GHOSTFRAME® TO DEBUT FULL-MARKET LAUNCH AT IBC2022

AGS AG presents GhostFrame® at IBC2022 Amsterdam

Appario Global Solutions (AGS) AG, a Swiss based media technology and solutions company, is pleased to announce the full market launch of the revolutionary GhostFrame virtual production solution at IBC 2022 in Amsterdam this week together with its partners Megapixel VR and ROE Visual.

GhostFrame is based on a patented technology that enables LED display panels to show multiple hidden images simultaneously which, although invisible to the naked eye can be seen by other imaging devices to create multiple “realities” in a single video wall. These hidden realities can then be used to power applications such as virtual production, extended reality (XR), camera tracking, green-screen overlay, multi-language broadcast and may other innovative production requirements in feature production, live broadcast, e-sports and more.

Commencing with the IBC 2022 launch, GhostFrame will be available through a simple and straightforward direct licensing model when purchasing an LED system from GhostFrame Alliance partners ROE Visual and Megapixel VR. GhostFrame will be ready “out-of-the-box” upon delivery of each GhostFrame enabled ROE Visual LED system, including ROE Visual’s industry leading LED panels together with MVRs HELIOS LED Processing Platform.

AGS founder and Chief Innovation Officer Max von Braun said “AGS, ROE Visual and MVR have spent the last 2 years refining the GhostFrame application together with the ROE Visual and MVR product lines and we are delighted to be able to launch at this year’s IBC after a 2-year postponement. GhostFrame is available as a complete solution to the customer in one transaction with hardware delivered by ROE Visual and MVR, with sales support, technical and production services provided by AGS.”

AGS Managing Director Peter Angell said “We believe a simple and cost-effective model for acquiring and deploying GhostFrame in LED solutions will be key to the virtual and XR production revolution currently happening in studios around the world, as well as delivering the multitude of other production applications that GhostFrame can unlock. Our pre-launch customer base includes virtual studio operators, broadcasters, and e-sports events all of whom are just starting to explore the amazing potential of GhostFrame.

GhostFrame® is an alliance of AGS, ROE Visual and Megapixel VR.

More information:

www.ghostframe.com

GHOSTFRAME CREATES THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH SXCES

Audi grandsphere concept presented as Virtual Exhibit on air

Baar, Switzerland (8 October 2021) – When SXCES Communication AG was challenged to bring their well-established Virtual Exhibit to broadcast quality for the Preshow of the Audi grandsphere concept launched right before the IAA, they set out to create something unique. As an absolute solid tracking was crucial but seemed restricted by a very demanding studio setup SXCES relied on the unique technology of GhostFrame to nail perfect execution.

“When we learned about GhostFrame in a call with TrackMen, we were very excited about it,” states Sebastian Kuhn, from SXCES. “The obligated studio setup hardly seemed to leave any chance for stable tracking. The most important area we were dependent on for tracking reasons was the LED floor, which was seamlessly integrated into the studio setup. GhostFrame offered the perfect option to integrate these tracking targets invisible in the setup, exactly what we needed. The production of the Audi grandsphere project as the first of our Virtual Exhibit on air was made possible by using GhostFrame.”

GhostFrame is a collaboration of AGS, Megapixel VR, and ROE Visual. These companies have combined their respective IP to enable the GhostFrame technology, adding TrackMen as the exclusive partner for the GhostFrame Track feature.

Both Faber Audiovisuals and Creative Technology Germany provided the ROE Visual Black Marble LED floor panels, running on Megapixel’s HELIOS LED processing platform. Both rental companies own a large stock of this high-performance LED floor, used for exhibitions, product presentations, and virtual production studios.

With the first tests with Audi and SXCES starting in early August, the time to plan and prepare was condensed. Fifty sqm of Black Marble was used to create a LED floor where the presenters could walk freely while discussing and highlighting the features of the new concept car.

Working alongside the content creators for the Preshow, GhostFrame was able to add a hidden tracking pattern to the LED floor, making it possible to position the 3D model of the car with hyper-accuracy. While the camera capture showed just a concrete floor, the presenters could see the car’s outline and the exhibit’s orientation during their whole presentation. This made the presentation very real; the hosts were able to interact with the car naturally. The position accuracy also allowed mixing shoots of the 3D model car with shoots of the actual car.

“Being able to see the car means you can pretend to touch it or indicate even the smallest details. You don’t have to worry about walking right through the model. It’s there right before your eyes all the time,” comments Kuhn.

The Audi presentation provided a perfect example of the power of the patented GhostFrame technology. In this case, GhostFrame Tracking offered the only possible method available for tracking.
The setting for the presentation, selected by Audi, was deliberately chosen for its clean and straightforward style. The room’s clean style ensured that attention would be focused on the vehicle and not its surroundings.

In this stylish white room, using traditional optical systems that use markers was not an option; any marker would have been visible through reflection on the car or the car’s windows. Even a camera tracking system without markers would not work since the environment did not provide any natural objects that could be used as a reference.

Using the standard GhostFrame feature that creates a hidden tracking pattern was the only way to make this presentation possible, allowing the camera to fly freely under the sizeable light panel. The tracking pattern in the LED floor was at all times visible for the camera tracking system, but not for the human eye and the filming camera. In this setting, the system neither affected the original intention of the room design nor did it restrict the camera movement.

“Even in very narrow camera perspectives, the tracking was rock solid,” states Thorsten Mika from GhostFrame partner TrackMen. “You can trust the tracking pattern to do precisely what it’s supposed to do, syncing the camera movement exactly with your content.” “GhostFrame representatives accompanied the whole production process, making sure the tight planning worked out,” adds Max von Braun, from GhostFrame partner AGS. “We’re delighted this high-profile presentation worked out so well for SXCES and their client Audi.”


AGS creates new Broadcast Services Unit (Appario Media Services) and appoints experienced industry executive Peter Angell as Managing Director

The newly formed business unit of AGS will be headed up by veteran sports production expert Peter Angell, who joins the group as Managing Director, Appario Media Services (AMS) with immediate effect. Angell has a long history of involvement at the highest levels of the sports media industry in a 25-year career, having overseen broadcast production and operations at TEAM Marketing, HBS/Infront, and most recently Lagardère Sports and Media, where he was SVP Global Media Production.
 
Commenting on the appointment, AGS Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Max von Braun said: “We are delighted that Peter is joining AGS at a pivotal moment as we launch our exciting new developments in the field of LED technology and bring to market highly scalable end-to-end service solutions for the delivery of multi-channel advertising, TV & movie production and other applications. AMS will deliver a crucial component of the value chain and his unparalleled experience ensures we can deliver turnkey media services of the highest quality to the market.”  
 

David Tyler, Executive Director of AGS, added: “The creation of AMS is an important next step in the development of AGS and its service offerings. We recognize the need to offer our partners full-service solutions for AGS’s ground-breaking technologies across a range of sectors. Peter has the experience and expertise to drive the growth of this new unit, and enable AMS to offer first-class broadcast solutions on a global basis.”

AGS Appoints Experienced Sports Industry Executive David Tyler as Executive Director

AGS is pleased to announce the appointment of David Tyler as Executive Director.

David brings over 25 years’ experience at the top of the sports industry. He was a long-serving Managing Director at TEAM Marketing in Switzerland, before moving to be CEO of Relevent Sports in New York, part of the RSE group of companies. Most recently David led the successful bid of newcomer DDMC Fortis (now Football Marketing Asia) for its wide-ranging commercial mandate from the Asian Football Confederation. As COO of the company based in Hong Kong, David then helped build the company into an Asian sports powerhouse. In that role he led the global Operations, Digital and Procurement functions, including for virtual advertising and ‘content hub’ / production solutions.

David will help lead AGS into its next stage of development, building on the success of the company’s DCM® technology for delivering multiplexed and physically shown advertising feeds from LED boards.

Commenting on the appointment, Max von Braun said: “We’re delighted to have David join AGS to help lead the next phase of the company’s development. We’re very excited about our next wave of innovations including VCM® (Virtual Content Multiplication®), and greatly look forward to working closely with David to open up new markets for our ground-breaking solutions.”

TGI SPORT PARTNERS WITH THE FA AND SPORTSEEN

TGI Sport has announced a long-term partnership with The Football Association [The FA] to deploy Parallel Ads® for Emirates FA Cup matches at Wembley, the home of English football.

Parallel Ads® allows The FA and their partners to maximise their brand value, by providing four commercial feeds to reach a global audience with customized regional messaging at the Emirates FA Cup Semi-Finals, Finals and the Community Shield.

 

 

Read the full article at TGI SPORT

GHOSTFRAME – GAME-CHANGING TECHNOLOGY FOR VIRTUAL PRODUCTION

Industry experts AGS, Megapixel VR, and ROE Visual collaborate to form GhostFrame

Baar, Switzerland (6 May 2021) – Delivering the tools to create magic in the world of visual communication, industry veterans AGS, Megapixel VR, and ROE Visual have joined forces to deliver game-changing technology for virtual production. Aiming to make the “impossible” possible for film, broadcast, and event production teams, GhostFrame™ creates simplified, more efficient, and faster workflows.

Combining the strengths and possibilities of cutting-edge LED and camera technology, GhostFrame enables creative and never-before-seen use of video and broadcast technology. “Great journeys start with dreaming of the possibilities rather than being constrained by what you can’t do. We’re all strongly driven by the creation of innovative technology, so we took the leap of faith in this cooperation, opening our IP to offer the market something revolutionary and new,” states Max von Braun from AGS.

GhostFrame[1] works by displaying more than just the video feed on the LED panel with different inputs invisible to the human eye but visible to the camera. This magic enables professional cameras to capture one or more sets of images while the naked eye only sees one.

Thanks to Megapixel VR’s HELIOS Processing Platform, the LED panels have immense processing power, and therefore no upstream workarounds are needed. You can have all of the GhostFrame features while sending regular frame rates in 4K and 8K formats.

Creating multiple and hidden sources in one video feed gives production teams the freedom to operate without restrictions. Using GhostFrame will reduce installation and production time, allow for real-time post-production with free positioning and camera movement, all while working in a near-zero latency environment.

“The fact that content, like a green screen or camera tracking, can be hidden is the ground-breaking factor of GhostFrame,” states Roelof Bouwman, from ROE Visual. “The talent on-stage works with a realistic background, while at the same time camera tracking or green screen can be captured, invisible for the person on the set.”

Jeremy Hochman from Megapixel VR adds: “We know this is a long-sought-after desire of film and broadcast production teams. As far back as fifteen years ago, we used to try and do these special tricks using 240fps video or adapting active 3D technology for multi-camera use, but they all burden render engines and processing capacity too much to use in an actual production environment.  GhostFrame has exceptional advantages and is a real software product, not a delicate science experiment that made its way out of the lab. The PX1 LED timing controller, an advanced version of what the industry refers to as a receiver card, has extreme processing power. This processing power makes it possible to implement the GhostFrame features in the actual LED panel, not in the processor, so that you can take maximum advantage of your port capacity.”

“The system works intuitively,” comments Victor Kortekaas from ROE Visual. “In the processor, a user has control over which parts to enable, thereby reducing the risk for artifacts. The new NanoSync™ shutter alignment feature in HELIOS is just incredible as we can assure perfect alignment between panel refresh rate and the camera shutter, which is a big plus. The system offers four separate 4K inputs; we can use several feeds in combination with tracking patterns and/or chromakey colors still and hide these. Another advantage is that there is no need to pre-render or use special hardware to composite a combined 4K feed”.

The GhostFrame features all work in combination with ROE Visual LED panels and Megapixel VR’s HELIOS processing. These features are GhostFrame Chroma, enabling a (hidden) green screen, GhostFrame Track, adding hidden tracking markers, and GhostFrame MultiSource; adding up to four different hidden video feeds, which can be captured individually by the camera.

Imagine a broadcast studio where you can provide the presenter with his or her autocue, instruction markers, and visible eye contact with a reporter. At the same time, the viewers at home see only the intended environment image. Or shoot a virtual background where each take automatically has the green screen simultaneously recorded. Film an action scene in one take with different perspectives, or simply setup up hidden tracking without the need of physical markers. With GhostFrame, the impossible becomes possible.

GhostFrame has been tested in the working field and has received an enthusiast reception from partners such as Lux Machina and ARRI. “We wanted to present a system that is tried and tested in real environments. Our partners need to be able to trust the technology to perform,” states Keith Harrison from Megapixel VR, “The people involved in GhostFrame are no rookies; we stand for what we promise and deliver.”

“To understand the benefits of GhostFrame, you must see what happens on the LED volume, and the camera feeds. We’re excited to announce that we will organize a series of online as well as live demonstrations. We’re convinced creatives and producers will find ways to apply this technology and to use the magic of GhostFrame to create stunning projects,” concludes Bouwman.

[1] Multiple patents granted and pending

 

More information:
www.ghostframe.com

GhostFrame™ – Game-Changing Technology for Virtual Production

AGS has joined forces with industry veterans Megapixel VR and ROE Visual to deliver GhostFrame™

Aiming to make the “impossible” possible for film, broadcast, and event production teams, GhostFrame™ creates simplified, more efficient, and faster workflows. Supporting the joint cause with our VCM® Technology features, we are together delivering the tools to create magic in the world of visual communication.

 

More information:

Press Release