Virtual Sets Becoming A Real Option

Since first appearing over a decade ago, virtual sets have improved steadily along with the computing necessary to power them, say vendors and users of the cyber studios.

Vendors at NAB 2010, notably Orad, Vizrt and Chryon, showcased the latest iterations of the technology, presenting more natural on-air looks and promising versatility, reliability and economy.

But while many broadcasters outside the U.S. and new media outlets worldwide have embraced the technology and thrived with it, stateside TV stations remain skeptical.

"It's a very interesting technology and has come a long way in past 10 years," says Sterling Davis, VP of engineering at the Cox Media Group. "Yet, I remain dubious about using it in small TV stations. It is still very pricey, and there's lots of debate on the cost savings over real set.

"Our stations are all using robotic cameras so there's no labor savings with this," he says. "It just doesn't have a very good ROI for us."

With more than 1,000 installs worldwide, Orad may be the virtual set leader. Shaun Dail, the company's VP, sales and marketing, North America, says improved realism is a major reason for the increasing acceptance of the technology.

"We're a long way from the early days in the '90s when virtual sets looked too cartoony. Back then, rendering power was expensive, too -- $500,000 for a single engine."

The systems have also demonstrated that they can save time, space and money, he says.

"Virtual sets allow you to do multiple shows on same stage," he says. "And you can change sets with a press of a button because you don't need time to recalibrate cameras."

Another advantage is the ability to integrate the sets with interactive graphics, says Gerhard Lang, chief engineering officer at Vizrt. "These are tools to enhance storytelling, and they're all nonlinear."

Talent can tell a story in a more natural manner, making a personal connection with audiences, Land says.

Still, the key factor is cost, and virtual sets are competitive, especially for anyone upgrading from SD and HD production, he says.

"Building sets for HD is very costly," Land says. "Minor imperfections become major distractions. Fingerprints stand out. A virtual set is a clean set."

Chyron has gotten into the act through a partnership with NeuroTV, a Belgium graphics and virtual sets supplier. According to NeuroTV's Sebastien Hiernaux, the partnership realizes Chyron's efficiency promise. "Our technology ... provides 5:1 cost savings compared to building HD sets," he says.

Canadian TV network Global TV's experience with Orad's virtual news sets in 14 small markets has been such a success that the network plans to install them in its large markets this fall, says Global's Gerry Belec, director of technology and design.

"We'll be very cautious," he says. "But understand this well now: The technology is rock solid and it never fails. Yes, it has quirks, but it works as advertised."

With Orad, Global has been able to cut costs, while maintaining its "professional look," Belec says. "This has fast become the standard for small markets, and we can't go back," he says. "You need polished productions in these markets. You can't have cheesy sets. You're not just competing against the other locals. You're up against CNN and the Internet."

Anchors and other talent adjust readily to the green-screen environment and robotic cameras, despite time delays in some of the features, according to Belec. "They're fine with it," he says. "Everyone in TV has experience working in front of chroma key. Working with the one-second delay, too, is familiar because everyone knows how to deal with a satellite hit from a timing standpoint."

The technology has helped Global stay ahead of the competition, Belec claims.

"We keep growing out markets," he says. "What's our competitor's response? They spend $20,000 on a 150-inch flat screen. But the real trick is making [the graphics] part of your editorial. If it's not part of the presentation, it is just eye candy.

"Best of all, we take the money that would go into having a traditional set that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and only gets used for an hour a day and put that into newsgathering."

Any broadcaster who hasn't checked out the virtual sets lately should do so, Belec says. "For years, the sets we'd see at NAB were outlandish, taking an outrageous look-what-we-can-do approach."

But that's no longer the case, he says. "We don't want to shock audiences. You need to be cautious and need to fit the news genre and give the audience something they can feel comfortable with."

Tim Saunders, president, Broadcast Design International, a designer and manufacturer of traditional sets, is now also designing virtual sets.

"Some virtual sets are actually hybrids -- a real desk, chairs and coffee mugs that serve as reference points," he says. "We design in 3D modeling programs, so our design process is the same for creating a virtual set as it is for creating a real one."