Asia’s leading virtual production integration services provider builds Formosa TV’s new studio around Pixotope enabling cost-efficient immersive live broadcasts and increasing operational efficiency
Pixotope, the leading software provider for end-to-end virtual production solutions, announced today that GETOP, the leading virtual production integration services provider in Asia, selected Pixotope Graphics - Extended Reality (XR) Edition (XR Edition) to power Taiwan's first XR production facility at the Formosa Television (FTV) station in New Taipei City. Created in response to the growing use of LED volumes in virtual production, Pixotope XR Edition is an off-the-shelf software solution that removes the need for bespoke setups and proprietary hardware. The solution delivers a range of purpose-built tools that simplify setup and operation. As a result, FTV benefits from optimized hardware usage and simplified, efficient, and resilient XR workflows, including high-impact set extensions for larger-than-life 360-degree virtual environments, unrestricted by LED volume size.
Built in collaboration with Harvatek, a Taiwanese supplier of LED volumes, the studio was planned, designed, and built by GETOP and is formally known as the CYANS LED Virtual Studio, the centerpiece of which is a massive 8K LED wall measuring 18.5 meters (60 ft) wide and 5 (16.4 ft) meters high. GETOP’s objective for the studio is to produce television content with a narrative style that advances television production technology and workflows into a new era. To achieve this, GETOP established specific production goals and designed plans to utilize multi-camera operations and precise, real-time XR stitching technology for set extension.
With this studio, FTV can now offer an array of virtual production services for various events and productions. The setup also enables them to use the LED wall to create photorealistic virtual environments that respond to the movements and settings of the camera, delivering immersive narrative-style live television broadcasts. The state-of-the-art studio complies with rigorous Netflix Partner Center standards, making it a global leader in specifications and capabilities.
When evaluating technology partners for the studio, GETOP and FTV prioritized decreasing production costs and increasing on-set production efficiency.
“We wanted to create a completely new workflow that enabled fast and efficient real-time multi-camera television production while balancing cost and efficiency. Reducing production costs, doubling the efficiency of on-set production, and mitigating risk were our key objectives.”
- Paul Chou, General Manager, GETOP
The comprehensive Pixotope platform features its own editor which eliminates the need for additional auxiliary software and complicated integrations, reducing resource-intensive setup and simplifying XR production workflow operations. The combination of the platform’s inherent strengths in live production guarantees the stable integration of camera tracking as well as exceptional color profile management and correct color space output, thanks to the built-in color LUTs in Pixotope. This ensures that colors captured by the camera in the physical environment match the colors of the virtual environment so that both seamlessly blend together to create a photorealistic experience for the viewer.
“Prior to implementing Pixotope, it was very difficult to achieve faithful color representation across our workflow, which is absolutely critical in XR production. Even if it could be achieved, the image quality and stability couldn't meet the standards of broadcast television. With Pixotope, we don't need to worry about such technical integration issues: we’re able to just focus on content creation and production. The seamless integration and ease of use has not only ignited our creativity but also positioned us at the forefront of Taiwan's virtual production revolution”
- Paul Chou, General Manager, GETOP
Pixotope XR Capabilities in Action
Over the summer, GETOP put Pixotope to the test during a groundbreaking inaugural production to showcase the vast potential of the studio’s XR capabilities, the first of its kind in Taiwan. With XR Edition’s purpose-built tools, such as color matching, LED wall alignment, camera switching, hardware consolidation, and its overall resilience, GETOP was able to successfully achieve a real-time multi-camera set extension to create an immersive, interactive backdrop featuring the iconic Taipei 101 tower and the vast cityscape beyond. With this workflow, GETOP created an immersive interactive virtual environment that soared beyond the bounds of the LED wall, giving the effect of an endless open-air studio.
WATCH: GETOP DEMONSTRATES CYANS LED VIRTUAL STUDIO CAPABILITIES
“GETOP is not just elevating virtual production standards for FTV, they are also setting an example for broadcasters globally. Broadcasters are now capable of creating immersive environments and narratives that were once thought to be beyond reach in live settings, transforming the viewer's experience in the process. By embracing this innovation, GETOP is moving Formosa TV forward, leading them and the entire industry towards the future of live broadcast."
- Vivian Yu, Marketing Director, APAC and Global Sales Enablement Lead at Pixotope
About Pixotope Graphics - XR Edition
Pixotope is addressing the fundamental challenges that have historically made it difficult to leverage XR outside of major blockbuster productions. Its purpose-built tools address common operator pain points while removing the need for proprietary hardware, effectively bringing users an off-the-shelf XR solution.
Key benefits and features in the XR Edition include:
Streamlined, Simplified Setup
UNIQUE COLOR MATCH FUNCTIONALITY FOR AR<->XR WORKFLOWS
This unique color-matching tool enables users to quickly and easily match the colors of in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) and those appearing through the LED volume for seamless AR/XR workflows and effects. This is particularly useful when augmented reality (AR) is used alongside XR for set extension or when adding virtual elements to a scene as color reproduction is affected by both the camera and LED volume, making it difficult to accurately color match.
LED MESH IMPORT AND AUTOMATIC ALIGNMENT
By combining procedural geometry creation tools and tracking technology, users will be provided with an automated method for converting CAD and geometry representations of LED volumes to virtual LED projection surfaces. These will be further refined using computer vision to ensure perfect registrations for XR and AR set extension, which will significantly reduce setup time.
AUTOMATIC ALIGNMENT OF LED WALLS USING XR DIGITAL TWIN
Align LED walls in minutes, without any manual intervention. Pixotope XR Graphics Edition analyzes the pattern on the LED panels to generate a digital twin, which is then used to create a virtual actor that perfectly matches the real world. This means that users can overlay AR graphics onto LED walls with ease, without having to worry about any alignment issues.
MANUAL ALIGNMENT OF LED WALLS USING XR MANUAL TWIN
The Manual Twin feature facilitates the creation of planar, curved, and corner LED wall configurations within the Editor, offering users ease and flexibility. However, in contrast to the automated workflow provided by the Digital Twin, the alignment process needs manual execution.
Reduced and Optimized Hardware Usage
MULTI-INPUT SWITCHING IN SOFTWARE FOR CHANGING PERSPECTIVES
When using more than one camera in an XR setup, the images on the LED volume and the AR rendering need to synchronously change perspective when switching between cameras in a single frame. With in-software switching, Pixotope ensures this operation is accurate and hassle-free without the need for additional hardware.
MULTI-WALL SUPPORT TO OPTIMIZE HARDWARE USE
With multi-wall support, Pixotope can drive several LED walls from a single server/workstation. This not only reduces the amount of hardware needed, and therefore cost, but also mitigates many common issues such as output synchronization and sharing of assets over multiple machines.
Resilient, Robust, and Reliable
HEALTH AND DIAGNOSTICS MONITORING FOR FAILOVER AND SYSTEM RESILIENCE
When it comes to live Virtual Production, failure is not an option. With Pixotope, the clear and comprehensive health and diagnostics monitoring enables users to proactively address any issues that might arise and quickly troubleshoot and, in the case of a system failure, seamlessly failover to a backup machine.
[中文版]
亞洲領先的虛擬製作系統整合及服務提供者 堅達公司（GETOP），採用Pixotope為民視電視（FTV）建立了新的攝影棚，實現了高成本效益的沉浸式電視廣播，並提高了運營效率
虛擬製作解決方案的領先軟體商Pixotope今天宣佈，亞洲領先的虛擬製作系統整合及服務提供者 堅達公司（GETOP）選擇了Pixotope Graphics - Extended Reality (XR) Edition（XR版），為位於新北市的民視電視台（FTV）建立了台灣第一個多機位XR製作攝影棚，而這在全世界亦為數一數二。Pixotope XR Edition是針對虛擬製作LED牆的使用日益增多，而開發的套裝軟體解決方案，無需特殊的設定及特定的硬體。該解決方案提供一系列專用工具，可簡化繁複的設定與操作。因此，FTV從優化的硬體使用及簡化、高效、靈活的XR工作流程中獲益匪淺，包括不受限制於LED牆的大小，為超大360度虛擬環境，提供極具衝擊力的場景延伸。
該攝影棚由GETOP與台灣LED牆應商Harvatek合作建設，由GETOP規劃、設計和監造，正式名稱為CYANS LED虛擬攝影棚，其核心為一面寬18.5公尺、高5公尺的巨型8K LED牆。GETOP對該攝影棚的目標是製作具有敘事風格的電視內容，推動電視製作技術和工作流程進入新時代。為此，GETOP制訂了具體的製作目標，並設計了利用多攝影機操作和精準、即時的XR縫補（Stitching）技術，行場景延伸的計畫。
有了這個攝影棚，FTV現在可為各種活動及製作提供一系列虛擬製作的服務。這種設置還讓他們能使用LED牆來創造逼真的虛擬環境，這些環境能回應攝影機的移動和設定，提供身臨其境的敘事風格電視直播。該先進的攝影棚符合Netflix Partner Center（合作夥伴中心）的嚴格標準，在規格和功能方面處於全球領先的地位。
在為攝影棚評估技術合作夥伴時，GETOP和FTV將降低製作成本和提高現場製作效率放在第一優先。
“我們希望創造一個全新的工作流程，在兼顧成本及效率的同時，實現快速高效率的即時多機位電視製作。降低製作成本、提高現場製作效率一倍、及降低風險是我們的主要目標。”
- GETOP 總經理 Paul Chou
完善的Pixotope平台擁有自己的編輯器（Editor），無需額外的輔助軟體和複雜的整合，進而減少了耗費大量資源的設定，簡化了XR製作工作流程的操作。由於Pixotope內建的色彩LUT，與該平台在現場製作方面既有的優勢結合，確保了攝影機追蹤的穩定整合，及出色的色彩描述檔（Profile）管理和正確的色彩空間（Coloe Space）輸出。這可確保攝影機在實景環境中所拍攝到的色彩，與虛擬環境的色彩能夠匹配，進而使兩者無縫融合，為觀眾創造逼真的觀賞體驗。
在採用Pixotope之前，我們很難在整個工作流程中進行忠實的色彩呈現，而這在XR製作中絕對至關重要。即使能夠實現，影像品質和穩定性也無法達到廣播電視的標準。有了Pixotope，我們就不必擔心這些技術整合的問題，我們只需專注在內容創作和製作上。無縫整合和易用性不僅點燃了我們的創造力，也讓我們站在了台灣虛擬製作革命的前沿。”
- GETOP 總經理 Paul Chou
Pixotope XR 功能的實際展現
今年夏天，GETOP在一部開創性的首部作品中，對Pixotope進行了測試，藉以展示其XR功能的巨大潛力，這在台灣尚屬首例。借助XR版的專用工具，如：色彩匹配（Coloe Match）、LED牆對齊（Alignment）、攝影機切換、硬體整合及其整體的彈性，GETOP成功實現了即時多攝影機場景延伸，以標誌性的台北101大樓及其週邊的廣闊城市景觀為背景，營造出身臨其境的互動效果。透過此一工作流程，GETOP創造了一個身臨其境的互動虛擬環境，超越了LED牆的界限，呈現出無盡的露天攝影棚效果。
“GETOP不僅提升了FTV的虛擬製作標準，還為全球廣播公司樹立了榜樣。廣播公司現在有能力創造身臨其境的環境和敘事，而這在直播環境中曾經被認為是遙不可及的，在這個過程中，觀眾的體驗也會發生改變。透過擁抱此一創新，GETOP正在推動FTV的發展，引領他們和整個行業走向直播的未來。”
- Pixotope 亞太區市場總監兼全球銷售促進負責人 Vivian Yu
關於 Pixotope Graphics - XR Edition
Pixotope解決了一些根本性的難題，這些難題使得XR在大片的製作之外，一直難以得到充分利用。其專用工具解決了操作者的共同痛點，同時消除了對專有硬體的需求，有效的為使用者提供了現成的XR解決方案。
XR Edition 主要優勢及功能包括：
設定既精簡又簡單
為 AR<->XR 工作流程提供獨特的色彩匹配功能
這種獨特的色彩匹配（Color-Matching）工具使用者能快速、輕鬆的匹配攝影機內視覺特效（In-Camera Visual Effects - ICVFX）與透過LED牆所顯示的色彩，進而實現無縫AR/XR工作流程及效果。這在AR與XR同時用於場景延伸或在場景中添加虛擬物件時特別有用，因為色彩的再次呈現會受到攝影機及LED牆的影響，因而難以準確的進行色彩匹配。
LED 網格模型匯入且自動對齊
透過將程序式幾何模型（Procedural Geometry）創造工具和追蹤技術相結合，使用者將獲得一種自動方法，用於將LED牆的CAD圖檔和幾何標記法轉換為虛擬LED投影表面。這些將透過電腦視覺進一步微調，以確保XR和AR場景延伸的對準，因而大大減少設定所需的時間。
使用 XR 數位孿生自動對齊 LED 牆
無需任何人工，幾分鐘內即可對齊LED牆。Pixotope XR Graphics Edition可分析LED面板上的圖案，生成數位孿生（Digital Twin），然後用來創造與現實世界完美匹配的虛擬演員。這意味著使用者可輕鬆的將AR圖形疊加至LED牆面上，而無需擔心任何對齊問題。
使用 XR 手動孿生手動對齊 LED 牆
手動孿生（Manual Twin）功能便於在Editor（編輯器）中創造平面、曲面和轉角LED牆配置，為使用者提供了方便和靈活性。不過，與數位孿生系統提供的自動工作流程不同，對齊過程需要手動執行。
硬體需求降低且最佳化
軟體中多輸入切換以便對應視角的改變
當在XR規劃中使用多台攝影機時，在單一影格切換攝影機時，LED牆上的影像和AR的算圖（Rendering）需同步讀改變視角。借助軟體中的切換功能，Pixotope無需額外硬體，即可確保此一操作的準確性及簡便性。
支援多牆面以最佳化硬體的使用
有了支援多螢幕，Pixotope可從一台伺服器/工作站驅動多個LED螢幕。這不僅減少了所需的硬體數量，進而降低了成本，還緩解了許多常見問題，如：輸出同步和多台機器共用資產等。
靈活、穩健、可靠
健康和診斷監控，具有故障切換及系統彈性
在現場虛擬製作中，故障是無可避免。有了Pixotope清晰且全面的健康狀況和診斷監控，使用者能主動解決任何可能出現的問題、快速排除故障，並在系統發生故障時無縫切換至備用機。
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