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Ultimate Gamer captures live esports highlights with AJA Ki Pro GO
ooking to overhaul the traditional esports tournament format – which typically sticks to a single game or genre – live
Facebook and Periscope. Footage was recorded in real time to USB drives as high- quality H.264 files using the Ki Pro GO and passed on to the editorial team throughout the event. Editorial used the files to cut replays and highlights for inclusion into the stream. All recordings were archived and will be used to create original programming that Ultimate Gamer is developing for broadcast and OTT providers. Developed by CineSys-Oceana’s technical specialist Javier Mendez, Ultimate Gamer ’s workflow included three Sony cameras for acquisition (two on jibs and one over the shoulder), which captured footage of the players and tournament hosts on-site. Each player ’s gameplay feed, whether via Sony PlayStation or Nintendo Switch, was frame-synchronised using AJA FS-Mini Mini-Converters and integrated into the feed for live switching after being converted from HDMI to SDI. A first-person view, shot via a webcam from each player ’s computer, was transported via NDI for integration into the feed as well. Ki Pro GO recorded all three camera feeds and the 1080p HD gameplay feed directly from a Newtek Tricaster video production system. “Recording each feed directly to USB media with Ki Pro GO is so convenient. We can quickly hand off the drives to our editors, who are mostly freelance and working from a laptop, and they can get to work right away with high-quality files in their NLE of choice, whether Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro. Within an hour, we’re able to fold match replays or highlights into the stream,” says Mendez. “Being able to control and configure the device from a web browser is also huge, and with the new 10-bit support in the latest
WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT WE’RE CAPTURING HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO firmware release, we can be confident that every time we’re capturing high-quality video with no risk of downtime.” The latest firmware release for the Ki Pro GO offers enhancements for improved H.264 recording quality and reliability, in addition to new expanded time code capabilities, enhanced super out and front panel audio monitoring, in-system formatting and network file download. Ki Pro GO v2.0 increases maximum bit rate to 25mbps, adds 10-bit and 4:2:2 colour space options, and expands time code capabilities with new LTC available on one of the analogue audio inputs. Underlining the importance of finding new ways to connect the gaming community during the Covid-19 pandemic, Suarez concludes: “Video gaming brings people together and often provides a much-needed distraction from the real world. With Ki Pro GO, we’re able to capture our tournaments and deliver high-quality video content to our global audience. It’s truly a reliable plug-and-play solution, so we never have to worry about technical issues, and we’ve received positive feedback from the
veteran event producer and Black Stage Productions founder, Steve Suarez, created the cross-genre gaming championship, Ultimate Gamer. The series challenges gamers around the world to compete in four different genres, including multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), battle royale games, first-person shooters and fighters for the chance to be crowned Ultimate Gamer. For its first-ever Valorant LAN tournament, which took place over the course of three days this summer in Miami, Suarez and his team livestreamed all of the action to fans worldwide via social media platforms. Using an AJA Ki Pro GO multichannel H.264 recorder provided by CineSys-Oceana, they also captured highlight footage for integration into the three-day stream. The Ki Pro GO offers up to four channels of simultaneous HD and SD recording to off-the-shelf USB drives with redundant recording capabilities. The ability to livestream the event was paramount to its success, allowing Ultimate Gamer to limit the number of people on-site in Miami and practise safe social distancing while still reaching its international fan community. By the end of the event, the team had streamed more than 30 hours of gaming from ten players to Twitch, YouTube,
entire production crew and editorial team.”
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