Dream Chip and Gravity Media join forces to create NetCam, mini-camera for tennis matches

Mezzi di gravità has developed its new NetCam, a mini-camera designed to be used for broadcasting tennis matches, leveraging Dream Chip’s AtomOne mini Air technology.

Gravity Media’s latest development aims to offer “the highest specifications” in terms of lenses and sensors while maintaining discretion and lightness “to endure extreme usage conditions without interfering with play”. The new NetCam integrates Dream Chip’s Mini Air lens, which is “a little bigger than a one Euro coin” and weighs 25 grams. Despite its small dimensions, it is capable of 10-bit color depth E 1080/60p/i output on a 1/2.5″ sensor, with rolling shutter, S-Mount lens E HDR compatibility.

Its special housing, designed by Gravity Media, as well as the use of lightweight but robust materials, “guarantee” that the camera is able to withstand network impacts without signal loss.

Alternative perspectives

IL NetCam’s application is not limited to the net, as the cameras can be placed in other “unusual” positions, such as near ball boys, court lines and umpires, to provide alternative perspectives. The camera system integrates “seamlessly” into a wider production setup, allowing a range of angles to be covered and managed through a single backbone and controller.

Tony Valentino, director of RF and specialty cameras at Gravity Media, details how Dream Chip has lived up to their expectations: “We were confident from Dream Chip’s reputation that they could help us to deliver real innovation for our clients, but having tested the Atom One Mini Air in the field, even our initial expectations were surpassed. We were overwhelmed not only at the quality and reliability of the image produced – especially in such challenging, rugged conditions – but also at how the clarity and unique positioning of the camera enhanced the overall production our clients were able to deliver.”

D'altra parte, Stephane Ducobu, sales director at Dream Chip, assures that “net-mounting presents a range of complex challenges from a technological standpoint, but Dream Chip’s focus on component quality, robustness and miniaturisation make Atom One cameras ideal for this kind of application.”