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

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In summary: It does look like a face. Although a TV with a 2 inch screen in a 5 inch device sounds pretty last century.
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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.

Football Interview.jpg
 
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  • #2
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.
 
  • #3
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...
 
  • #4
Looks like the back side has a parabolic shape.
 
  • #5
berkeman said:
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.
 
  • #6
berkeman said:
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)
Football Interview-part++.jpg

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.
 
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  • #7
dlgoff said:
@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.

Screenshot_2021-11-21_18-53-39.png
 
  • #8
Jarvis323 said:
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.
 
  • #9
dlgoff said:
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.

1637550118521.png
 
  • #10
Jarvis323 said:
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.
 
  • #11
What stands out to me is that the man's goatee looks photoshoped.

1637550473585.png
 
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  • #12
Jarvis323 said:
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.

Football Interview-part.jpg
 
  • #13
dlgoff said:
@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.
 
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  • #14
  • #15
Football Image Focused.png


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.
Football Image Focused.png
 
  • #16
Tom.G said:
A real puzzler.
Indeed. Dang @berkeman
 
  • #17
@berkeman might be fooling us. I need an explanation for why the beard is fake before I do any further analysis. lol
 
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  • #18
Jarvis323 said:
@berkeman might be fooling us.
You may have solved the real mystery.
If so, then again; Dang @berkeman
 
  • #19
dlgoff said:
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.
 
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  • #20
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.
 
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  • #21
berkeman said:
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
 
  • #22
dlgoff said:
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:
1637615960493.png


2020s:
1637616088500.png


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.
 
  • #23
DaveE said:
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? :smile:
 
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  • #24
DennisN said:
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.
 
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  • #25
Have you ruled out the possibility of being part of the microphone the player is wearing?
 
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  • #26
Jarvis323 said:
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...
 
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  • #27
berkeman said:
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).

1637634501494.png
 
  • #28
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.
 
  • #29
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.
 
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  • #30
It's a shame none of us science nerds know any sports jocks they could ask...

m8qnbZt.jpg


Ploos amem, ploos amem shows.
:oldbiggrin:
 
  • #31
berkeman said:
one camera view briefly showed this technician from the interviewing team
Are you sure that's not somebody just 'freeloading' on the interview? The cameraman does not seems to have the same kind of badge or whatever the technician has.

Gaussian97 said:
Have you ruled out the possibility of being part of the microphone the player is wearing?
I think you are right. Quite some equipment there, usually
Random link for an interview with headset
 
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  • #32
Rive said:
Are you sure that's not somebody just 'freeloading' on the interview? The cameraman does not seems to have the same kind of badge or whatever the technician has.
At the end of the interview, the football player gave the headset to the technician with the beard and the cameraman and interviewer and technician seemed to be gathering together.
 
  • #33
Then the only thing I can think of is, that there was too much noise there to do the interview without a headset: you can't hear the noise since all gear there had noise cancellation, except the ear of the player - and there was some glitch with the setup.
 

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

What is that device the technician is holding below the camera's view?

The device the technician is holding is called a microphone. It is used to capture the sound of the interviewee's voice and transmit it to the camera or recording equipment.

Why is the technician holding the microphone below the camera's view?

The technician is holding the microphone below the camera's view to prevent it from blocking the view of the interviewee's face. This allows for a clear and uninterrupted shot of the interview.

Is the technician using a specific type of microphone?

Yes, the technician is most likely using a handheld dynamic microphone. This type of microphone is commonly used for interviews and has a cardioid polar pattern, which helps to reduce background noise.

Can the microphone be placed anywhere else during the interview?

Yes, the microphone can be placed in different locations depending on the setup and preference of the technician. It is commonly placed on a stand or attached to the interviewee's clothing using a clip.

How does the technician ensure the microphone is picking up the interviewee's voice clearly?

The technician will adjust the microphone's position and settings to ensure it is picking up the interviewee's voice clearly. They may also use headphones to monitor the sound and make any necessary adjustments during the interview.

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