Virtual Ads During Live Sports Broadcasting
Overview
As a Computer Vision Engineer at Vizrt, I developed cutting-edge real-time virtual advertisement overlay systems for live sports broadcasting, enabling seamless integration of digital advertisements into live television feeds.
Key Achievements
- Developed real-time virtual advertisement overlay system for sports broadcasting
- Deployed neural networks for video segmentation in live TV with 50ms inference on 4K resolution
- Automated training and fine-tuning of networks for customer-specific deployments
- Delivered production-ready solutions used in major sporting events worldwide
Technical Stack
- C++ - Real-time video processing and rendering engine
- Python - ML model development and training automation
- CUDA - GPU acceleration for high-performance video processing
- Qt - User interface development for broadcast control systems
Real-Time Performance
The system processes 4K video streams in real-time with sub-50ms latency, enabling broadcasters to insert virtual advertisements that appear seamlessly integrated with the live sports action. This required innovative approaches to GPU memory management and parallel processing.
Computer Vision Innovation
Advanced image segmentation techniques allow for precise detection of advertisement placement surfaces (such as stadium walls or field areas), enabling realistic virtual overlays that respect perspective, lighting, and camera movement in real-time.
Broadcast Integration
The solution integrates with existing broadcast workflows, providing intuitive controls for operators to manage virtual advertisements during live events while maintaining the quality and reliability required for television production.