Chyron brings colour to Kuwaiti games

DEMCO empowered the 18th edition of the Crown Prince Cup, a season-concluding tournament featuring teams from the Kuwaiti Premier League and the Kuwaiti Division One League with graphics created using the HyperX3 live graphics playout system. BroadcastPro reports

IT consulting company DEMCO, has been providing the graphics for the Crown Prince Cup in Kuwait for three years. This year it leveraged the full power of its HyperX3 live graphics playout system to add sophisticated audio and visual impact to each match.

Including the final on December 27, which was broadcast live across five countries via Kuwait TV, Al Watan TV, Jazeera Sports and Abu Dhabi Sports, DEMCO provided graphics package design and playout services for all of the 2011 tournament matches.

Specialising in virtual graphics for on-field advertising, production of graphics packages and promotions, and on-air graphics playout for telecasts of high-profile sports events and tournaments, the company is run by IT consultant Khaled Ahmed Juma and his twin and IT manager Majed Ahmed Juma. The DEMCO brothers have built their live graphics playout services on the Chyron platform, and have extended their capabilities on the HyperX system through their own experience, with ongoing support from Chyron support services.

The HyperX3 and its integrated Lyric PRO creation and playback software give DEMCO a wide range of live broadcast graphics tools for tasks ranging

from template creation and fulfillment to advanced 3D animation.

DEMCO claims that graphics that would have taken weeks to create in other software systems were much simpler for its graphics staff to create with the Chyron platform. Once DEMCO had consulted with its client to outline the look and feel of the tournament broadcast, it took just three days for the team to create the 2011 graphics package including the Crown Prince Cup theme and logos. The ease and speed of graphics creation, in turn, allowed

DEMCO to take more graphics live to air in a richer, more dynamic match broadcast.

During the Crown Prince Cup, Chyron systems were used for all match broadcasts to display graphics for team line-ups, substitutes, red and yellow cards given for fouls, and even the weather report, as well as numerous match statistics, such as possession time, shots on goal, number of corner kicks taken, and passes between players. Many of these graphics featured 3D objects, both created within Lyric PRO software and imported from 3ds Max. The HyperX3 system’s processing power ensured smooth, crisp playout of these graphics during live match play.

“The HyperX3 is a flexible and powerful system that makes it easy for us to create our own graphics using 3D objects; in just a few minutes, we can create any graphic, which then can be animated in a timeline” claims Khaled Ahmed Juma.

“We feel that anyone with basic graphics experience can use templates within Chyron systems to get graphics live on air. It’s helpful that just one user can operate the system very easily, but the greatest benefit is that we can use the HyperX3 for all kinds of events.”

The Chyron system’s template-based text and graphics make it easy for DEMCO operators to access instant updates from data feeds and Excel databases. When the system is connected to a constantly updated Excel database, managed locally or remotely, a single Chyron operator can retrieve the latest statistics and display them on air. The HyperX3’s text-rendering engines support on-the-fly use of both English and Arabic fonts.

New for this year was DEMCO’s addition of audio to its replay and transition effects. Combined with high quality video of the event, the updated statistics, high-impact 3D animations, and synchronised sound effects delivered via the HyperX3 made the Crown Prince Cup engaging for viewers.

 “With the capabilities of these systems, we’ve been able to establish a reputation for providing the latest and greatest live graphics for sports broadcasts and other fast-paced and dynamic events,” adds Khaled.