On August 30th 2014, the users of IPLA, Poland’s biggest online TV service, were given an opportunity to watch the opening match of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014 based on a unique multi-camera coverage, which was offered exclusively to IPLA users and enabled them to switch between three additional cameras and watch the match from different angles. As many as 85% of IPLA viewers watching the Poland vs. Serbia match through the www.ipla.tv service and mobile devices jumped at that opportunity! Some of the remaining 102 matches, including those played by the Polish national team, will be also shown in a multi-cam coverage offering the simultaneous view from three extra cameras, in addition to the standard coverage.
The innovative technology, which has never been used in Poland before, is essentially a simultaneous transmission of signal from a number of cameras at a single event. Viewers are therefore given a chance to watch the game from different locations around the volleyball court. Just click on the camera icon during the live broadcast and select one of the three extra cameras on the volleyball court image to watch the match from a desired angle. You can change the selected view at any time, and you also have a unique opportunity to replay, freeze, or analyse highlights of the match. One of the options includes the standard TV coverage from three remaining cameras, showing the view from the sides of the volleyball court and over the net level. At the Poland vs. Serbia opener, the right-hand coverage was the most popular choice – it was provided by the SPIDER camera, which is suspended on ropes and shows the volleyball court from a number of different angles, including a zoom view of the spectators and players. It should be noted that the SPIDER camera had never been used to cover a volleyball match before. The net-level camera, showing the match from the referee’s perspective, was also a very exciting choice – viewers had a chance to put themselves in the referee’s shoes and make the call in difficult situations.
“Technological leadership is a cornerstone of our growth strategy. We are happy to be the first ever operator in Poland to offer the breakthrough solution to our IPLA viewers, which became very popular among them already during the first match”, says Maciej Staszak, Strategy and Development Director at Cyfrowy Polsat and Polkomtel. “Volleyball fans will surely appreciate an opportunity not only to watch the game from different angles, but, most of all, to replay, freeze, and analyse the most exciting serves, attacks or blocks time and time again”, he adds.
To replay any given moment of the match, you just need to click on the scroll bar. When scrolling back, the time difference between the replayed moment and the live broadcast will be displayed over the scroll bar. To return to the live broadcast, move back to the real-time view or click on the ‘Watch live’ button.
The new service is made available free of charge to the IPLA users watching the 2014 World Championship at www.ipla.tv and through the IPLA application on Android- and iOS-based mobile phones. It will be enabled for selected matches throughout the entire FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014, providing access to the most exciting highlights of the tournament, which will be plenty especially during matches played by the Polish national team.
To support the Polish volleyball team and their competitors from all around the world, IPLA viewers can buy access to 4 Polsat Volleyball channels (including one in the HD format) at the price of PLN 99, and watch all World Championship 2014 matches live.
The FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014 can be watched on the www.ipla.tv website and through the IPLA application on Windows-based computers, iOS, Android and Windows Phone-powered mobile devices, as well as Smart TV-supporting television sets (LG and Samsung). Orders can be placed at www.ipla.tv and through IPLA applications, and the payment may be made in electronic form by payment card or bank transfer. The service is provided in Poland only.
The FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014 is the 18th edition of the event, held for the first time ever in Poland. 24 national teams from all corners of the world will compete for the title in 103 matches, held in Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Kraków, Łódź, Bydgoszcz and in Katowice.
For detailed terms and conditions of availability of the 2014 Volleyball Men’s World Championship at IPLA, visit www.ipla.tv.
