
It started over drinks and a sketch on a napkin. Don't all great ideas?
WATCH: Replay Technologies' freeD system in action during the Notre Dame-Arizona State game at AT&T Stadium on Oct. 5.
It was New Year's Eve 2011 when Israeli expats Oren Haimovitch-Yogev and brothers Aviv and Matteo Shapira decided to spend their lunch break at a pub in London watching a Manchester United match. All three were engineers and developers in the military-drone business, working for Britain's UAV Tactical Systems.
The tenor at the table changed when Aviv made an innocent comment: I want to see what the game looks like from the perspective of the ball. Replay Technologies was born.
Since that meeting less than two years ago, the startup's new freeD product has become the talk of the sports-production industry in the U.S. The 24-camera, 360-degree, real-time replay system has been called by Fred Gaudelli, highly respected producer of NBC's Sunday Night Football, the most innovative technology to hit sports television since the 1st and Ten line. A method of replay that seems to instantly connect with a generation of NFL fans who grew up playing football on their videogame platforms.
This Sunday, millions of viewers will be treated to a whole new way of watching football when freeD - or, as NBC brands it on its broadcasts, NBCeeIT360 - will be available to the production crew in Arlington, TX, when the Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Redskins on Sunday Night Football.
Replay Technologies installed 24 cameras throughout AT&T Stadium, which are each connected individually to a server through approx. 2,000 feet of single-mode fiber.
We are just beginning to utilize it and look at things differently, says Ken Goss, SVP, remote operations and production planning, at NBC Sports. You want to pick specific plays that will enhance your broadcast, and that has been Fred's goal all along. We can fly all around from different angles while still maintaining perspective. You pick specific plays, and, when you can move around in that 360-degree motion, it creates an entirely new dynamic in the game.
But how does it work?
It's not selecting a camera; it's building a camera, says Aviv Shapira, who serves the chief of operations and programs for Replay Technologies. We're actually building a camera that is essentially the size of the field.
The Dallas Cowboys, NBC Sports, and Replay Technologies made a commitment to the technology over the summer when a deal was struck to install the freeD Arena System infrastructure inside AT&T Stadium, the first 360-degree deployment of the technology.
Twenty-four 4K (12-megapixel) cameras, designed by Canadian digital-imaging developer Teledyne Dalsa with Nikon lenses, are installed in a complete circle around the stadium. Each camera is fed to the server room via single-mode fiber. It takes direct links to each camera - about 2,000 total feet of fiber - to connect them to the server, where they are synched and recorded. In the server room, the fiber data is translated back to Replay Technologies' own protocol via KVM extenders developed by Thinklogical.
These cameras create a 3D atmosphere, says Haimovitch-Yogev, a co-founder who serves as the company's CEO. You don't have to have a camera right in front of the scene. So we can have multiple angles and endless choices, and we can run the same scene in different ways.
As a result, freeD also offers a unique way for fans to view controversial calls, creating a 3D effect and depth of field on a 2D plane.
In conventional replays, we're looking for was he in bounds or out of bounds,' was he safe or was he not safe?' says Jack Kestenbaum, director, technical operations, YES Network, which branded the system YES View when the network used the technology during Yankees telecasts this past season. Consistently, they'll say well, the angle. Change the angle.' By changing the angle, you can see whether he was in or out. When this is done correctly and if there's enough infrastructure in place, this technology gives you 360 degrees.
The pilot' (pictured at Yankee Stadium during a YES Network broadcast) operates the system, making all creative decisions as to what path the replay will take when played back and making any necessary pixel corrections.
On Sunday night, a crew of three will be stationed in an office trailer in the production compound that the Replay Technologies team has essentially turned into a makeshift TV truck. Split into three sections, the trailer houses the server room, an office, and an operations area, where the pilot, navigator, and an NBC Sports representative will execute the technology.
The pilot operates the systems, making all creative decisions as to what path the replay will take when played back and making any necessary pixel corrections. The navigator is on-site to handle the more technological aspects, such as color correction and lighting, which become a major factor during day games, with constantly changing shadows and sunlight. The NBC associate producer is there to relay messages into the ear of Gaudelli when a shot is ready for playback. To build and render a replay takes about a minute.
The producer has to make creative decisions while understanding the game, says Aviv Shapira. It's like flying around a camera with a joy stick. It's much more advanced, and it takes us about a minute to build the shot.
In addition to TV, the Cowboys are using freeD during all home games on their massive in-venue video screen.
The freeD people have been great to work with, says Dwin Towell, director of broadcast engineering for the Dallas Cowboys. We were all facing a very tight timeline to make this technology happen, and everything fell into place like clockwork. Even though, many times, coo
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Sky Business, Sky's B2B division, providing connectivity and content to busi...
13/03/2025
Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...