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Although its controls are deceptively simple, TriCaster’s LiveMatte™ employs powerful chromakeying technology capable of extremely high quality results. Used alone or in conjunction with TriCaster’s DSKs, M/E Overlays and LiveSet features, you will find LiveMatte can play a ‘key’ role in your live productions.
As we mentioned earlier, chromakeying – or simply “keying” – is used to combine images by eliminating a portion of a foreground image (effectively cutting a digital ‘keyhole’ in it) to reveal another background. TriCaster™ also relies on this method to insert talent seamlessly into virtual sets via LiveSet™.
LiveMatte™ controls are located in the Input Configuration panels for every Switcher source. To access them, click the
Configure button (gear) that appears above an onscreen monitor in the All Monitors tab. The second tab in the (source)
Configuration panel is labeled LiveMatte.
The method by which part of the image is defined as transparent is generically referred to as chromakeying, for its dependence on the color values (chrominance) of the video stream.
(LiveMatte algorithms actually go well
beyond simple chromakeying techniques to provide support realtime results, but for our discussion it’s not necessary to get
FIGURE 214
into all of the details; suffice to say it works very well, and is easy to configure.)
Hint: Crop controls in the Input Settings tab can serve as a ‘garbage matte’ tool for chromakey sources.