FFV’s Recon Scores Touchdown

Advanced DVR Technology Used in Sports Replay System

In the world of sports, performance counts. The same can be said of sports broadcasters and the equipment they rely on to deliver fast replays. For the past 15 years, BUF Technology has provided this reliability with control systems developed for broadcast and professional VTRs, DDRs, video servers, and routing switchers.

In 1999 BUF designed the "FORCE" control system used by the National Football League for officiating reviews. Seven years later, this system is still used in every football stadium. Since the product was first introduced, BUF has taken the technology of "FORCE" one step further, with the help of FFV’s Recon™ DVR, and created the "Sport" replay system.

When BUF engineers heard about the Recon, they realized it would give them the ability to develop a complete replay system within a very compact package, providing higher performance and savings to the customer. "Recon gave us the necessary recording and playback quality in a small space at less cost," says Bruce Brendon, president of BUF Technology. "Its compact size gave us the ability to build a disc recorder into the control panel."

In addition to high-performance recording and playback, BUF also wanted the new control panel to be easy to use. By incorporating the needs of a diverse group ranging from novice users to professionals, BUF began developing a set of operational characteristics that not only make sense to the novice, but also give the power and speed needed by the professional. The result was the "Sport" replay system.

The Recon has several features that make it a good choice for the "Sport." First is the Recon’s compact size, which allows the hard-disk recorder to be built into the control panel, eliminating the need for an additional unit on the rack. This allows for playback and recording of tapes and discs from one location. Second, the Recon has a choice of either pre-assigned GPI inputs or an extensive menu of control and configuration options. Third, it also provides 720 x 486 image pixel resolution and uses integrated motion JPEG.

Motion JPEG is an important feature for BUF, as "Sport" is used in slow motion applications. "Recon uses motion JPEG (interframe compression), which provides discrete access to each frame," explains Brendon. "Unlike MPEG (intraframe compression), which uses the difference between frames as a compression technique and does not keep every frame whole, motion JPEG applies the original still-frame compression technique to each frame, delivering exceptional picture quality."

Powered by Recon, the "Sport" replay system has become a valuable tool in sports broadcasting. Highlight reels are created quickly and effortlessly due to fast playlist creation and playback, and operators have exceptional control over the picture motion with a rate of 60 fields per second. "Sport" has a fast and intuitive operator interface that includes 1,000 instant cue points. These cue point shortcuts call up designated replays with one button push.

The "Sport" replay system has been a very successful and reliable product for BUF. "We have received many comments on its high performance and ease of use," explains Brendon. "Broadcasting students find the device easy to work with and are able to produce professional replays at their first game. Without Recon in the mix, this would not have been possible."