Mumbai: Disney Star has announced a slew of technological innovations to enhance IPL 2022 broadcast on the network.
These technologies, adopted across Star Sports network and streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar, have been spearheaded by Disney Star’s R&D arm – Star Lab which develops innovation in emerging technologies.
The broadcaster has brought the immersive sound of Dolby Atmos to fans, unique online voting, and polling platform, enhanced analytics in the commentary box, mixed reality analysis, a behind-the-scenes (BTS) technology venture and the robot assistant ‘Cricko.’ However, only Star Sports1 HD and Star Sports1 Hindi HD will be integrated with the Dolby Atmos experience. “Viewers will experience multidimensional sound with incredible clarity that allows them to hear details never heard before during the live sporting action,” according to the statement.
“Disney Star has been committed to elevating the experience of Tata IPL, bringing millions of viewers closer to the game, the heroes, and the action,” said Disney Star head – sports Sanjog Gupta. “With fans being allowed in the stadium, we wanted viewers to get as close to the real feel of the atmosphere at the venues and this is why we decided to produce the Tata IPL 2022 in Dolby Atmos for the first time. The Star Lab has also enhanced the presentation of the tournament by deploying AR and VR across match coverage and programming initiatives. We will also experiment with the world’s first interactive cricket show in the metaverse, in our ambition of making this the most interactive and immersive season of Tata IPL.”
Online voting and polling platform through megaphone:
Star Sports is introducing a new online voting and polling platform. It will deliver a live and interactive experience that will allow viewers to shape the editorial discourse during shows and build a connection between the opinions of Star Sports’ experts and audiences.
Mixed reality analysis:
Presenters will be able to visualise and interact with data-driven Hawkeye graphics using an MR headset, proprietary technology developed in-house by Star Lab.
Enhanced analytics:
With enhanced analytics in the commentary box, commentators will be teleported from the ground to the studios.
BTS tech venture:
A new BTS tech venture will be the implementation of cloud production. Cloud workflows and distributed production models have been accelerated by the global chip shortage. Eliminating hardware and geographical location dependencies means more resources can be deployed into creating quality content and storytelling and collaboration is accelerated which will result in benefits to the environment by reducing carbon emissions.
Other enhancements include ball-by-ball fielding analysis linked to live on-ground player tracking, enabled within digital twins of stadiums as well as 3D player avatars, virtual multi-screen telestration, and a bespoke virtual studio environment that leverages a stereoscopic talent positional tracking system to create the magical illusion that the graphics are real, 3D physical objects.
The robot assistant ‘Cricko’ is armed with a huge database of IPL facts and figures to ensure analysts are equipped with the most up-to-date and in-depth statistics to share with audiences.
The media company will continue to leverage the power of the unreal gaming engine to create virtual studios and augmented reality graphics. AR graphics will be enabled on drone cameras flying high above the stadium, said the statement.
