Logo  DTReplay  Logo

Drastic Technologies Ltd
523 The Queensway, Suite 102
Toronto, ON, M8Y 1J7
Canada
(416) 255 5636
(416) 255 8780
 
(c)opyright 2006-2007, Drastic Technologies Ltd.  All Rights Reserved.

 


Table of Contents


DTReplay

            The Operator/Technician’s Setup

            Connecting the Unit


Operations Overview

            Run DTReplay

            Configuring Event Marks

            Start Recording

            Marking Events

            Replaying Marked Events

            Stopping the Record

            Closing DTReplay


Reference

            The Jog/Shuttle Controller

            The Index Marker Controller

            Main Interface Overview

            Control Surface

            Transport Control/ Display

            Mark Index Display

            Reduced View

            Action Window

            Configure Dialogue Box

            About Screen

DTReplay


DTReplay is a digital sports replay system specifically designed for the highest possible quality instant sports replay and referee analysis.  DTReplay's primary purpose is to record multiple video feeds and camera angles throughout the entire game and provide an absolutely clear video output of any point in the game from any recorded input.  To aid in finding points of interest and analyzing specific events, all four channels are run in perfect sync, so a play watched on the main feed can be instantly viewed from any other feed at the exact same point in time.  Single frames can even be switched between to provide the exact position of player/ball/line/etc at the exact same instant in time.  To further speed the finding of events, the referee or a second person can mark events by pressing a button as the play occurs.  These marks can the be brought up instantly on the video output by the referee from any of the video feeds.

The DTReplay system consists of the following components:

  1. The DTReplay Digital Disk Recorder (3U rack mount)
  2. The video input/output breakout box (1U rack mount rear)
  3. Cables between the rack mount units
  4. Technicians/Operator's monitor (1024x768 LCD)
  5. Referee's monitor (720x486 - within 800x600 LCD)
  6. Video capture monitor (720x486 NTSC, 720x576 PAL)
  7. DVD burner which captures the referees monitor for training purposes
  8. Referee's Jog/Shuttle/Mark controller
  9. Optional secondary mark controller
  10. Optional Jumbotron/ESPN Box/FoxNet capture cabling

The operation of DTReplay is designed to be as simple as possible.  Once the system has been installed in the replay booth, the procedure for running it is as follows:

  1. Power on DTReplay DDR, monitors and DVD capture
  2. Place a new recordable DVD in the DVD recorder
  3. Before the game, press the record button on the DTReplay DDR (the red X) and on the DVD recorder
  4. Wait 5 seconds for records to initiate and press the follow 'Goto Current - #' on the referee's controller
  5. {Enjoy the game, mark events, watch replays}
  6. Stop the DVD recorder, finalize and remove the disk.
  7. Turn off the DTReplay DDR by pressing and releasing the power button quickly
  8. Turn off the monitors, make DVD duplicates, etc

 

The Operator/Technician's Interface Setup


The main DTReplay interface

Connecting the Unit


Front of the DTReplay DDR unit

The DTReplay system is a 3RU rackmount chassis with a 1U breakout box.  There are connections for a keyboard and mouse, which are not absolutely required, but are recommended.  For ease of use, the front of the unit should be accessible.  This provides access to the power button and the front panel controller which includes the record start (the red x).  Once running, it is best to block access to the front panel if possible, to prevent an accidental power down.  The stop function is protected by a secondary key press requirement to prevent accidental stop commands.
 


Rear of the DTReplay DDR Unit
 
The order of connectors from left to right facing the rear of the unit, as pictured above, is:
  1. Main computer connectors (keyboard, mouse, USB, network, etc)
  2. (blank)
  3. Main Monitor (lower), Referee Monitor (upper) & Video Ouput 
  4. (blank) 
  5. (blank)
  6. (blank)
  7. Cameras In, 2 Upper, 2 Lower 
  8. Sony 9 Pin Control (Optional)
  9. Power supply (A/C in)


To begin, connect the keyboard and mouse to the purple and green DIN connectors on the left side of the unit.  Connect the two jog/shuttle controllers to the USB ports under the network RJ-45 port.  Connect the network cable if you are using a network to collect stats.  Connect the primary/technicians/operator's 1024x768 monitor to the lower DVI connector marked VGA (left most, bottom DVI connector above).  If your monitor does not have a DVI connection, use the DVI to 15 pin D-Sub adapter provided to connect to your monitor.

The upper DVI connector on the left (above the primary monitor), requires an adapter cable to split the referee VGA/DVI output and the video output.  The cable is pictured below:


Adapter cable

Plug the male DVI into the lower connector on the output card. Make sure the S-Video/Composite cables are connected to the output cable. The DVI connector on the cable goes to the Referee 800x600 monitor, or if one is not available, the S-Video or Composite can be sent to a video monitor for the Referee. The S-Video or Composite is connected via an RCA->BNC cable to the connector on the breakout box.

The remaining two DVI connectors on the card on the right connect via standard DVI cables to the breakout box. They should be marked as 1&2 and 3&4. The cables and the DVI connectors on the 1RU breakout box will be marked with the same labels. These are straight through cables and should be connected from the card to the breakout box.


Breakout box

To connect the cameras, follow the 'Video #' order specified on the 4 BNC inputs on the left side of the breakout box (above, #1 - #4).  The DVD recorder, and optional referee video monitor, should be connected to the BNC on the right side of the breakout (#5).  If you have S-Video connections, they can be cabled directly to the cable split at the card.

Operations Overview

Once the unit is properly connected and powered on, the software should automatically boot and display the screen above at 1024x768@60Hz. If for any reason the software does not automatically boot, it can be started from the DTReplay icon on the desktop.

Run DTReplay

As soon as the software starts, you should see the input of each of the connected cameras in the monitor above the GUI.  If not, please check the incoming connections.  If they are not visible here, they will not record.

Configuring Event Marks


To replay events, the operator will need to mark the point at which the event starts.  This will allow the system to quickly cue to the event for playback.  The marks used are configured in advance to reflect the common events occurring in the activity the operator is capturing.  In a sports event for example, the operator can set up the marks for specific play elements that occur repeatedly.

Press the Configure button to open the Configure dialog box.

Mark 1 is by default marked N/A, and cannot be changed.  Each time the operator presses Mark 1, a mark will be placed which has a blank in the Mark Type column of the Mark Index Display.  For each subsequent mark, the operator may select the text in the field to the right of the Mark number, and type in a short identifier for the type of event described.  This identifier will be placed in the Mark Type column of the Mark Index Display every time the corresponding button on the Index Marker Controller is pressed.

In the following diagram the operator has set up the marks as follows:


Mark Type 1 - Default
Mark Type 2 - snap
Mark Type 3 - run
Mark Type 4 - throw
Mark Type 5 - end of play

Every time the operator presses the Mark Type 3 button on the Index Marker Controller, the Mark Type column will display "run" for that event mark (along with the time code location of the event start and the time of day the mark was made).

Press Apply to confirm any changes you have made.  Close the Configure dialog box.
.
From this point forward all playback control can be exercised via the Jog/Shuttle Controller described below, using the Index Marker Controller to set marks

Start Recording

To start the game, select the checkboxes next to the active cameras on the left hand side with the mouse ( Cam 01, Cam 02, etc).  The example image (The main DTReplay interface) has 3 cameras selected.  If the system is configured for less than 4 inputs, then some cameras will appear grayed out and will not be selectable.  Press the Record button to start the cameras recording.  Each camera's time code should go green, to indicate it is recording, and the time code itself should start rolling.

Marking Events

At the beginning of each event the operator will want to place a mark to provide quick access for replay.  Once the mark types have been configured, the operator should be made aware of the setup, and the event types that will require a mark to enable quick access for playback.

Each of the buttons on the Index Marker Controller corresponds to a mark type the operator has set up in the Configure dialog box.  Pressing that button will place that mark type in the Mark/ Index Display along with time of day and time code location within the recording at which the mark was made.

The operator may press each of the buttons to confirm their settings, and easily clear the list.  To clear the list, press the Reset button.

Replaying Marked Events

To replay an event, the operator may select the event by scrolling through the list with the Jog/ Shuttle Controller to highlight the event.  Alternately the operator may select the item using the mouse to click on its row in the Mark Index Display.  Once selected, the operator may use the shuttle and transport controls to review the event.

The Jog/ Shuttle Controller offers playback in a number of modes.  The Shuttle Wheel on the controller allows the operator to shuttle through the clip at various speeds to arrive at a good start location for playback.  The Forward Play button allows the operator to play through the selected clip at normal speed.
.
The Transport Controls offered on the Control Surface provide controls analogous to a professional VCR including frame advance or step back, 5 seconds forward or reverse, play forward or reverse fast forward or reverse etc.  These are operated by mouse click and may not be used much once the operator is familiar with the Jog/ Shuttle Controller

Stopping the Record


Once the game has ended, the operator will want to stop the current capture in progress.  Pressing the Stop button does not immediately however stop the recording. Instead the operator is prompted to confirm that they are stopping the recording intentionally.  This feature is intended to prevent accidental stoppage of the recording in progress.

The following prompt is offered:



Press the Yes button to stop the recording.  Otherwise, press No and the recording will continue uninterrupted.

Closing DTReplay

Once the game is over, the operator will want to close DTReplay and pack up the gear.  Pressing the Close button does not immediately however close DTReplay. Instead the operator is prompted to confirm that they are closing the application intentionally.  This feature is intended to prevent the system from being inadvertently shut down.
:
The following prompt is offered


Press the Yes button to close DTReplay.  Otherwise, press No and continue working with DTReplay.

Reference


The Jog/Shuttle Controller

 
Goto camera 2
 
Goto camera 1
 
Reverse Play
 
Fast Rewind
 
Step back #
 
Left side Shuttle Positions
1 Reverse 1.5%
2 Reverse 3%
3 Reverse 8%
4 Reverse 17%
5 Reverse 33%
6 Reverse 50%
7 Reverse 100%
 
Previous Mark
 
Make New Mark
Pause
 
Goto camera 3
 
Goto camera 4
 
Forward Play
 
Fast Forward
 
Step forward #
 
Right side Shuttle Positions
Forward 1.5%
1
Forward 3%
2
Forward 8%
3
Forward 17%
4
Forward 33%
5
Forward 50%
6
Forward 100%
7
 
Next Mark
 
Goto current - # seconds

The Index Marker Controller

 
Type 2 Mark
 
Main Mark
 
Type 3 Mark
 
Type 4 Mark
 
Type 5 Mark
 

Main Interface Overview


The main DTReplay interface
1 Primary (Camera 1) Monitor
2 Camera 2 Monitor
3 Camera 3 Monitor
4 Camera 4 Monitor
5 Control Surface
6 Mark/Index Display

Control Surface


DTReplay Control Surface
1 Camera 1 section Camera 1 enable/disable checkbox, buffer load indicator (meter displayed under Cam 01), (input) status and current record time (record and control status indicated by the background: green when recording, white in stop, gray if not available).
2 Camera 2 section Camera 2 enable/disable checkbox, buffer load indicator (meter displayed under Cam 02), (input) status and current record time (record and control status indicated by the background: green when recording, white in stop, gray if not available).
3 Camera 3 section Camera 3 enable/disable checkbox, buffer load indicator (meter displayed under Cam 03), (input) status and current record time (record and control status indicated by the background: green when recording, white in stop, gray if not available).
4 Camera 4 section Camera 4 enable/disable checkbox, buffer load indicator (meter displayed under Cam 04), (input) status and current record time (record and control status indicated by the background: green when recording, white in stop, gray if not available).
5 Configure button Press to open the Configure window, which allows the operator to set up event marking and actions.
6 Stop E-E button Press to stop all recording channels and force them to e-e.
7 Toggle Record button Toggle between record and not recording - the button displays 'Record (when in stop) and 'Stop (when in record).
8 Buffer Status field Displays playback channel buffer status including a meter in aqua.
9 Time Remaining field Displays the amount of time the operator can record given the drives available to the system and the flavor of video used including a meter in blue.
10 Memory Used field Displays the amount of memory used including a meter in ocher.
11 CPU Usage field Displays the amount of processor usage/load including a meter in green.
12 Transport Controls section Upper section displays the state of the playback channel. Lower section offers transport controls for playback
13 Go To section The field allows the operator to enter a time code location via the keyboard.  Pressing the Go button seeks to that point.
14 From section Displays the start time code location of the recording.
15 Reset button Press to clear the information from the Mark Index Display field, and removes any Go To and From information the operator may have entered.
16 Time of Day field Displays the current time of day based on the internal system clock.  This is the time used to populate the Mark Index Display - Time of Day field.
17 Minimize button Press the Minimize button to enter Reduced View, which reduces the Control Surface and Mark Index Display, allowing the maximum monitor space for the video images.
18 Restart button Press to restart the application.
19 Close button Press to close the application.
20 Camera Selector pulldown menu Use the pulldown menu to select between available cameras for playback.

Transport Control/ Display


1 Transport State field Displays the transport state, or whether the unit is in Play, Pause, Stop etc.
2 Time Code Location field Displays the current time code location.
3 Step forward button Step forward one frame
4 Video Standard field Displays the current video standard being used in the system.
5 Time Code Source field Displays the current time code source (i.e. LTC, CTL, TC etc.)
6 Stop button Stop playback and display e-e, or pass-through video.
7 Fast reverse button Play the video in reverse at a high rate of speed.
8 Step Reverse button Step back one frame.
9 Five Seconds Reverse button Cue to the frame of video five seconds before the present location.
10 Percentage of Play Speed field Displays the percentage of play speed, 100% being normal playback speed.  Reverse speeds are preceded by a minus sign.
11 Inactive button The record button is inactive in this version - to start a record, press the Toggle Record button.
12 Fast Forward button Play the video at a high rate of speed.
13 Inactive button The eject button is inactive in this version - external VTR control is not a feature of DTReplay.
14 Reverse Play button Play the video in reverse, at minus 100 per cent of normal play speed.
15 Pause button Pause at and display the current frame of video.
16 Position Slider section Offers variable speed playback in forward or reverse, depending on how far the slider is “pushed” using the mouse.
17 Play button Play the media forward at 100 per cent of normal play speed.
18 Five Seconds Forward button Cue to the frame of video five seconds ahead of the present location.


Mark/Index Display


DTReplay mark/index display
1 Event Record Time column Event record time is the time indicated at the record channel when the event was made. It is also its position in the playback channel.
2 Time of Day column Time of day displays when the mark was made.  The computer's clock is used for this time source.
3 Event field Each event is listed in sequence in this field.  The Jog/Shuttle Controller, and the mouse and up and down keys allow the operator to select events for playback.  The last mark seek is indicated by the highlight. This is position it will move from when next or previous mark is selected. 
4 Mark Type column Displays the mark type for each marked event - specific mark types are entered during events using the Mark Index Controller.  The mark type settings are accessed through the Configure window.

Reduced View



Pressing the Minimize button puts the interface into Reduced View mode.  In Reduced View, the controls are reduced to a minimum to allow more space for the video frames.


The following controls are offered in Reduced View mode:

1 Action pulldown menu Pressing the Action button displays the Action pulldown window.
2 Maximize button Pressing the Maximize button returns the interface to Main View
3 Toggle View button Toggles between View 1 and View 2.  In View 1, Camera 1 is displayed at full size and Cameras 2 – 4 are displayed at half size.  In View 2, all cameras are displayed at half size. 
4 Toggle Record/ Stop Record button When in Stop, this button displays Rec and pressing it starts the recording.  When in Record, this button displays Stop and pressing it will stop the recording (the operator will be prompted to confirm that they want to stop recording).
5 Record Status field Displays the current time code location of the recording taking place if any.
6 Follow button Pressing the Follow button seeks to a predetermined number of frames prior to the last mark made on the selected channel.  This number is set in the Configure dialog box.
7 Selected Channel field Displays the currently selected channel.
8 Channel Replay Status field Displays the time code location the selected channel is cued to.
9 Mark/ Index row Displays the selected row of the Mark/ Index Display.
10 Time Remaining field Displays the amount of video the operator may expect to be able to record given the amount of drive space available at the current rate of use.
11 CPU Usage field Displays the percentage of CPU usage based on the available resources of the system.
12 Time of Day field Displays the current Time of Day, based on the system's internal clock.

Action window


Press the Action button in Reduced View to display the Action pull-up window.


1 Help Opens the online Help documents, if they have been installed with the system.  Otherwise, the About screen will appear.
2 About Opens the About screen, which offers details regarding the installation and version of DTReplay.
3 Configure Opens the Configure dialog box, which allows the operator to set specific behavior for the system.
4 Close Close the application.  The operator will be prompted to confirm that they really want to close.
5 Auto Hide This will hide the Reduced View Control Surface and permit the video frames of the input cameras to occupy the largest area possible.  Moving the mouse down to this area will restore the Control Surface to view.
6 Return to Full Select to return the interface to the Main View, with more controls displayed and accessible.
7 Action tab Pressing this tab displays or hides the Action pulldown menu.


Configure Dialog Box


1 Setting column The setting to which any changes made by the operator will apply
2 Value column The value entered by the operator (or the given/ existing value)
3 Step Count row Defines the number of frames before or after the current location the system will seek to given a Step Forward # or Step Back # command from the Jog/Shuttle Controller.
4 Follow Time row Defines the amount of frames prior to a marked event the channel will seek to when a operator selects an event to replay.  This gives the operator 4 seconds to react to an event start.
5 Mark Type 1 row Mark Type 1 is set by default and cannot be changed.  Pressing Mark 1 places a mark with a blank Mark Type field in the Mark Index Display section.
6 Mark Type 2 row Select the field to the right of Mark Type 2 and type in the second type of mark used.  This mark will appear in the Mark Index Display when the operator presses Mark 2 on the Index Marker Controller. 
7 Mark Type 3 row Select the field to the right of Mark Type 3 and type in the second type of mark used.  This mark will appear in the Mark Index Display when the operator presses Mark 3 on the Index Marker Controller. 
8 Mark Type 4 row Select the field to the right of Mark Type 4 and type in the second type of mark used.  This mark will appear in the Mark Index Display when the operator presses Mark 4 on the Index Marker Controller. 
9 Mark Type 5 row Select the field to the right of Mark Type 5 and type in the second type of mark used.  This mark will appear in the Mark Index Display when the operator presses Mark 5 on the Index Marker Controller. 
10 Channel pulldown menu Select between available channels using this pulldown menu
11 Apply button Apply any changes made and close this window.
12 Cancel button Cancel any changes made and close this window.

About Screen



The About screen offers details regarding the version of DTReplay, settings relating to the system itself and hardware installed in the system.

Keyboard Commands


Normally the playback channel is controlled by the Jog/Shuttle controller.  If one is not available, it can also be controlled via the PC keyboard.


<F1> Help
<Q> Record (crash record)
<8>, <w>, Num<8> Preview from in to out 
<v>, <k>, Num<.> Pause
</>, <V>, <+> Stop (pass through, e to e)
<c>, <l> Play (forward at normal speed 100%)
Shift<C> Play double speed (200%)
<b>, <j> Play reverse (-100%)
<z> Fast rewind
<x> Fast forward
<}>, Num<2>, Shift<L> Step forward 1 frame
Ctrl <L> Step forward 1 field
<{>, Num<8>, Shift<J> Step backward 1 frame
Ctrl <J> Step backwards 1 field
<[>, Shift<X> Step forward # (def 5) seconds
<]>, Shift<Z> Step backward # (def 5) seconds
<h>, Num<3>, Arrow<Right> Shuttle forward faster
<g>, Num<1>, Arrow<Left> Shuttle backward faster
Shift<H>, ShiftArrow<Right> Fine shuttle up 
Shift<G>, ShiftArrow<Left> Fine shuttle down
<'>, Shift<B> Return to 0 or start
<\>. Shift<T> Loop
<m>, Num<4> Mark in point at current location
<<>, Shift<M>, Num<6> Mark out point at current location
<Home>, Num<5> Go to in point
<End>, ShiftNum<5> Go to out point
<y> Toggle video edit on/off
<u> Toggle audio 1 edit on/off
<i> Toggle audio 2 edit on/off
<o> Toggle audio 3 edit on/off
<p> Toggle audio 4 edit on/off
Ctrl<O> Eject
Ctrl<Q> Quit
Ctrl Alt <F1> Select Camera 1
Ctrl Alt <F2> Select Camera 2
Ctrl Alt <F3> Select Camera 3
Ctrl Alt <F4> Select Camera 4
Ctrl Alt <E> Jump # (def 4) seconds back from current record point
<m> Make a new mark at the current record point
<n>, Arrow<Up> Go to the previous mark
<N>, Arrow<Down> Go to the next mark