CBS Adding Great Goodies For PGA Championship Broadcast: 4DReplay, Mic's In Cups, More Drone Flyovers
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With all due respect to the tech people who work behind the scenes on these innovations free of politics or business, but it's especially fun to see CBS adding some cutting edge enhancements to their PGA Championship. Not coincidentally the news arrives after a combination of factors, from some Fox and NBC/Golf Channel influence, to the best incentive of all: a 2019 expiring contract! (Note to golf organizations: shorter contracts incentivize innovation!).
The full release is below, but the 4DReplay add, at least based on what we've seen of its use in other sports, could be as groundbreaking as tracer technology. (See sample embeds below).
And we always welcome more cup sound and drone flyovers!
For Immediate Release:
CBS SPORTS TECHNICAL ENHANCEMENTS AND INNOVATIONS EXPAND
FOR 2018 COVERAGE INCLUDING FIRST EVER 4D REPLAY ON U.S. GOLF
HAWK-EYE GREEN TECHNOLGY, ROVER CAM, TOPTRACER TECHNOLOGY AND MORE BRING VIEWERS INSIDE-THE-ROPES LIKE NEVER BEFORE
For the 28th consecutive year and 35th overall, CBS Sports will broadcast the PGA Championship contested at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, MO with cutting-edge technical enhancements and innovations that bring viewers inside-the-ropes like never before. CBS Sports will present the third and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 11-12 (2:00-7:00 PM, ET). Coverage begins on CBS Sports Network with “PGA Championship on the Range” and “PGA Championship Clubhouse Report” Thursday, Aug. 9- Sunday, Aug. 12.
CBS Sports production will once again lead the way with cutting-edge technical enhancements and innovations, including being the first U.S. broadcaster to use 4D Replay on a golf broadcast. CBS will use the ground-breaking 4D Replay showcasing the challenging 495-yard Par 4 15th hole through a camera covering 270 degrees of the tee box that allows for 3D manipulation of the video giving announcers and viewers an all-new look at a golfer’s swing.
With 110 cameras and 175 microphones covering 41 miles of multi-strand fiber, equaling 492 miles of actual fiber connectivity, viewers will not miss any action on the grounds at Bellerive.
In addition, for the first time at a PGA, CBS will utilize Hawk-Eye Green Technology, giving viewers a unique perspective on the putting line as well as the undulations of the green, as well as Rover Cam for a ride across Bellerive. Along with the enhancement of Toptracer, Toptracer RF and ARL, Virtual Eye, 4K HDR, Smartcart, SwingVision, Aerial Drone Coverage, Cup Mics and all new on-air Graphics look celebrating the 100thPGA Championship, CBS will showcase this unrivaled technology to complement the broadcast as another chapter in PGA history unfolds.
Production and Technology elements in detail:
· 4D Replay – CBS Sports will be the first U.S. broadcaster to use 4D Replay on golf at the PGA Championship. A camera array covering 270 degrees of the 15th tee box will allow for 3D manipulation of the video. The video not only can pan anywhere within the 270 degrees of coverage, but can also be zoomed in and slowed down in playback to get a unique look at the tee shots from the best players in the world attacking the challenging Par 4 .
· Toptracer – CBS will use Toptracer broadcast technology on all 18 holes, using 3D radar tracking to provide the viewer with a true sense of distance, height, curvature and more. Tracing live tee shots on various holes showing the apex, ball speed, distance and curve will once again be staples of this technology. Toptracer will also showcase new Range Technology during coverage of “PGA Championship On the Range,” both Thursday and Friday on CBS Sports Network.
o ARL Virtual Eye - Virtual Eye technology returns this year with increased coverage of more holes. Virtual Eye uses Toptracer ball tracing capabilities on tee shots within a 3D Hole model while simultaneously showing the golfer hit shots from the tee. And, for the first time at the PGA Championship, it also will be used from the fairway on the 17th hole. Virtual flyover animations also return, giving a second shot perspective once the ball comes to rest including GolfTrax information providing key statistical information for both individual players and holes. Virtual Eye will be used both live and in playback.
o Toptracer RF - Toptracer will outfit two RF mini cameras in order to provide ball tracking graphics and statistics on a player’s second shot from the fairway anywhere on the course at Bellerive Country Club.
· Hawk-Eye Green Technology
o Putt Predictor - The Putt Predictor demonstrates the extreme differences in the line that a putt can travel and still go in based on weight of the ball strike. It provides a shaded area between the line of a hard putt to the back of the hole and a soft putt line that has the most movement. If a putt leaves the shaded area between the two lines the viewer knows that it will not drop.
o Undulation Grid - A graphical grid overlaid on a green along with moving arrows to highlight the undulations of a green.
· Rover Cam - For the first time, CBS Sports will use a remote controlled rover with an RF camera affixed to it to provide a unique perspective to the coverage travelling across the grounds at Bellerive Country Club.
· 4K HDR – Bellerive Country Club’s closing holes 16, 17, and 18 will be captured in 4K beginning Thursday and concluding with the final round. For the fourth time in 2018, CBS will produce live 4K golf coverage, which includes using 15 4K HDR cameras at the PGA Championship to air on DIRECTV. New to the Championship this year is the addition of HDR to the home viewers of the 4K show. HDR, with a wider color gamut, provides richer and more vibrant colors along with deeper contrast between light and dark for a more realistic image.
· Smartcart – Introduced two years ago for the first time at a PGA Championship, Smartcart returns. The 72-inch mobile screen, attached to a custom-fitted golf cart for broadcast applications, will be used to analyze and telestrate a myriad of data including golf swings and shots, difficulty of holes, and scorecards bringing a new dimension to golf coverage with compelling content from action on the course. CBS Sports Network also will use Smartcart for Thursday and Friday’s “PGA Championship On the Range.”
· SwingVision – CBS returns its Emmy Award-winning technical innovation, SwingVision, featuring super-slow action to break down players’ swings and demonstrate shots from various parts of the course.
· Aerial Drone Coverage – CBS Sports’ aerial drone coverage captured all the elevations, undulations and hazards of Bellerive Country Club. Drones allow for a much more dynamic look at each hole for the viewers from the “player’s perspective.”
· Cup Mics - Microphones will be placed in specified cups to capture audio from balls going into the hole as well as hitting the pin or even landing on the green near the cup.
· New Graphics - Celebrating the 100th PGA Championship, the graphics package embraces the spirit of the PGA using the navy and gold color scheme of the PGA of America. The amination package evokes the essence of this tournament through graceful movement and high-end 3D design.
This, in golf could be so powerful, from capturing a golf swing to an incredible moment. It would particularly fun on a drivable par-4 tee and some day, an 18th green complex.
And a how-we-do-it piece:
