SightDeck’s goal: deliver green screen-inspired technology to commercial vertical markets, assisting in distance learning, sales pitches, and other related applications. One presenter stands in a Los Angeles office interfacing with the background image projected behind her. The other presenter stands right next to her, working in tandem with the background image, but is physically based in Ohio. Welcome to SightDeck, where Hollywood’s green screen technology meets corporate and educational applications.
Since 1976, Ultimatte has proven itself a leader in green screen compositing technology designed for television and motion picture applications. Ten years ago, Ultimatte began to develop a similar technology without the green screen for corporate, presentation and educational applications. SightDeck’s goal was simple: deliver green screen-inspired technology to the corporate world, assisting in distance learning, sales pitches and other related applications.
To achieve this and create a solid, plug-and play-package, Ultimatte reps said that they turned to Gefen for digital signal management solutions that would prove to be extremely reliable in the field.
“We saw nearly unlimited applications because SightDeck works exceedingly well with projected images and we already had the masking technologies of green screens,” said Lynne Sauve, president, Ultimatte. “We knew that to be successful in these markets, SightDeck had to be easy to use, and we envisioned an absolutely plug and play system with a little help from Gefen.”
That goal has already been achieved. Demonstrated at the 2014 NAB show, SightDeck creates a mask of the presenter(s) in real time and enables complete interactivity with background graphics, created beforehand. SightDeck is essentially a hardware system, including a screen, camera, projector, and server card backed by some Gefen signal management hardware to enable seamless connectivity.
When two or more SightDecks are combined in tandem, you can double your imagery with two simultaneous outputs. Your colleague in Maine can present in realtime, right alongside you. Presenters can see each other and they can reference each other. In this way, SightDeck believes that it enables the creation of panel discussions with people located all over the world, looking as if they are all in the same room.
SightDecks’ HD camera supports two images: the masked presenter(s) and the projected background graphics. It will work with most projectors provided they have less than three-frame delay and minimal thermal drift. This ensures the real-time seamlessness of the presentation. It supports touch screen technology so the presenters are able to manipulate and interact with the projected content and other presenter’s personal movements in a seamless fashion.
With touch screen technology applied to the projected background image, the presenter can control, edit, change, or add any content being projected. All content can be simultaneously output in HD, streamed live, and recorded with a first-generation quality output.
Editing tools on the GUI can appear projected on the background image or hidden from everyone but the presenter. Everything is user controlled.
BUILT-IN CODEC
A videoconferencing codec is also built into the system ,so someone can dial in and be heard as well as seen by the presenter or by everyone participating. The system is interactive and contains multilayered transparencies to bring people into the picture, visually dissect issues, collaborate, and problem solve. Content is output as 720p/60 HDSDI and SightDeck includes two Gefen Scalers to support the 720p output, because most sources and projectors have different resolutions.
KEY ELEMENTS / / / FOR THE END-USER
EASE -OF-USE: The presenter can control, edit, change, or add any content being projected. All content can be simultaneously output in HD, streamed live, and recorded with a first-generation output.
GUI: Editing tools on the GUI can appear projected on the background image or hidden from everyone but the presenter. Everything is user controlled.
info
GEFEN
www.gefen.com
ULTIMATTE CORP
www.ultimatte.com
