Piero uses image recognition and state-of-the-art graphic overlays to augment sports content.
Ross has updated its sports graphics analysis platform Piero with a series of feature enhancements – including a new ‘Down and Distance’ feature for American Football (pictured above) – and additional support for 4K UHD and HDR workflows.
The new features in the upgrade – which is now version 16 of Piero – include new graphical arrow shapes; a Filter effect that enables parts of the playing field, pitch or court to be blurred or darkened to focus attention on a specific zone; Magnifier backgrounds to enable specific zones or players to be highlighted; and monochrome and blur backgrounds to add more dynamism to the analysis of a passage of play or event.
There’s also a new Range effect that makes it possible for operators to count up or down a number range and link to an effect with a measurement component, such as the Track. The update also enhances the Virtual Presenter feature, which is now easier to set up, enabling presenters to be inserted into either a real or virtual scene in Piero with dynamic shadows.
Piero was acquired by Ross Video in February 2019. The tool is used by broadcasters worldwide, as well as professional sports clubs, for coaching and professional development.
Vincent Noyer, director of sports analysis at Ross, said. “We’ve worked very hard to increase the number of visual effects available to our customers in order to give them more options and help make their analysis content even more engaging.”