Requesting "Full-field" Match Video for Webcasts from FIRST

[Zach O]

That is how matches should be webcasted. Full field, so you can see what's going on. Not randomly zooming into the ball return, when I really want to see the robots.

I'm with you all the way!

[Chris is me]

Chris Picone
Mentor, Team 2791

Thanks for the effort!

[kgzak]

It get's really annoying when I am at home watching a webcast on my TV and people come over who could be possible new mentors, students, or even start teams and they start watching the webcast but can't follow it with all the close ups. I have had friends watch webcasts and they can't follow so they stop watching. My aunt wanted video of our robot to show her class (she is teacher at a school in toledo ohio) which could spark interest in starting a new team but I couldn't find any where they could follow and enjoy. You can bring everyone to an event so at least supply another way of showing off FIRST.

So yeah add me:
Kris Zakfeld
Team 2075

and you can add this to your letter if you want, feel free to rephrase too.

[nikeairmancurry]

add me

Nicholas Curry
Mentor, Team 326

[Jonathan Norris]

I actually think a full field view would be worse for a webcast, the resolution isn't really there for it to be any better. Imagine a ustream webcast of a full field view, I would have no idea who was playing... The real solution is the camera people need to be trained better and not zoom in on the wheels of robots on Einstein. At GTR this year the video production people set up to stationary cameras to cover each side of the field, I personally felt this worked really well and gave a good overall view on what was happening. This is mainly because its been the same people running the video production for at least 5+ years. The main issue is that we need video production people who understand what is the best way to record a FIRST match, and I certainly don't think a full field view is the best way.

[thefro526]

This is an excellent idea! Please add my name to the list:

Dustin Benedict
Mentor FRC 816

[synth3tk]

I don't think one dedicated full-field static camera is the solution. I don't think a full-field static camera along-side the camera operators just for the webcast is a good idea either. It will get boring. If you're trying to get people excited about FIRST, looking at a field over some crappy uStream webcast is not a very good motivator.

I'd like to "ditto" the people in this thread who said we should have FIRST focus on training the camera operators better. I mentioned in another thread that maybe the operators should attend a previous week's event. Or if that's not possible, make it mandatory for them to watch some of the Thursday matches in the stands, to get a feel for the game.

The picture-in-picture suggestion is also a really good one, though we'd come back full-circle to the fact that we're trying to webcast this. Unless you were using a really good compressed codec, a fair amount of bandwidth (let's say 1Mb upload or faster), and were using anything other than uStream, then you'll run into the issue where you can't see the smaller picture.

I don't mind seeing the drive teams during a technical break or before a match, but watching Championships got really frustrating when the crowd and announcer would go wild over a double-hang, and all I could see was a robot stuck in a corner trying to score the same ball for the last 30 seconds. Yes, every robot is special and deserves air-time, but learn when to focus on certain 'bots.

[Ericgehrken]

I agree

Eric Gehrken
Co-Founder/ President Team 3125
Dean's List Finalist WPI Regional

[EricH]

Originally Posted by synth3tk

Yes, every robot is special and deserves air-time, but learn when to focus on certain 'bots.

I might as well have not watched Archimedes SF1-3, (and, for that matter, SF1-2) because the cameramen were focusing on 3357. They completely missed 330 tipping over and righting itself, which the announcer was announcing, because they were focusing on one team, undefended, scoring all by its lonesome instead of focusing in a bit more on the five-robot battle royale in the other two zones. I was watching on the webcast, and I was not happy with that view.

The close-up is fine, if you're at the event. The full-field or half-field view is much better if you aren't there. If you are going to focus in on one robot, pick one that is engaged in a pushing match or scoring under defense or trying to hang. NOBODY focuses in on the one receiver that is downfield running with a defender until the ball is thrown to him, yet that's exactly what the camera crews do in FIRST.

I'm in.

Craig Hickman
Mentor, team 114

[Vikesrock]

I hate the camera operating as much as the next guy but....

I agree with others here that have said that a single full-field cam is a bad idea. They already have this on practice day, and for most events it is unwatchable.

Until webcast quality improves at most events a static field cam is not a reasonable solution to this issue. It may be watchable at the quality level some events have been broadcast at (Midwest, Las Vegas when it was working and maybe Northstar and 10K Lakes) but for the vast majority of the UStream feeds and 320x240 WMV webcasts it would be impossible to tell who was who. It's hard enough much of the time already even with shots zoomed in well past full field.

What we do need is 0 driver/HP shots during matches, 0 zooms on dead robots and 0 zooms closer than a full robot. I don't want to see a zoom on a wheel, I don't want to see a zoom on an RSL and I don't want to see a human player doing nothing.

[kjolana1124]

Maybe a possible solution would be just to hire more camera men. This way, we can get more close up shots, then just work a little more with the directors to ensure that they understand the game, what's important, and what to highlight.

I might as well have not watched Archimedes SF1-3, (and, for that matter, SF1-2) because the cameramen were focusing on 3357.

Let's remember that we're not the only ones watching this. My family wakes up at 5 AM in Nevada so they don't miss a single one of our matches. A robot may not always be strong, but it's number one to someone.

This is why I still support having a full field, but I don't want to disregard the close ups. There's a medium somewhere.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by kjolana1124

Let's remember that we're not the only ones watching this. My family wakes up at 5 AM in Nevada so they don't miss a single one of our matches. A robot may not always be strong, but it's number one to someone.

I understand that. The problem is that about half of the entire match was focused on ONE robot, with NO other robots even in their zone. Twice. In a row. People want to see more than one robot! I bet there were some folks who wanted to see 254, 25, 233, 330, and 1622, yet their robots only showed up briefly in those two matches because the camera people were really only showing one robot of the six on the field. Not only that, but the camera folks missed a tipped/righted robot and almost all the scoring on the blue end of the field, because the one robot was occupying their attention most of the time. It wasn't until just about the Finale that they started showing other robots a lot more, when they started opening up and heading for the towers.

[CN-U-NEFCU?]

sounds good

[synth3tk]

Originally Posted by kjolana1124

Let's remember that we're not the only ones watching this. My family wakes up at 5 AM in Nevada so they don't miss a single one of our matches. A robot may not always be strong, but it's number one to someone.

I don't want to sound mean-spirited, but there's almost always someone that values something that doesn't get much attention on a broadcast/webcast. Take almost every sports game, for instance. Football and baseball both have close-ups and almost full-field shots. When we're watching the running back (I guess, I don't follow football) run 20-yards and scores a touchdown, there's a few dozen(?) players not being shown at the time. Each one of those players have friends or family that are probably watching the game, yet that one guy and the two or three people trying to stop him are the main focus at the time, because a vast majority of the viewers don't care about the entire team of both sides while a touch-down is being scored, they just want to see the action. Now, I realize that football and baseball have one game piece to follow, which makes following the action with cameras easier, but that's not really the point I'm trying to make.

I think basketball's television production would be a better solution for FRC. It's sort of zoomed out, yet you can still see the jersey numbers. Unfortunately, the video quality of cable/network television is vastly superior to most regionals' currently, which is probably a huge problem with even a half-field shot.