Live From MLB All-Star 2019: Fox Sports Debuts Virtual Eye Graphics and 4DReplay, Revives DirtCam for the Game Also returning are Skycam, HelmetCam, and in-game miked-up players By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - 3:37 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Coming off massive shows at the U.S. Open, FIFA Women's World Cup, MLB London Series, and Gold Cup, Fox Sports could just maintain the status quo at its MLB All-Star Game production in Cleveland this week. However, in true Fox form, the broadcaster has rolled out its largest and most technology-rich All-Star production ever, including transporting Virtual Eye Graphics from the golf course to the ballpark, deploying 4DReplay for the first time, and reviving the DirtCam after a three-year absence.
MLB All-Star is obviously one of our huge tent poles and one of our favorite events, says Mike Davies, SVP, technical and field operations, Fox Sports. We put all this technology into one event here, but the All-Star Game is, almost by definition, a short game without a lot of time to put all these cool elements in. So, as much as we like to get this technology on TV, the All-Star Game also functions as a very valuable testing ground for this technology in a real-world environment. Then we can have a better gauge whether to use the technology [for MLB Postseason] in October and on other events down the line.
Virtual Eye Shot-Tracking Goes From Tee Box to Diamond
Fox Sports worked with Animation Research Ltd (ARL) to bring the Virtual Eye graphics system that has become a staple of the network's U.S. Open coverage to baseball.
The Virtual Eye was provided with MLB ballpark data to create a 3D virtual representation of Progressive Field and the surrounding area in downtown Cleveland. For the All-Star Game, the system will leverage MLB Statcast tracking data to provide AR graphics that track and compare pitches (for example, fastball vs. curveball), home runs, and other key moments in the game.
We've been working with Virtual Eye for a while,' recounts Brad Cheney, VP, field operations and engineering, Fox Sports. Obviously, they make phenomenal 3D models of golf courses, so we asked them, Could you do this for baseball?' And they said, Sure. If we have the data, we could build the model. Then you can pretty much do anything you want.' The outputs have been pretty stunning so far.
These packages will be provided to the production team to integrate into the telecast as either full-screen or side-slab graphics.
It's a new view on what we can do, because we're no longer limited to a certain way to show a pitch or to show a ball being hit, adds Cheney. We can actually morph it and move with it to [illustrate] how a ball travels - either from the pitcher to the plate or off the bat. We think that there are a lot of opportunities out there to use it; this is really just the tip of the iceberg.
DirtCam: In-Ground System Returns for All-Star
Tonight's All-Star Game will see DirtCam again deployed, with three buried Inertia Unlimited camera systems at home plate, first base, and, for the first time, second base. Previously used at an All-Star Game in 2016, the system - in what Inertia Unlimited President Jeff Silverman refers to as version 1.5 - now features a new prism that dramatically improves the system's picture quality.
The DirtCam is nearly imperceptible with the naked eye.
It's a great shot. It has been something that we've always liked, and we've missed in the last couple of years, but, as imaging technology advanced, we felt that it didn't fit in [the broadcast], says Cheney. Jeff Silverman and the team at Inertia have done a great job rebuilding it and breathing some new life into it. And it looks great so far.
The systems at first and second have full pan-and tilt capability (home plate is a lock-off shot), allowing capture of a variety of angles along the base paths. The system is also entirely wireless, relying on unique underground RF transmitters that cannot be touched once the system is buried.
The only part of the system above ground is the 4-mm prism (with a -mm sapphire window to make it waterproof), which has been painted to perfectly match the color of the Progressive Field infield dirt and is almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
We started testing it in Minnesota with the Twins about four weeks ago, and it's worked great, says Francisco Contreras, director, technical field operations, Fox Sports. MLB has been really great in working with us on DirtCam. The casing is painted brown to match the dirt so you literally can't even see it. We think it will be especially cool to have at second base, and we're hoping to get a great shot of a close tag or a runner being thrown out at second. We have full pan-tilt control at first and second base, so we can get a lot of different shots. We think it's going to get a lot of use.
4DReplay Makes the Jump to the Main Event
After debuting on ESPN's coverage of Home Run Derby during last year's All-Star festivities, 4DReplay will appear tonight in the main-event telecast for the first time.
The 4DReplay system at Progressive Field relies on 60 4K cameras tied together.
The system relies on 60 4K cameras mounted on the concourse level behind home plate and stretching from first to third base. The cameras are tied together, and, for each play, the single operator selects the pivot point on which the camera axis turns. The operator can then manipulate the replay from side to side and can zoom in without losing resolution (thanks to 4K).
Since the 4DReplay system simply stitches together 60 camera feeds and does not have to virtually create filler frames, no rendering is required, allowing clips to be ready in under 10 seconds and sent on to the Fox Sports EVS
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
19/11/2025
Sphere Sound Kicks Up Its Heels at Radio City Music HallUltra-immersive system from the singular Las Vegas venue is also ready for sportsBy Dan Daley, Audio Edi...
19/11/2025
The Future of Stadium and Arena Video Control Rooms: Tech Leaders Talk 4K, IP, a...
19/11/2025
One Year at Intuit Dome: Walking Through the Stunning Arena's Advanced Video...
19/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: IMG's Francois Westcombe Goes Inside IMG's Annual Digital ...
19/11/2025
Inside Brighton & Hove Albion's fan-first media machine By George Bevir
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
Brighton & Hove Albion'...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 1: Kansas Athletics Brings New Production Power to Rebu...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 2: A Pro's Guide to Kansas Athletics' New Video...
19/11/2025
MLB Media Rights Shakeup: NBC Inks Three-Year Deal for Sunday Night Baseball, Pe...
19/11/2025
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade attends the premiere of Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 26, 2025, in Pa...
19/11/2025
Awards season is heating up, and the International Documentary Association just ...
19/11/2025
Aerojet Rocketdyne President Ken Bedingfield and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders were joined by state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking o...
19/11/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
19/11/2025
Calrec gives Phoenix Broadcast Solutions its full support in strategic multi-year enterprise partnership New Singapore OB company invests in Calrec technology f...
19/11/2025
October brings a larger audience in front of TV screens. The cooler autumn weather and the continuation of new programming schedules brought increases in both t...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Vitec has acquired Datapath, a developer of real-time video processing for large-scale video walls, AVoIP content distribution and KVM control in mission-critic...
19/11/2025
NEVADA CITY, Calif. Telestream has introduced ARGUS Version 2.3, which introduces Live Look, a feature that lets operators inspect live and on-demand streams vi...
19/11/2025
STAMFORD, Conn. and NEW YORK Charter Communications, Inc. has announced a major deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that establishes AWS as one of Charters stra...
19/11/2025
TOKYO Atomos has announced a major firmware update that brings integrated camera control to the Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX its new CFexpress-based monitor-recor...
19/11/2025
Berklee's Signature Series Reimagines the Musical and Visual Artistry of Col...
19/11/2025
PlayBox Neo departed the NAB Show New York 2025 on a high note. The company's all-new PlayBox Neo Suite made a splash on the show floor, drawing strong inte...
19/11/2025
AAVBR (American Audio Visual Baton Rouge), a leading full-service event production company serving Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, has enhanced its product...
19/11/2025
In its mission to deliver live event services combining advanced engineering with a creative approach to captivating live sports and entertainment experiences, ...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK Short-form vertical video has exploded across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, but a new survey commissioned by Media.net, a provider of c...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK YES Network, the regional sports network home of the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets, and CAMB.AI have struck a partnership they said will leverage ...
19/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has issued detailed guidance on filings that were disrupted by the government shutdown. While many of those fil...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK The popularity of NFL games is largely responsible for continued seasonal momentum in TV viewership into October (measured Sept. 29-Oct. 26), according...
19/11/2025
DirecTV has announced that its MyFree DirecTV streaming service has added seven new channels. Those include four sports services, NBA FAST, Red Bull TV, DAZN Ri...
19/11/2025
SURREY, U.K. Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has launched Flair Bridge, a compact device that transforms how operators control the company's motion-contr...
19/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission, which is continuing to rapidly ramp up its operations after the end of the federal government shutdown, has se...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Martin Freeman, Jessie Buckley, Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon, Eddie the Eagle and ...
19/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with Broadcom to enable testing and validation of n...
19/11/2025
Back to All News
Innato, starring Imanol Arias and Elena Anaya, arrives on Netf...
19/11/2025
Back to All News
Guillermo del Toro Sits Down With Troll 2 Director Roar Uthaug...
19/11/2025
Some projects feel monumental from the moment the first phone call comes in. When BCE, the host broadcaster appointed to coordinate the national coverage, asked...
19/11/2025
November 19 2025, 08:00 (PST) BAY AREA HOST COMMITTEE AND DOLBY PARTNER TO DELIVER IMMERSIVE FAN EXPERIENCES
During the Week of Football's Biggest Game...
19/11/2025
Michael D. Higgins: Ireland's Ninth President features RT Archives footage and interviews across seven decades
Watch Wednesday 19 November at 9:35pm on RT...
19/11/2025
Scripps Research scientists receive $1.1 million to advance AI modeling for HIV vaccine development New AI system helps scientists rapidly pinpoint the most pro...
18/11/2025
Independent media across Central America are operating under intensifying financial pressure, yet there is a clear appetite for models that can sustain both ind...
18/11/2025
NBA Debuts New Comms Infrastructure and Systems for RefereesTwo-phase rollout is intended to improve game flow, enhance officiating accuracyBy Dan Daley, Audio ...
18/11/2025
Platinum White Paper: How Aggreko Delivers Certainty For Broadcasters On The Wor...
18/11/2025
Kiswe Extends DTC Products With Kiswe Core Cloud-Based Tool for Distributing Con...
18/11/2025
Spanish Basketball Federation partners with ScorePlay to power digital transform...
18/11/2025
HBS selects BBright encoders and decoders to connect ST 2110 live production wor...
18/11/2025
Ashes to Ashes: Inside TNT Sports' hybrid and maverick' production plan...
18/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Mimi Fotopoulos, Director, Talent and Production Operations, Tenn...
18/11/2025
SVG LIVE! Conference Explores the Tech Side of Sports and Entertainment ConvergenceLive sports and music productions increasingly share gear and infrastructureB...
Live From MLB All-Star 2019: Fox Sports Debuts Virtual Eye Graphics and 4DReplay, Revives DirtCam for the Game Also returning are Skycam, HelmetCam, and in-game miked-up players By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
