Super Bowl weekend here in the US.

Sure, the game is cool, but we’re all tech nerds here, so we’re all equally (or more?) interested in the broadcast infrastructure behind the game, innovative tech on how people are watching the game (which is our main story today), and…the ads.

Looks like this year might be looking like 2022’s Crypto Bowl…but for AI.

OpenAI is reportedly running its first-ever commercial, along with additional ads focusing on AI features from Google and Meta (though Google has already had to make a factual correction on one of the generated responses).

Have a great weekend - Joey

The Tech Behind Cosm's Sports Domes

With the Super Bowl this weekend in the US, outside of being at the game itself, the best viewing experience may be at Cosm, the immersive, mini-Sphere-like sports venue with locations in Dallas and LA.

Ever since larger-than-life clips of watching a game on their immersive LED screen have popped up on our feed, we’ve wanted to dig into the tech that powers it all.

Here’s the breakdown.

Camera Systems and Production

• Custom 360° and 210° cameras capture panoramic views from strategic locations like midfield and behind goals

• Integration with RED’s V-RAPTOR 8K cameras enables uncompressed 8K RAW video streaming

• Proprietary stitching technology combines multiple camera feeds into a seamless panoramic stream

• A Salt Lake City production center synchronizes immersive footage with traditional broadcast feeds

Creating a Spherical Broadcast

• A proprietary real-time rendering engine called CosmX processes interactive 3D content and visual effects, in addition to running Unreal Engine for live graphics

• Dedicated server rooms house graphics processors and media servers

• High-bandwidth fiber connections stream content from remote production centers

• Picture-in-picture composition allows seamless switching between panoramic views and broadcast feeds using their own patented picture-in-picture system

The Dome

• The 87-foot LED dome uses true black matte finish panels covering 9,600 square feet, delivering 12K resolution and 6,000 nits brightness through proprietary CX Display technology.

• 38 primary speakers and 15 subwoofers mount behind acoustically perforated LED panels, creating directional sound that matches on-screen content.

• The dome's modular LED panels enable 160° viewing angles without distortion while maintaining deep contrast levels through specialized anti-reflection coatings.

Final Take

This also opens up other opportunities for immersive video production outside of VR headsets, especially with upcoming cameras like the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive. When there aren’t major sporting events, Cosm has a few short films that they sell tickets to, including Orbital and Inside Pop Art.

However, looking at Cosm as a whole, this could be the model to create elevated viewing experiences that give customers a reason to leave the house and pay for a premium experience.

Read More

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VideoJAM: Better AI Video Motion with "Inner-Guidance"

Meta, in partnership with the University of Tel Aviv, has introduced VideoJAM, a new framework designed to enhance motion generation in video models.

This approach addresses a common challenge in video generation: the tendency of models to prioritize visual appearance over realistic motion and dynamics.

Its big breakthrough is “Inner-Guidance.” VideoJAM basically checks itself as it generates a video, trying to make sure that not only does each framework but that the motion and physics make sense.

This is why it can be used on top of existing models and training data, like Runway and Sora.

Check out these demos from one of the paper’s authors, Hila Chefer.

Read More

Pikadditions: Add Any Person or Object to Existing Videos

Pika Labs has just launched Pikadditions, an impressive feature that allows users to integrate any person or object into their existing videos seamlessly.

This innovative tool is part of Pika's AI-driven social video platform, which already boasts 12 million users.

Step-by-Step

• Step 1: Add a Video. Choose a video that is at least five seconds long. This could be something you've shot yourself or a favorite clip from another source.

• Step 2: Add an Image. Upload an image of the object or character you want to add to your video. You can test this step with sample images provided by Pika.

• Step 3: Add a Prompt. Clearly describe in your prompt how you want the image to integrate into your video. This ensures that the AI understands exactly what visual effect you're aiming for.

Read More

PXO's virtual production for House of the Dragon Season 2 redefined dragon-riding scenes with real-time visualization, advanced motion control, and LED wall technology.

Stories, projects, and links that caught our attention from around the web:

🏞️ To address concerns about AI-generated content, Google is using SynthID to embed invisible watermarks in images edited with Magic Editor's Reimagine tool.

🏈 Mike Davies of Fox Sports highlights the importance of balancing innovative technology with familiar production elements to ensure a seamless Super Bowl broadcast experience.

🎞️ Topaz Labs introduces Project Starlight, a new diffusion model designed to enhance and restore low-quality videos to high resolution.

🎬 Dave Clark of Promise Studios emphasizes that AI tools in film production should prioritize creative freedom over speed and budget reduction.

🎦 We’ve got two new Descript tutorials on YouTube: how to turn audio files into dynamic videos and how to use Descript’s timeline tools 

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👔 Virtual Production Gigs

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