tOG-Sports Lite

Old school telestrators are dead!

For the same money, you can get an upgradable, future proof, industry tested solution. tOG Sports Lite offers a robust telestration toolkit without the heavy price tag and it’s totally upgradable.
Our software is being used all over the world to deliver complex sports analysis (Sky Sports, ESPN, Fox, IMG) because it’s easy to deploy, intuitive & quick to use and smart.

What makes tOG Sports Lite so good?

tOG Sports Lite delivers smart broadcast telestration on time, every time. Even at this entry point it’s more than a 2d screen writer, offering many powerful features (see below) including virtual stadium views, dual head-to-head touchscreens and all your regular telestration tools. The interface can even be used to control video on-air.
Output is pixel perfect, text beautifully rendered – after all, it is built on the proven tOG graphics system on air with major broadcasters around the world. Plus, it is actually 2 products in one. Its Operator interface is used for creating more complex graphics that typically would be saved for playout later, and the simpler Presenter interface is easy to use live in the studio.

So this is the entry point, where can it take me?

Once you have tOG Sports Lite, upgrading is easy. You don’t even need to replace your hardware! With additional modules you can integrate tied-to-pitch analysis, file based work flows, advertising graphics, virtual views of players and gameplay, custom giant touchscreen applications, iPad integration, augmented reality graphics and virtual studios.

Off the shelf – All the regular analysis tools you would expect (lines, circles, magnifier, regions).
Easy customisation – Tools can be set up for home, away and neutral colours.
Generate revenue – Some tools can be customised for branding and sponsorship opportunities.
Tracking graphics – Create the illusion of tracking objects with key-framed graphics.
Compatible  - Works with content on all the popular sports video servers (EVS, K2 and other DDRs).
Perfect timings – Presenter / operator control of external DDR video using Sony 9-pin serial protocol.
Powerful – Operator screen for system set up, key-framing and building sequences.
Personalised – Includes a basic level of customisation of touchscreen for presenter led graphics.
Virtual views – 3D virtual stadium views for presenter led formation and tactic analysis.
Fast – Database for saving set ups and player information.
Impressive – Support for multiple touchscreens from 22″ through to 105″+.
Flexible – Add your own custom telestration graphics from Photoshop.
Future proof – Upgrade to Pro version for the difference in licence and support costs.
There are two main things needed for the studio touchscreen – ease of use and visual customisation.
As you would expect, tOG-Sports Lite ticks both these boxes.

The operator uses his GUI to decide which of the comprehensive library of telestration tools to put on the presenter screen, and there is an optional module that allows users to create a completely personalised look and feel for the screen – crucial if it is heavily in shot.

This is a powerful product yet based around a well thought out and comprehensive operator interface that  is quick and easy to learn and use.
- Create and save an analysis clip, add in points, keyframes, pauses, manual cue points and out point – Sequences can be used immediately or recalled for use later.
- Built in scene saver – saves key elements of the scene including home and away colours, line width, circle sizes and magnifier size.
- Supports keyframing on 2d analysis tools such as the magnifier and naming circle – creates the illusion of object tracking at the simplest (2d) level.
- Plays out any custom graphics created on a (separate) tOG-Edit system.

Lines, Arrows and Circles
Easily set up for home and away colours, and plenty of style options

 

Regions and Highlighters
Corner click or drag options

Virtual Stadium
Easily branded, too.

Magnifier
Configurable for size, magnification level and sponsor logo.

Naming tool
Linked to an integral database

Clips

Sophisticated clip support – including completely file based work flows – is handled via a library of clip control plug ins. This opens up infrastructure options as use of baseband SDI can be minimised or even eradicated, and also functionality options as clips can now be browsed, selected, played and controlled on the operator and / or presenter touchscreen interface. It includes the following plug ins:

- Local clips played and recorded on PC disks (may require additional hardware) – enables standalone operation without a DDR
- EVS SDI/Baseband with Odetics protocol support.
- EVS Network Streaming with enhanced protocol.
- EVS Network Transfer with enhanced protocol.
- Grass Valley K2 SDI/Baseband with Odetics protocol support.
- Grass Valley K2 Network Transfer with Odetics protocol support.

Being plug-in based, this list can easily be expanded based on user demands.

Custom Interface

The custom interface is intended for situations where the touchscreen is a big part of the studio show, this allows programmes to create their own unique look and feel to the touchscreen, allowing differentiation from other users and the incorporation of channel branding and sponsors values.

Import touchscreen designs from Photoshop and other design applications – create a unique screen look in line with sponsors or channel branding

Layout your touchscreen controls your way – further enhances your unique look but is also crucial when working with large (bigger than 40”) screens.

This ups the game by enabling additional new graphics such as player drag, on pitch 3d perspective analysis graphics and the shaft of light highlight tool.  The shaft of light highlighter is particularly impressive as it can be key framed to create the illusion of player or object tracking. It is one additional module that includes 2 powerful elements – Psuedo Camera support and Software Keyers.

Psuedo Camera

This allows you to put graphics down onto paused frames that have a correct 3d perspective. In order for this to be useful, the following has been taken into account:

- Ensure graphics on the ground have players keyed on top.

- Allow an operator to create them very quickly.

- Save them for quick recall later, for example during a game.

- Associate them with the clips, so that presenters using the system live in the studio can take advantage of this technique.

Psuedo Cameras work on paused frames, and can be very effective. The Pro version of tOG Sports offers a vision based camera tracking technology that allows this style of graphic to be applied to clips without the need to pause.

Software Keyers

This allows Psuedo Camera graphics with a 3d perspective to have artefacts such as the players keyed on top.  There is a chromakeyer that delivers high quality results when the back ground key colour is constant, and also a sophisticated segment keyer that handles situations such as stadium shade where it is required to key on 2 or more colours. Neither of which require any additional hardware. Again, a clear focus has been applied to good results in the field:

- Easy to use. The Chromakeyer has an “Auto” option, the Segment Keyer a pipette to select colours.

- Scene Saver to associate keyer settings with the clips.

- Automatic edge detection for player drag graphics, no need to manually create a mask – just click on a player and move it.

This module allows the laying off to the local disk of the tOG Sports system. It supports the DVC Pro and AVCI formats required by most professional broadcasters. It requires SSD disks to be installed on the tOG Sports system.
Whether its an iPad, a giant wall mounted touchscreen or bringing 3d graphics onto presenters desks & the studio fall tOG Sports can deliver. Any of the Sports products can be upgraded with our Touch and / or VR modules to create state of the art studio shows. And with Sports at the heart of the solution the important story telling telestration tools are all there.

tOG-Sports Technical Spec