Having a properly configured Spiideo Replay workstation makes using Spiideo Replay much easier. Your setup may involve a variety of components, including replay user devices, Spiideo cameras, external cameras, stream encoders, production software, and more. By ensuring all requirements are met, you establish a solid foundation for reliable performance.
Requirements
There are a few requirements that need to be met:
Replay Device Hardware and Software Requirements: Make sure that the replay operator, technician, and communicators' devices meet these requirements.
Hardware and Software Requirements for Ingesting Footage with a Stream Encoder in Spiideo Replay: If you are planning on externally ingesting footage from non-Spiideo cameras, make sure that your stream encoders meet these requirements.
Power, Network, and Firewall Requirements: Make sure that your Spiideo cameras meet all the requirements listed in the model-specific guides here.
Roles and Location
Commonly, in an American football replay setup, you'll find:
One Replay Operator/Technician
One Booth official
One Communicator
One On-field official
The Replay Operator/Technician, Booth Official, and Communicator are normally located in a dedicated Replay booth at the venue.
Workflow
Without Remote Collaboration
The Operator/Technician actively tags important events during the game.
The Booth Official reviews potential situations in Replay and decides if the game should be stopped and go to review.
The Communicator watches the game and provides input to the Replay Operator/Technician and Booth Official. He/she is also responsible for communication with the on-field official.
The On-field Official receives information that the game should be stopped and go to review.
Please note: Communication needs to be handled with third-party equipment.
With Remote Collaboration
The Operator/Technician joins the collaboration and actively tags important events during the game.
The Booth Official joins the collaboration and reviews potential situations in Replay and decides if the game should be stopped and go to review.
The Communicator watches the game on a monitor and provides input to the Replay Operator/Technician and Booth Official. He/she is responsible for communicating with the On-field Official. However, the Communicator has no direct channel to the On-field Official. The official can only be reached through the Booth Official's or Technician's headset, and only when the official is by the sideline and present in the remote collaboration session.
The On-field Official receives information that the game should be stopped and go to review. This information needs to be handled with third-party equipment. The On-field Official can go over to the sideline review monitor solution and get served video content and communicate with the Replay Booth Staff via the dedicated headset connected to the review monitor.
Please note: Audio communication between the Replay Booth Staff and the On-field Official using Remote collaboration can only be used while the On-field Official is located at the review monitor solution on the sideline. The connected headset can only be used at the review monitor and not on the field. This is the reason why remote collaboration cannot be used to stop a live game.
Set Up Your Spiideo Replay Devices
The Replay Operator/Technician and Booth Official devices can either be a MacBook Pro or a Mac Mini. The Communicator only uses a screen and not a computer. This screen can either be connected directly to the program feed or via one of the computers in the booth running Replay (screen mirroring via USB-C or HDMI).
If the Sideline Review Monitor solution is used with remote collaboration, then an iPad Pro, Mac Mini, or MacBook Pro is needed on the sideline. The user of this device is the On-field Official.
On-Site Replay Workstation Using MacBook Pros
What do you need?
Two MacBook Pros.
Two chargers, one for each MacBook Pro; keep it plugged in to power.
Two USB-C to Ethernet dongles to use a wired Ethernet connection for a MacBook Pro.
Run a network speed test here on both MacBook Pros to ensure that:
Your upload speed is at least 10Mbps.
Your download speed is at least 40Mbps.
An external monitor:
Option 1: Connect the monitor to a MacBook Pro via HDMI or USB-C.
Option 2: Get the program feed from production into the monitor. If the monitor does not accept SDI, an SDI-to-HDMI converter is needed.
Further details on the hardware and software requirements can be found here.
On-Site Replay Workstation Using Mac Minis
What do you need?
Two Mac Minis.
Run a network speed test here on both Mac Minis to ensure that:
Your upload speed is at least 10Mbps.
Your download speed is at least 40Mbps.
Two primary monitors.
Two keyboard/mouse.
One secondary monitor:
Option 1: Connect the monitor to a Mac Mini via HDMI or USB-C.
Option 2: Get the program feed from production into the monitor. If the monitor does not accept SDI, an SDI-to-HDMI converter is needed.
Further details on the hardware and software requirements can be found here.
Replay Booth and Review Monitor Solution Using Remote Collaboration
Remote collaboration offers screen sharing and audio communication built into the Replay product. It's built to enable collaboration between the Replay booth and the on-field official.
Example use case:
This is used in combination with a Sideline Review Monitor solution for the On-field Official. The Review Monitor solution has a stationary headset connected to it for communication with the Replay staff. The Replay staff can also share their screen so that it can be viewed on the Sideline Review Monitor solution in the event of a review. Voice communication with the On-field Official can be used only when he/she is located at the Review Monitor solution. This enables collaboration between members of the Replay team.
Replay Booth and Sideline Review Monitor Solution (Remote Collaboration): MacBook Pro and iPad Pro
What do you need?
Booth
Two MacBook Pros.
Two chargers, one for each MacBook Pro; keep it plugged in to power.
Two USB-C to Ethernet dongles to use a wired Ethernet connection for a MacBook Pro.
Run a network speed test here on both MacBook Pros to ensure that:
Your upload speed is at least 10Mbps.
Your download speed is at least 40Mbps.
Two headsets, Bluetooth or wired.
An external monitor:
Option 1: Connect the monitor to a MacBook Pro via HDMI or USB-C.
Option 2: Get the program feed from production into the monitor. If the monitor does not accept SDI, an SDI-to-HDMI converter is needed.
Review monitor solution (Sideline)
One iPad Pro.
One headset, Bluetooth or wired.
USB-C adapter/dock for power, data, and Ethernet to the iPad Pro.
Run a network speed test here on the iPad Pro to ensure that:
Your upload speed is at least 10Mbps.
Your download speed is at least 40Mbps.
Charger if a powered dock is not used.
Case/stand.
Further details on the hardware and software requirements can be found here.
Replay Booth and Sideline Review Monitor Solution (Remote Collaboration): Mac Mini and iPad Pro
What do you need?
Booth
Two Mac Minis.
Run a network speed test here on both Mac Minis to ensure that:
Your upload speed is at least 10Mbps.
Your download speed is at least 40Mbps.
Two primary monitors.
Two keyboard/mouse.
Two headsets, Bluetooth or wired.
One secondary monitor
Option 1: Connect the monitor to a Mac Mini via HDMI or USB-C.
Option 2: Get the program feed from production into the monitor. If the monitor does not accept SDI, a converter to HDMI is needed.
Review monitor solution (Sideline)
Review monitor solution (Sideline)
One iPad Pro.
One headset, Bluetooth or wired.
USB-C adapter/dock for power, data, and Ethernet to the iPad Pro.
Run a network speed test here on the iPad Pro to ensure that:
Your upload speed is at least 10Mbps.
Your download speed is at least 40Mbps.
Charger if a powered dock is not used.
Case/stand.
Further details on the hardware and software requirements can be found here.
The image above shows a real-life Spiideo Replay booth, configured just like in the article.