What is this technician holding below the camera's view in this TV interview?

[berkeman]

During a TV interview of an American-style football player today after a win, one camera view briefly showed this technician from the interviewing team holding some instrument below the normal camera view of the interview. Does anybody have an idea what the instrument is? It looks like it has an LED numeric display (I think), but I don't know why it would be important to show it to the interviewer.

EDIT/ADD -- The interviewer had an earpiece, so it probably wasn't a countdown timer on the interview duration or anything simple that could be relayed by audio from the producer.

 

[DaveC426913]

Dunno. It has at least two connections. So, one power, the other, signal of some sort.

That rules out something like a simple fill light.

 

[berkeman]

Yeah, and it looks like some supports to the ground to calibrate how high it is off the turf? How strange. I'm off to Google...

 

[Borg]

Looks like the back side has a parabolic shape.

 

[DaveC426913]

It's almost more like a light level sensor or something.

I can't imagine why but is it possible it's an emitter that gets picked up by their AI thingy - the one that tracks the location of the ball and puts lines on the field? They're doing some seriously high-tech stuff at sportsball games these days.

 

[dlgoff]

During a TV interview of an American-style football player today after a win, one camera view briefly showed this technician from the interviewing team holding some instrument below the normal camera view of the interview. Does anybody have an idea what the instrument is? It looks like it has an LED numeric display (I think), but I don't know why it would be important to show it to the interviewer.

EDIT/ADD -- The interviewer had an earpiece, so it probably wasn't a countdown timer on the interview duration or anything simple that could be relayed by audio from the producer.

View attachment 292787

@berkeman
I cut out the top of that thing, and enhanced it a little and it looks like the face of the interviewer from a camera from a far distance away (maybe behind the football player)

So maybe it's a display; a way for the interviewer to keep herself in place during the interview. There is a cable (?) running across the field from the left to the device which could be coaxial.

 

[Jarvis323]

@berkeman
I cut out the top of that thing, and enhanced it a little and it looks like the face of the interviewer from a camera from a far distance away (maybe behind the football player)
View attachment 292800
So maybe it's display; a way for the interviewer to keep herself in place during the interview. There is a cable (?) running across the field from the left to the device which could be coaxial.

Here are the raw pixels of the display. Hard to make anything of that in my opinion.

 

[dlgoff]

Here are the pixels raw pixels of the display. Hard to make anything of that in my opinion.

View attachment 292802

So you don't think that looks like a face in my image? I used paint to cut out that part then used an enhancement program of mine.

 

[Jarvis323]

So you don't think that looks like a face in my image? I used paint to cut out that part then used an enhancement program of mine.

Here is what it looks like if you resale and sharpen. Looks like the display is red, and there is a bit of noise in the image. That's all I can tell.

 

[dlgoff]

Here is what it looks like if you resale and sharpen. Looks like the display is red, and there is a bit of noise in the image. That's all I can tell.

View attachment 292803

The dark brown looks like the interviewers hair color to me.

 

[Jarvis323]

What stands out to me is that the man's goatee looks photoshoped.

 

[dlgoff]

What stands out to me is that the man's goatee looks photoshoped.

View attachment 292805

interesting observation. Here's the part I cut out and I played with. Have a go at it.

 

[DaveC426913]

@berkeman
I cut out the top of that thing, and enhanced it a little and it looks like the face of the interviewer from a camera from a far distance away (maybe behind the football player)

View attachment 292800
So maybe it's a display; a way for the interviewer to keep herself in place during the interview. There is a cable (?) running across the field from the left to the device which could be coaxial.

It does look like a face.

Although a TV with a 2 inch screen in a 5 inch device sounds pretty last century.

 

[dlgoff]

It does look like a face.

Although a TV with a 2 inch screen in a 5 inch device sounds pretty last century.

Are you sure? Check out this 2 inch LCD 240X320 display:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081Q79X2F/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[Tom.G]

I agree that it looks like the guy down on one knee; glasses, nose mouth, beard. However the camera seems to be pointing to the football player.

A real puzzler.

 

[dlgoff]

A real puzzler.

Indeed. Dang @berkeman

 

[Jarvis323]

@berkeman might be fooling us. I need an explanation for why the beard is fake before I do any further analysis. lol

 

[dlgoff]

@berkeman might be fooling us.

You may have solved the real mystery.
If so, then again; Dang @berkeman

 

[berkeman]

I cut out the top of that thing, and enhanced it a little and it looks like the face of the interviewer from a camera from a far distance away

Well, that's the best guess so far, but yeah, what a dinky little screen for that. Maybe they had some technical difficulty (the camera for the interviewer had to be fixed with no operator, so she needed a way to stay centered in the frame), and had to cobble together something at the last minute.

 

[DaveE]

My guess is some sort of light meter, maybe for color balance, or to control illumination from other sources?

It does have a DIY vibe. No injection molded plastic case with idiot-proof buttons and logos for marketing.

 

[dlgoff]

Well, that's the best guess so far, but yeah, what a dinky little screen for that. Maybe they had some technical difficulty (the camera for the interviewer had to be fixed with no operator, so she needed a way to stay centered in the frame), and had to cobble together something at the last minute.

Sorry for the "dangs" @berkeman

 

[DaveC426913]

Are you sure? Check out this 2 inch LCD 240X320 display:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081Q79X2F/?tag=pfamazon01-20

It wasn't the size of the screen that was sus; it was the size of the bezel that isn't screen.

1980s:

2020s:

If there's a screen that needs to be viewed from six feet away, you make it as large as the device will accommodate.That being said, I'm pretty sure that little screen is showing the interviewer's face, so my theory doesn't hold water.

 

[DennisN]

My guess is some sort of light meter, maybe for color balance, or to control illumination from other sources?

That was my first thought.
But I would imagine such a fancy tv camera would have light metering built-in (but I'm not aquainted with video cameras at all). Also the device seems pointed in the direction of the interviewer, while the tv camera is pointed at the football guy.

If it's a display instead, it sure is quite small. I wonder how such a small display could be any help to the interviewer.

Strange. Maybe someone of us could mail the TV network to get the mystery solved?

 

[DaveE]

But I would imagine such a fancy tv camera would have light metering built-in

Yes. But sometimes you may want a different view, if you care about additional lighting to fill shadows and such.

Although I'm doubting this now since it's just a sideline interview, not real cinema. I mean, who cares if the lighting isn't perfect. I'm changing my vote to a monitor for the talent, like the rest of y'all.

 

[Gaussian97]

Have you ruled out the possibility of being part of the microphone the player is wearing?

 

[berkeman]

Here are the raw pixels of the display. Hard to make anything of that in my opinion.

View attachment 292802

Hmm, upon further review the fuzzy image from the sensor looks mostly red, but the interviewer is wearing bright yellow, and the football player is wearing purple...

 

[DaveC426913]

Hmm, upon further review the fuzzy image from the sensor looks mostly red, but the interviewer is wearing bright yellow, and the football player is wearing purple...

I think that closeup is too close. It defeats our pattern recognition talents.

I'd say this looks like a face, framed by hair, (and possibly a microphone in front of her mouth).

 

[robphy]

As @Gaussian97 suggests, it looks like something connected to the player’s headset. The technician seems to be focused on the player, say, in case the player moves around. If the box were just left on the ground, it could be tripped over or dragged.

 

[collinsmark]

It could be a video feed from the live broadcast, maybe even coming straight from the network, to aid in direction and organization.

I'm sure the sports journalist relies heavily on audio cues piped through her headset, but I'm guessing it would be nice to optionally have an eye on the video feed as well.

She's probably not looking at the device while being filmed herself, but such a thing could prove quite useful in determining when to start and stop the interview given the intense time pressure and hectic nature of a live broadcast.

 

[DaveC426913]

It's a shame none of us science nerds know any sports jocks they could ask...

Ploos amem, ploos amem shows.