So after watching week zero (see here:https://www.thebluealliance.com/match/2017week0_qf3m2, it’s pretty clear that this field was not designed around being watched via webcast easily. The airships block off where teams will be shooting from, and you can only see one of the three gear lifts on each side. Even if you put the camera on the other side, you’re still losing the large interaction zone that is the loading areas.
This also affects teams or parents that take videos of matches from the stands as they definitely won’t be able to get every piece of the match in a video.
My question is how are events planning on streaming the field? Maybe my RSN friends can help answer what their plan is for the champs broadcast (if they are doing it again this year). My hope is that a simple solution comes out, as watching 3 screens in the style of last year’s champs broadcast is difficult and many events only have one camera for streaming.
Most events will have more than one camera angle. Its also worth mentioning, the camera was set up on the wrong side of the field for the week zero event.
I could see an aerial camera being useful for this game with some sideline cameras being used for replays. It could be possible to also have one camera on either side of the field and then rearrange the FMS display to the sides of the stream.
There isn’t a “right” and “wrong” side for cameras to be set up. In fact, there aren’t any rules about it at all. I do also doubt that most events will have more than one camera - most are lucky to have one at all.
However, I have been wondering what position will be best for 1676 to set up our full-field camera to record the events we’re competing at.
Maybe a camera above the field pointing straight down as a secondary angle? I’m pretty sure I saw that somewhere last year. It would be best to use with another camera, though, as the overhead angle allows you to see what’s going on, but it gives a 2D look IMO.
FiM events typically have the camera angle from the score table side from what I recall. If that is the case this year, then we will have the blockage issue for most of our events. If its possible to have two streams from opposite sides of the field, some of that might be able to be mitigated. I’m also curious if going to a more aerial shot would help. Although, I’ve seen straight top down matches before, and they throw me off.
I think full field view is the only way to go. I strongly dislike multiple cameras (unless theyre all being displayed at once) because there is a much higher chance of missing important/good parts of the match (example: while watching the IRI stream in 2015, I missed 1741 capping a 6-stack with an upside-down recycle bin).
It would take some getting used to, I think it can be done with 2 cameras.
Each would be placed about the scoring table’s distance away from the field, and pointed downward to get about half the field in it’s view. Stitch those together, and you should have a mostly complete view of the field.
I suppose a benefit here is that because it’s not perfectly top-down, you should be able to get a better view of robots climbing, but I don’t think there would be a good view of the ball intakes and the boilers. It’s still an extra bunch of configuration to stitch two images together and make sure both cameras are working, but I know you can do that in the program we use for the projectors in FIM.
The best solution I can think of with a single camera with the most coverage is top down from the high above the field, but in most arenas that isn’t feasible.
I have a feeling if these are true we won’t see it at West Valley. For whatever reason they seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to streaming and match uploads (both 2015 and 2016 match uploads are out of order, have wrong matches uploaded and have some straight up missing.)
In Georgia we will be using 4 cameras. This might change, but here is the current plan:
Camera 1: Static Overhead, full field. Camera 2: PTZ located on Red Alliance side, focusing on close up shots of shooting, loading stations, and gears. Camera 3: PTZ located on Blue Alliance side, focusing on close up shots of shooting, loading stations, and gears. Camera 4: PTZ located near center field, focusing on wide shots of shooting and climbing.
We will have 2 sperate live streams, stream 1 will be just the overhead camera. Stream 2 will be switching between all 4 cameras. This way the audience can choose which they would want.
From what I hear, UStream is generally used because it doesn’t attempt to monetize, which can be a nono for 501c3s. I’m not clear as to how places like FiM are able to use youtube, to be honest. I imagine FIRST cut some kind of deal with Twitch for champs streams.
Take this from a grain of salt, though. It’s only what I’ve heard through the grapevine.
While this makes sense, I dont think UStream is good for this though. it loves to deafult to best stream Quality without an option to change (last used in march 2016 so this could of changed) which makes it hard when im trying to share this to anyone thats not on an internet connection above 20mb/s, which is most of this region outside of Spokane.
In Georgia we use YouTube. There is no issue with monetization for 501(c)3s, so long that the 501(c)3 is not making a profit off of the monetization (or so I have been told). We have no issues with YouTube.
Youtube works great for us because the video is available to re-watch immediately after the stream ends. We don’t have to do any extra work to have the full event uploaded online.
