2018 Russian World Cup, four high-tech products hit the world.
1. Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
Recent football reforms are rarely as controversial as VARs. The football field has been calling for the introduction of video referees for a long time. Proponents have pointed out that similar mechanisms have been successful in football, tennis, NFL and even cricket.
The idea is simple - for "right and left situations", such as goals, penalty and red cards, the referee can submit to the video referee for assistance. VAR has been tested in several matches, including the FA Cup, but people are reacting differently: Many people call for either complete VAR reform or simply abolishing VARs.
However, that did not prevent FIFA from deciding to use VARs in all 64 games of the World Cup. The dedicated video assistant referee team consists of a referee and three assistant referees who will work in the Video Operations Room (VOR) at the Moscow International Broadcast Centre.
VAR members can use the fiber-based radio system to refer to referees on the field, while the images from 33 live cameras and two dedicated off-site cameras are transmitted directly to the video studio via the same network. Among them, 8 pictures are super slow motion and 4 are extremely slow motion. In the elimination round, two pole slow-motion cameras will also be added.
2.4K Ultra High Definition Video and VR
Each World Cup seems to usher in a new broadcast technology, and this year's new broadcast technology is 4K Ultra HD. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil had a 4K broadcast test, but this is the first time that 4K broadcast has been provided to broadcasters. This is now also a large number of viewers have compatible TV sets.
As to whether the 4K broadcast will be pushed to the British audience, it is still not known. But the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has confirmed that they already have relevant plans. However, there are still several places that need attention.
For the first time, the game will only be watchable online by the BBC iPlayer (rather than the TV); secondly, live streaming will be implemented on a "first come, first served" basis. This means that only tens of thousands of people will be able to see it at any one time.
The BBC will also provide virtual reality broadcasts through the BBC Sport VR application, giving viewers an on-site experience that will make them feel like they are watching a match in a private box on the stadium.
3. Electronic Performance and Tracking System (EPTS)
FIFA's second major innovation is the Electronic Performance and Tracking System (EPTS), a tablet-based system that will provide real-time player data and video for all 32 teams of coaches.
Each team will receive three tablet computers - one for the analysts in the stands, one for the analysts on the bench, and the rest for the medical team. There will be a 30-second delay in the game video, and the tablet will provide various data such as player position data, passing, oppression, speed and tackle.
EPTS relies on camera-based systems and wearable technology, which was approved by FIFA in 2015. During the World Cup, data will be collected through two optical tracking cameras located on the main stand, and each team will also be able to obtain images from selected tactical cameras.
4. Russia's 5G network
For 5G, the World Cup came a bit early, but both World Cup official communications partners TMS and Megafon will conduct this technology trial in Russia during the event.
The 5G network is expected to be commercially available in 2019, providing faster speeds, greater capacity, and ultra-low latency. This will mean that on-site fans will enjoy a better network in the future, and various new experiences will also be born.
For example, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, an Intel-powered network provided broadcast companies with 360-degree VR video.
Earlier this week, Ericsson and MTS revealed that the World Cup will carry out the largest Massive MIMO (a state-of-the-art mobile technology) deployment to date and install 5G radio equipment in more than 40 locations in 7 of the 11 host cities. .
The network will cover stadiums, fans' areas, transportation hubs and famous landmarks - including Moscow's Red Square
