MARSHALL’S POV CAMERAS PROVIDE A NEW VIEW INTO HARVARD SPORTS
The High-Quality, Compact Cameras Provide Alternative Means of Capturing Tough-to-Film Action Shots
While Harvard University sports fans may not have noticed Marshall Electronics’ POV cameras during its teams’ last home game, they’ve certainly seen exciting footage that the subtly positioned cameras have captured of crucial layups and game-winning goals. Harvard Athletics has leveraged Marshall’s POV cameras to ensure its broadcasts capture the exhilaration and intricacies of Ivy League Network events, ranging from ice hockey, to basketball to an array of water sports such as water polo, swimming and diving.
The university recognizes that Marshall’s cameras guarantee hassle-free video clarity and broadcast efficiency, whether they’re setup on the ice, on the court or underwater. According to Imry Halevi, director of multimedia & production for Harvard Athletics, the field-of-view flexibility of interchangeable CS/C mount varifocal lenses with a combination of Marshall’s CV-line ProSeries HD Cameras prove particularly helpful.
“With quality broadcast-level cameras becoming more affordable, we have limitless opportunities to expand the scope of our broadcasts, without exponentially expanding our budget,” says Halevi. “That’s where the Marshall cameras have been so helpful. Instead of utilizing expensive solutions to place cameras behind the backboard, inside hockey penalty boxes and underwater, we can use these small and very easy to set up cameras, and not have to worry about training our crew in using new gear. It really helps set broadcasts apart when viewers can see angles they don’t expect.”
Harvard’s reliance on multiple Marshall cameras speaks to the versatility of the company’s POV camera series. Marshall’s 3rd Gen CV343-CSB/CS enhances video performance at the university’s home ice hockey games, due largely to the camera’s state-of-the-art, 1/3-inch, high-speed sensor packing 2,476,296 pixels (2.5 Megapixels) of clear, crisp video capture through full-sized 3G/HD-SDI (BNC) outputs. New proprietary pixel technology offers the lowest noise ratio on the market today capturing sharp, vivid color images in very low-light conditions, as low as 0.05 lux. This has proved useful for capturing the numerous components of the ice rink, aptly adjusting to film commentators in the booth, players in the penalty box, behind-the-net shots and other POV needs.
Marshall’s CV502-WPMB/WPM further proves the company’s eye for niche customer needs, allowing Harvard to fulfill its underwater broadcast needs by encasing a CV502-MB/M camera in a weatherproof IP67-rated housing unit. The apparatus delivers the same superior video qualities of a Marshall camera while withstanding any outdoor application where Mother Nature has an influence. The CV502-WPMB/WPM is the latest addition to Harvard’s broadcast technology arsenal and has been used to provide a live, underwater view of the action during water polo, swimming and diving broadcasts. With the application of custom, adjustable mounts, these cameras can be affixed to any section of the pool to capture complex angles and secure footage of key athletic performances.
“We’ve tried using other cameras for live underwater shots, but the lack of SDI output really limited what we could do,” says Halevi. “The CV502-WPMB fits our needs exactly. We use a couple of Manfrotto arms to connect the camera to a pole on the pool deck, and then put it in the water next to one of the water polo goals. The underwater camera provided a great shot for graphics overlay and during breaks.”
The benefit of versatility afforded by Marshall’s cameras has also allowed Harvard to enhance its broadcasts from the basketball court. The university uses CV502-M cameras for behind-the-backboard shots and other POV locations where space is limited, as well as for wide-angle locked-down shots during basketball broadcasts. The intersection of quality, affordability and ease-of-use in a compact camera allows the university to seamlessly integrate these types of shots into its broadcasts and produce the most dynamic, high-quality sports programming possible.
