Bridge Technologies has announced its partnership with fellow Norwegian company Pixotope, a leading provider of graphic enhancements for broadcast productions. The partnership will focus on leveraging Bridge’s expertise in the field of IP broadcast to assist Pixotope in a full ST 2110 transition, the initial results of which will be on display at IBC 2024 (Booth 1.A71).
The Pixotope platform streamlines workflows by combining camera tracking, talent tracking, virtual sets, AR and XR functionalities. Through the use of a single, intuitive application, the need for multiple programs and complex integrations is eliminated, thus minimising disruption and hardware requirements. The net result is the ability to easily create immersive and striking experiences for viewers, adding context through data visualisations, clarity through action tracking, and dynamic graphics to enhance atmosphere and energy.
Now, Pixotope intend to make these workflows even more streamlined by providing their full suite of graphic enhancements directly within an ST 2110 production environment. Not only will this transition extend the reach, scope and potential of Pixotope’s services as production companies across the globe upgrade to IP-based workflows, but it will also open the door for future integrations. The VB440 itself leverages the power of ST 2110 to allow production professionals of all types – camera painters, audio specialists and network engineers, amongst others – to access an extensive range of high-grade production tools, all through a single appliance.
Most importantly, the VB440 makes this available with next-to-no-latency, using only an HTML-5 web browser, meaning up to eight users can simultaneously access the VB440’s extensive set of features, live, from anywhere in the world. This means the elimination of waveform monitors, audio controls, single-purpose monitors and extraneous cabling. This reduces capital expenditure, energy consumption, truck weight and electronic end-of-life waste, and often provides higher functionality and more intuitive use.
An important step in this ongoing partnership will be a collaborative display of Pixotope’s extensive functionalities on Bridge’s booth at IBC 2024 (1.A171), highlighting how the VB440 can be used to monitor existing Pixotope processes, itself something that will set the groundwork for more direct future integrations down the line. The display will include demonstrations of:
· Pixotope Reveal: Demonstrating AI-driven background segmentation technology
· Pixotope Graphics: The use of Unreal Engine-based virtual AR elements, with a live feed, where talent will be able to walk in front of the AR elements without a green screen, thanks to Pixotope Reveal
· An End-to-end ST 2110 workflow: Featuring a Panasonic AW-UE160 camera with direct ST 2110 output, Pixotope Graphics ST 2110 input/output processes, and analysis and monitoring through the Bridge VB440 production probe
· The potential for future integration with Bridge Technologies’ environment, highlighting the powerful VB440 and its monitoring and analysis of ST 2110 flows
In particular, the VB440 will be used to display a live feed of Pixotope processes and the different colour charts it references, along with other relevant live monitoring parameters. It will display these at three stages of the process: as source video, as graphics-output from the Pixotope graphics engine, and as a composite output.
Speaking of the collaboration, Bridge Technologies Chairman Simen Frostad said: “Pixotope’s extensive AR and VR functionalities are crucial tools for delivering the excitement, immersion and interest expected of modern productions – particularly in the field of sports. Bringing them into the VB440’s ecosystem will further augment the already extensive capabilities of the VB440, and yet further cement it as the production tool for remote, distributed and live production”.
Adding to this, Javier Reyes, Technical Product Manager for Pixotope, said: “We’re pleased and proud to be working with our fellow Oslovians. We hugely value the two decades of IP experience that Bridge Technologies have accrued and believe that when combined with the remarkable power of our graphics tools, what will result is something of quite extraordinary power and application. We look forward to showcasing our current capabilities on Bridge’s booth at the upcoming IBC 2024”.
