NFL Media s Scouting Combine Production Bigger an Ever in Indy

The NFL Network utilizes RCS and Viz Engine to create virtual 100-yard cut time graphics and interactive touch-screen graphics.

The following is an excerpt of the article originally published by SVG.

40-Yard Dash: RailCam Audition, 10-Yard-Cut-Time GraphicAlthough it will not make its way into the coverage this year, Shaw and company will demo the first-ever use of a RailCam system to cover the 40-yard dash.

It won't be available yet this year. We are setting up a test for the Combine and NFL people to see in hopes of expanding the coverage of the 40 yard-dash, says Shaw. There are some real logistics concerns with adding a RailCam and the interruption it might have on the athletes, coaches, and timing people. We can't interfere in any way. But we are going to try to demo it and if it works hopefully we will have it for the future.

One element that will make its debut on air this year during the 40-yard dash coverage will be a virtual 10-yard cut time graphic. The RCS Vizrt graphics generator will take in the data output from the tracking system supplied by the NFL Combine staff and create a virtual graphic displaying each player's 10-yard cut time.

It's important, especially for running backs and linemen, to see how quick they get off and what their burst is in the first 10 yards, says Shaw. Even though it's not official - we will still get the official time after - we have never gotten to see that graphically before so we're very excited about it.

Back for seventh year at the Combine, Sportvision's Simulcam technology applies background-recognition and camera-matching technology to overlay the image of one prospect's dash on top of another (as well as host Rich Eisen's annual 40-yard dash in his suit and Under Armour shoes). This provides the viewer with an in-depth visual comparison of the athletes competing.

Touch Screens Added to the MixNFL Network's main set will once again be located on the plaza level and, for the first time feature an 82-inch touch screen powered by Reality Check Systems (RCS) and Vizrt graphics software.

NFL Network will also utilize a new RCS system to determine how draft prospects measure up against established NFL players and display the results graphically. NFL Media and RCS developed a workflow for transforming player attributes and performance data into comparative analytics graphics that illustrate which NFL players most closely resemble draft players - from physical characteristics to performance. Through a unique algorithm, NFL Media's coverage of the Combine will generate the NFL player with the statistics that best match the prospect and then display the results as graphics.

Read the full article at sportsvideo.org.

LINK:	http://www.vizrt.com/news/newsgrid/44185/NFL_Media's_Scouting_Comb...
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