR BLK 22″ Screen
Considerations when installing touchscreens
All touch screens except capacitive (surface/projected) support stylus. Surface capacitive can be ordered with a tethered stylus that will work (it is hardwired to the screen).
We do not recommend mounting screens based on SAW technology into desks due to their sensitivity to spittle resulting in false touches – never good on air.
To help with mounting options we have a Touchscreen Mounting Guide.
Touchscreen Mounting Guide
With ELO screens we support Intellitouch and Accutouch technolgies.
In general we recommend either resitive or surface capacitive and are happy to assist in the selection of the right screen.
Extenders
It is a common requirement to locate the touchscreen some way from the truck or machine room. For such situations we recommend the following repeater:
- AdderLink Silver
Elections, big sporting events, social TV and news rooms all come alive with touchscreen technology, and often the touchscreen can take centre stage. Over the years we have become experts on touchscreens and can guide you through the myriad of choices there are. As always we carefully select and qualify the screens we are comfortable recommending to you.
Considerations when choosing touchscreens
With tOG-Sports the following resolutions are supported:
Classic interface with no VTR control or clips selection.
1024×768 (4/3) screen.
Classic interface with VTR control and clips selection.
1366×768 (16/9) screen.
Manager interface with VTR and clips.
1920 x 1080 (HD) screen.
For other projects most resolutions are useable.
Qualified Screens
16/9 – ELO SAW Screen 3239L
16/9 – ELO Resistive Screen 1939L
16/9 – NEC ClearTek II Capacitative Screen
4/3 – Smart Sympodium ID350
4/3 – Smart Sympodium ID370
4/3 – Smart Sympodium DT770
4/3 – ELO Resistive – 1739L 17″ LCD Open-Frame Touchmonitor
4/3 – ELO Resistive Screen 1939L 19″ LCD Open-Frame Touchmonitor
HD – U Touch UT65/INTLCD/OS 65″ Screen
HD – Samsung interactive eBoard 65″ Screen
HD – Samsung 460TS-2 46″ Screen
HD – HP 2310ti 23″ Screen (requires additional £100 driver)
HD – Pacer W22L100-CHA1/PTR BLK 22″ Screen
Considerations when installing touchscreens
All touch screens except capacitive (surface/projected) support stylus. Surface capacitive can be ordered with a tethered stylus that will work (it is hardwired to the screen).
We do not recommend mounting screens based on SAW technology into desks due to their sensitivity to spittle resulting in false touches – never good on air.
To help with mounting options we have a Touchscreen Mounting Guide.
Touchscreen Mounting Guide
With ELO screens we support Intellitouch and Accutouch technolgies.
In general we recommend either resitive or surface capacitive and are happy to assist in the selection of the right screen.
Extenders
It is a common requirement to locate the touchscreen some way from the truck or machine room. For such situations we recommend the following repeater:
- AdderLink Silver
tOG-Sports uses the Sony 9 pin and Odetics protocol to control video servers. The following devices are supportable and controllable by the tOG-Sports user interface.
Grass Valley – The K2 Dyno SD and HD devices are supported, with both 9 pin and Odetics protocols. The Odetics integration with the K2 allows clip information to be displayed in the tOGSports interface. This reflects the clip hierarchy complete with all directories on the K2. Clips can then be dragged and dropped on to the sports preview window which are then automatically queued up on the K2.
EVS – All SD and HD EVS XT and XS devices are supported, with both 9 pin and Odetics protocols.
Sony – All SD and HD DigiBeta tape decks are supported, including the older 500 series. Due to response times they are not well suited to live use. Although supported, the J Series are not frame accurate and not recommended.
BLT – The SMS SD and HD devices are supported with 9 pin protocol.
Avid – The AirSpeed SD and HD devices are in qualification.
Grass Valley – The K2 Dyno SD and HD devices are supported, with both 9 pin and Odetics protocols. The Odetics integration with the K2 allows clip information to be displayed in the tOGSports interface. This reflects the clip hierarchy complete with all directories on the K2. Clips can then be dragged and dropped on to the sports preview window which are then automatically queued up on the K2.
EVS – All SD and HD EVS XT and XS devices are supported, with both 9 pin and Odetics protocols.
Sony – All SD and HD DigiBeta tape decks are supported, including the older 500 series. Due to response times they are not well suited to live use. Although supported, the J Series are not frame accurate and not recommended.
BLT – The SMS SD and HD devices are supported with 9 pin protocol.
Avid – The AirSpeed SD and HD devices are in qualification.
Our partnership with SportVU adds real time player tracking data and performance statistics to tOG Sports.
This allows tOG-Sport’s standard telestration graphics to be extended further, with the addition of:
Real time virtual view of the game
Heat maps to show player activities
Use of data in clips to create virtual replays from user definable angles
6 standard statistic based overlays (procession, distance run, play areas, etc)
This data also plays to one of tOG-Sports biggest strengths, in that it can handle custom graphics. This you decide what information is important to your audience and custom build a graphic to show it.
This allows tOG-Sport’s standard telestration graphics to be extended further, with the addition of:
Real time virtual view of the game
Heat maps to show player activities
Use of data in clips to create virtual replays from user definable angles
6 standard statistic based overlays (procession, distance run, play areas, etc)
This data also plays to one of tOG-Sports biggest strengths, in that it can handle custom graphics. This you decide what information is important to your audience and custom build a graphic to show it.
This an area full of choice. And some big costs!
First of all – is trackerless VR a viable option. RT Software supports trackerless (Billboarded VR) and also image based VR allowing professional pan, tilt and zoom movements on regular (non-encoded) heads.
Once the decision has been made to use physical tracking technology, then RT Software has worked with, and recommends:
Mo-Sys – Provides a range of ptz heads, jibs and retro fit encoders to most heads, jibs and cranes. Their “off the shelf” products provide a value for money solution to most requirements and their ability to fit encoders to “pretty much anything” is a true strength.
Vinten Radamec – Probably the most comprehensive range of tracking technology from under one roof. They offer heads for studio and OB use, manual and reomte pedistals and the superb “free-d” system that offers full freedom of movement, even hand held.
Blue-i – Provides a cost effective and robust pedistal tracking system based on an easy to lay flooring. We can take you to a reference site just around the corner form us in Battersea Studios where it is in use by Gala TV for their nightly bingo show 7 nights a week.
Telemetrics – We started working with Temetrics in Iceland while installing a multi camera VR studio for the main commercial channel there. Their robust and innovative camera tracking solutions are a joy to work with.
First of all – is trackerless VR a viable option. RT Software supports trackerless (Billboarded VR) and also image based VR allowing professional pan, tilt and zoom movements on regular (non-encoded) heads.
Once the decision has been made to use physical tracking technology, then RT Software has worked with, and recommends:
Mo-Sys – Provides a range of ptz heads, jibs and retro fit encoders to most heads, jibs and cranes. Their “off the shelf” products provide a value for money solution to most requirements and their ability to fit encoders to “pretty much anything” is a true strength.
Vinten Radamec – Probably the most comprehensive range of tracking technology from under one roof. They offer heads for studio and OB use, manual and reomte pedistals and the superb “free-d” system that offers full freedom of movement, even hand held.
Blue-i – Provides a cost effective and robust pedistal tracking system based on an easy to lay flooring. We can take you to a reference site just around the corner form us in Battersea Studios where it is in use by Gala TV for their nightly bingo show 7 nights a week.
Telemetrics – We started working with Temetrics in Iceland while installing a multi camera VR studio for the main commercial channel there. Their robust and innovative camera tracking solutions are a joy to work with.