This week we completed a successful installation of 2 IP Cameras at Liverpool FC’s Melwood Training Ground. Both of these IP Cameras can be controlled from designated laptops within the Analysis office that are running our AP Capture software. The installation was carried out on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th May, with Harrison Kingston successfully filming the first training session on the morning of Thursday 7th May and sending us the picture below of AP Capture in action! We are really proud of this installation of fixed IP Cameras for Liverpool FC, meaning that we now have two Premiership football clubs using AP Capture to film their training sessions (Everton FC have one of our Mobile Tripod solutions). We wanted to share this news and provide some more details and pictures outlining the installation and setup of the cameras and software.
Harrison Kingston is the Head of Post Match Analysis at Liverpool FC and we first got the chance to show him and his colleagues our AP Capture solution when we took the mobile tripod on a road-trip. Harrison also came to our Open Day held at Cardiff Metropolitan University where we were able to show the multiple fixed IP Camera AP Capture solution in action (video below), along with other synergetic video analysis workflows and processes. Originally, Harrison was thinking of using a mobile tripod solution for filming training at Melwood, but once we discussed infrastructure considerations and future analysis plans, we began the process of implementing 2 fixed IP Cameras at the training ground. These cameras were going to be attached onto existing flood light poles, so Jon Moore designed some custom brackets which would enable these cameras to be fixed into place and allow for multiple training areas to be filmed from each camera. Another component that was designed by Jon that Liverpool FC wanted to accompany the cameras was our IP Camera rain cover. This sits over the camera to help against the effects of driving rain and sun glare. Of course the IP Cameras are fully outdoor compatible, being water proof and capable of operating in sub-zero temperatures, but these rain covers have proven a success at both Cardiff Metropolitan University and Millfield School who also use our fixed IP Camera solutions.
As the cameras were being installed on a fixed external position, we needed a team who could provide the appropriate equipment and knowledge for attaching the brackets and cameras, running Cat6 cabling (no need for expensive Fibre cabling with our solutions!) and getting the signal of the IP Cameras into the Liverpool FC network through our switches. Telecoms with Logic (TWL) are a leading telecoms supplier based in Cardiff who completed the task expertly over the two days. They used a cherry picker to attach the brackets and cameras, neatly ran cabling into the service points at the bottom of the floodlights and then got everything communicating perfectly into the network at Melwood Training Ground. We want to thank Graham and Steven for their hard work and adaptability during the installation!
Once the IP Camera feeds were successfully coming into the network and an Ethernet port was activated within the Analysis office, it was simply a case of plugging the Ethernet cable into the recommended HP laptop we supplied which had AP Capture installed on it. The camera feed came through perfectly and we were able to show Harrison and Mark Leyland how to: choose which camera to control, set 4 preset positions, choose a recording format, use the joystick to control the camera with smooth, simultaneous and instant movement patterns and importantly capture a high quality video file. They both picked up the use of the software and joystick quickly and were very pleased with the results!
We explored the other workflows that can be utilised in conjunction with the IP Camera feeds and AP Capture, leaving Harrison and the team with the ability to easily do a secondary live capture and analysis of the IP Camera feed by using the Nacsport video analysis software, and also showing how we can provide a solution for live streaming these IP Cameras and other inputs/resources onto a YouTube channel. There are certainly lots of doors that open up once the IP cameras are installed and we’re on hand to help move these solutions forward over time to answer the calls of our users and the industry as a whole.
I would like to say thanks to TWL for their hard work, thanks to Jon for designing the purpose made attachments that worked brilliantly (and also for getting stuck in with the manual labour!) and a massive thanks to Harrison Kingston and Liverpool FC for putting their trust in us to provide them with a fit for purpose AP Capture IP Camera filming solution that will be used a lot at their training ground. We really look forward to developing our relationship further and answering your performance analysis requirements.