or be back in the locker rooms interacting with their favourite athletes. They want to do something they’ve never been able to do before, and immersive content enables that in ways we’ve never really seen.” Spacing out Where there’s spatial video, there’s often spatial audio too, and this sonic technique delivers the most immersive sound there is. Created either physically or digitally, spatial audio adds depth and detail to draw the listener in, putting them at the centre of this sensory experience. In live sports, spatial audio is the product of a stadium or arena’s acoustic design – a combination of architecture and audio systems. Most venues are constructed from reflective surfaces such as concrete, plastic or steel, creating reverberation and making it even more difficult to maintain audio clarity across such a large space. If uncovered, environmental conditions can also pose a problem, with wind and humidity known to distort sound. To combat these sonic obstacles, stadiums can optimise their sound coverage with line array systems, directional audio, additional absorptive treatments and simulation software, like EASE (Enhanced Acoustic Simulator for Engineers). The latter tool enables engineers to adjust audio behaviour pre-installation and correct for any architectural or environmental considerations as well. At-home audio is a little different. Thanks to offerings such as Dolby
» The ultimate home run is the ability to capture the full live experience – fans have always wanted to be part of the game, but not everyone can go «
to reconstruct a scene in full 3D as video’, according to Ben Nunez, co-founder and CEO at Evercoast. Nunez’s company specialises in this ‘spatial video’, as he calls it, creating 3D versions of athletes for virtual and live production scenarios. Put simply, “we surround someone, multiple people or a large area with cameras. Using that data, our algorithms can reconstruct all of that, so it gives you fully immersive, spatially aware content,” Nunez explains. “This content can then
be consumed inside a VR headset, used in AR and can also be used by television broadcasters.” It elevates 2D virtual player cards – also known as tombstones – to a new level. While Evercoast currently specialises in the replication of a single athlete, they’re gearing up for full game recreation. “The ultimate home run is the ability to capture the full live experience,” states Nunez. “Fans have always wanted to be part of the game. But not everyone can go to a game, be on the field
ANALYSE THE ACTION Arise’s AI helps sports broadcasters show real-time statistics to audiences at home
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