05/10/24
June 15, 2004
BBC Virtual Replay. (Shockwave reqd.): Euro 2004 match highlights that you can view from multiple angles (ball cam, left, right, overhead, behind goal, centerline, flying cam, default "TV" view), all rendered using some soccer video game engine, I'm guessing. Very cool, low-bandwidth way for BBC to provide this almost-there experience, with a high level of user control. I'm wondering, tho, how they got the raw data for the plays in the first place. Did someone have to create each replay? Or (this would be more cool and efficient) are there RFID/GPS tags embedded in the player's clothes as well as in the ball and does the imagery get generated on-the-fly? Anyone have more info on the company (LifeInMedia?) and the production tech and processes behind this?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:36 PM - 10 comments
that is SO COOL! Now if only they could put the video on their site...
posted by sauril at 04:47 PM on June 15, 2004
They do have the video (click the VIDEO Buttons in the top left), but the quality is just awful.
posted by worldcup2002 at 04:54 PM on June 15, 2004
video isn't so bad at 200% (i think the 100% sized video is actually normal size video displayed at 50%). when unembedded from the player and played with WMP the video is decent (that's what I use, can't speak for real player). heck, it is better than the idea of paying for crappy quality online video highlights (which always seems to be a threat).
posted by gspm at 05:26 PM on June 15, 2004
Of course, I meant, top right but you already knew that. Man, I am so lame. The video was really crap for me (I used WMP, too), lots of artifacts even at 200%, too bright, plus high-pitched background audio, all contributing to a useless experience.
posted by worldcup2002 at 06:00 PM on June 15, 2004
Doesn't work on linux.
posted by salmacis at 06:08 PM on June 15, 2004
I can't get it to work for me either. I don't know if my firewall, MyIE2, Google Task Bar or router is causing a problem, but it just don't work.
posted by grum@work at 08:54 PM on June 15, 2004
No thanks... Shockwave and Flash would be cool if advertisers didn't decide to use it... I'm not installing it.
posted by StarFucker at 11:35 PM on June 15, 2004
That Popular Mechanics thing was like stepping into a parallel universe where things weren't quite the same: "The referee, who was unsided, asks the linesman to make the call." I don't recall the referee being 2 dimensional. "Some fans are coming on the pitch, they think it's all over!" No one was performing any kind of sexual act on the playing surface. The commentator actually said, "Some... people are on the pitch, they think it's all over!" ""It is now over," adds the announcer–a timeless British sports quote." That's not a timeless British sports quote, that's a load of old tosh is what that is - what was actually said was, "It is now! That's four!" "The British, however, were sure of their triumph." "The English..." surely. [/pedantry] American Guy: Hey! You British? You British? Eddie Izzard: Uh...yes... American Guy: C'mere....I want you....to talk British, to my kids. Eddie Izzard: ....what? American Guy: Talk British to my kids. Eddie Izzard: No...I'm not going to talk British to your kids...it's ENGLISH!
posted by JJ at 04:55 AM on June 16, 2004
it worked for me, (had to wait until i left the confines of corporate firewalldom) and man was it worth it....it's almost better than real footage, with all the angle and perspective options....way cool.
posted by garfield at 12:30 PM on June 16, 2004
I wonder if this 1998 (!) Popular Mechanics article explains it all.