"Focus" Virtual Studios - Overview

We present "Focus" virtual studios, a unique Russian world-class tool based on combining virtual sets with any video images of live actors and computer characters.
Sooner or later, any TV studio will have in the armory such virtual 3D tools as the most flexible and effective means to create practically any type of television program.

"Focus" is the first revolutionary solution on the world market to break price and technology barriers. What remains is only placement of personnel and organization of production, where we provide maximum assistance through consultations and technical support service lines.

• Creating television production: any news and weather forecasts, entertainment and information programs, TV shops and auctions - substantially reduced expenses, high-quality production, the ability to use non-traditional computer video technologies.
• Cable and internet TV studios - the most large-scale abilities of broadcast design and operatively creating professional-quality programs at a moderate price.
• Creating a wide range of video production (video clips, commercials, etc.) - limitless possibilities of creating real-time special effects in the process of interactive shooting.
• Educational and corporate television - the ability to create teaching and demonstration materials and programs, organizing local broadcasting on a before inaccessible level at quite a moderate price.

A Whole Studio on One Computer. The "Focus" system includes all the necessary computer equipment to build a virtual studio. It remains for you to connect video cameras and microphones to the studio inputs and appropriate screen monitors and recording equipment - to the outputs. Modules of time correction, color keying, video processing and mixing signals, sound delay - all is included in the equipment on the same computer!

All standards: from amateur to professional. The prices are very moderate, and still "Focus" allows processing video signals of various types, from S-video to HD SDI. Meanwhile, the number of the input channels with independent chromakey is easily increased, and time-base correction (TBC) allows using nonsynchronous video sources. Even the minimal configuration includes two independent input channels. A unique real-time chromakey module included in all configurations allows to qualitatively process thin and semitransparent objects. The module is specially adapted to the possibility of using degraded sources or nonprofessional equipment.

Cardinal reduction in the expenditure for studio equipment. Owing to the unique technologies applied, you can achieve quite good results even when using the simplest studio equipment - static nonprofessional light, stationary cameras, painted backcloth - the minimum possible level of initial costs is about $400. Of course, to achieve the highest level of performance when working with shadows, semitransparent objects, smoke, etc., you will have to use professional sets of studio equipment. Typical virtual studios use tracking systems worth about $40.000 per a camera channel. "Focus" allows you to use an unlimited number of virtual cameras in the scene, which can move within the scene changing the focus, the real camera remaining motionless. All this allows you to significantly reduce the working area of the film studio, the amount of scenery, the staff expenses.

Provides the widest range of possibilities for creating 3D scenes and special effects. The system realizes the abilities of the 3D graphics program 3D Studio Max. Using video streams as textures (materials) allows you to overlay video (previously recorded AVI files and directly processed live video) on objects of any form. Moreover, the objects can be animated, subjected to morphing, illuminated from beneath or behind, etc. In extended configurations, it is possible to use several independent video streams (from cameras and video files) simultaneously.

Quick results in a short period of time. The system is delivered as a turnkey solution. It only remains to perform the required commutation according to the current settings, automatic chromakey setting being done with a button click. The real-time operation is completely interactive and can be controlled by one operator, who is not required to be an experienced engineer or designer. Any objects (including virtual cameras) and scene parameters can be controlled automatically, with the ability to interact with video servers, titling equipment, and other external equipment by the common scenario or interactively, with the keyboard, mouse, joystick, etc. The designers' basic tools are well established and widespread packages (3D MAX, Photoshop, etc.).

Multifunctional system. "Focus" can be used not only as a virtual studio, but also as a live broadcast design system using real-time 3D graphics - that is animated computer characters, virtual plasma display panels, business graphics, complex titles, and then some. "Focus" may play the role of a computer-based multichannel mixer as well.

System with rich possibilities of enhancement and development. "Focus" is easily integrated with the available equipment. Broadcast mixers, titling equipment, video servers, encoders (in particular, DCS series of DVL, Forward, FD1000, MV401, etc.) mutual control protocols are available. It is possible to connect various control devices: side-mounted keyboards, touchscreens, virtual gloves, mouses, camera tracking systems, robotized cameras. Interfaces for displaying dynamic information such as telephone poll, temperature, time, etc. are available.