APS Provides HDTV Graphics for Seattle Seahawks First Live Local HDTV Broadcast in 1999

APS Provides HDTV Graphics to the Seattle Seahawks Preseason Game Televised in HDTV


Seattle, Washington--In August 1999, the Seattle Seahawks and public broadcaster KING-TV Channel 5 made television history by producing and televising the first live local sporting event in HDTV, with significant creative and technical support by premiere HDTV production and post production facility, APS (American Production Services).

Using HD-2, a HDTV mobile unit from National Mobile Television, the Seahawks production simulcasted a 1080-interlaced HDTV signal and a "letterboxed" 16:9 NTSC signal. APS designed a single on-air graphics package that could serve the needs of both the HDTV and NTSC broadcasts.

"This innovative production approach-simulcasting from a single truck with a single graphics package--made the multi-standard telecast cost-effective without compromising the television viewing experience. But this approach also presented logistically complex technical challenges that pushed the envelope on live HDTV production," says Eric Denke, vice president of operations for APS.

During the live broadcast, NTSC graphics were up-converted to HDTV and keyed over live HDTV camera shots. Then, one HDTV output went directly to air, while the other was down-converted to 16:9 NTSC, with an additional graphical element downstream-keyed into the borders of the letterboxed program.

"We made the decision early on to simulcast a 525 down-converted HD signal letterboxed as our ënormalí broadcast. This allowed our production team to produce the game maximizing the wide aspect ratio of HDTV without having to consider edge-crop framing issues, with regards to the graphics on the 525 version," says Mike Wacker, Director of Broadcasting for the Seattle Seahawks, based in Kirkland, Washington.

Like any NFL telecast, the Seattle Seahawks versus Buffalo Bills preseason game, held at the Kingdome in Seattle, on August 14, 1999, required hundreds of on-air graphics. APS Graphics Designer Sherri Scott used the Quantel Hal graphics system to design and edit an extensive package consisting of hundreds of full-screen and lower-third supers, complete with player and coach headshots, team logos, and statistics.

"By making sure that nothing was ëbleeding off the NTSC page," I was able to design a single graphics package that would work well in either NTSC or HDTV. If images trail off the NTSC screen, they appear to be abruptly cut off in the HDTV version." Since the live NTSC graphics were letterboxed, there was no concern for losing the sides of the HDTV picture. In the borders of the letterboxed picture, a Chyron 'NFiN'T! character generator was used to key a special phone number that fans could call to channel their team spirit into season tickets.
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"HDTV and its continued development in broadcasting and the marketplace are of critical importance to team owner Paul Allen. This is evident by the fact that our HDTV preseason game was the fourth HDTV production by an Allen-owned sports team this year,î says Wacker. The Portland Trail Blazers also owned by Paul Allen, was the first NBA team to produce a local basketball game (against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 5, 1999 from The Rose Garden, in Portland) in HDTV. Prior to that, the Seahawks also televised ìSeahawks Sunday,"a magazine style ""99 Kickoff Special," in HDTV, on January 30, 1999.

In all of these HDTV productions, APS Seattle played a key role, supplying the cutting edge talent and equipment necessary to make each endeavor a reality. APS Seattle, and the new APS-LA facility, in Los Angeles, both have state-of-the-art Sony HD systems, including the HDS-7000 3 M/E production switcher with two frame stores and primary and secondary color correction; the Sony HDME-7000 two-channel digital video effects system; four HDW-500-F video tape machines; a complement of HD monitors, and two 1080p/24 cameras with filmic lenses, matte boxes, and remote focusing systems. And both locations have plans to upgrade their HD edit suites to the highest HD standard available--1080p/24, with 1080 lines of resolution, 24 frames per second, and progressive scanówhich offers many of the appealing attributes of film.

"APS has proven to be an invaluable resource for each of our HDTV efforts thus far,î says Wacker. "They have provided us with the technical expertise and resources necessary to produce successfully in the HDTV format.î

APS has a website at www.apsnw.com. APS Seattle is located at 2247 15th Avenue West, in Seattle, Washington, 98119 (Phone: 206-282-1776; Fax: 206-282-3535.) APS-LA is located at 11755 Victory Blvd., in North Hollywood, California, 91606 (818-769-1776; Fax: 818-769-9787)Ö five minutes from the Burbank Airport and Universal Studios.

APS supports the community website http://www.highdef.org