Otisville-LakeVille First SBP Using Pixellot
January 31, 2017
By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director
A challenge to schools wanting to stream live video of their athletic events to their communities is being able to adequately staff those productions.
“We had signed up for the School Broadcast Program over a year ago and we were really excited to get our games out to the community, and when it came to it, we just couldn’t get the manpower to run the equipment,” said Drew Johnson, the athletic director at Otisville-LakeVille High School in Genesee County. “That first day, we had everything lined up, we were ready to go, and two of our three kids missed school that day for being sick. It was just a hassle.
“So when we heard about Pixellot, it was a quick and easy decision.”
Just three weeks ago, LakeVille became the first school in Michigan and one of the first in the country to install a Pixellot unit in its gymnasium, automating the process of streaming live video on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network.
Pixellot is a unit equipped with four High Definition cameras that cover the length of the playing surface and then focus in on the ball and player movement to deliver the action. The unit communicates with the scoreboard to insert a time and score graphic on the screen. Ambient audio is picked up by the device, but the play-by-play of an in-person announce team can also be patched in.
All that has to be done from a school’s perspective is type in the event schedule, and promote the fact that the games are available on MHSAA.tv. Pixellot does the rest. The unit can also be set up to isolate a camera on a fixed location, which allows for activities like wrestling to also be streamed.
“We’re going to do everything that takes place in our gym,” Johnson said. “We’re also excited about being able to record our practices as well.”
Johnson added that the school will look into installing additional Pixellot units at its middle school auditorium for musical events and LakeVille’s outdoor athletic fields in the future.
In its eighth year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics.
The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
All sporting events – Live or On-Demand – are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.
Here’s the schedule of events School Broadcast Program members plan to stream over the next week for broadcast at MHSAA.tv.
Tuesday, Jan. 31
- JV Girls Basketball - North Branch at Otisville Lakeville, 5:25 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Goodrich at Davison, 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - North Branch at Otisville Lakeville, 6:45 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Williamston at East Lansing, 7 p.m. (On Demand)
- Girls Basketball - Hopkins at Plainwell, 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Hudsonville Unity Christian at Cedar Springs, 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Birmingham Seaholm at Lake Orion, 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Negaunee at Calumet, 7:20 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Goodrich at Davison, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 1
- Wrestling – Quad at Cedar Springs, 5:20 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Leroy Pine River at Beal City, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 2
- JV Girls Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville Lakeville, 5:25 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball – Coopersville at Comstock Park, 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Oscoda at Rogers City, 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville Lakeville, 6:45 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Oscoda at Rogers City, 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Gaylord at Alpena, 7, p.m.
Friday, Feb. 3
- Ice Hockey - Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood @ MIHL Showcase, 4 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Lowell at Cedar Springs, 5:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Burton Atherton vs. Montrose, 5:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Allegan at Plainwell, 6 p.m.
- Ice Hockey - Notre Dame De La Baie Academy vs. Detroit Catholic Central @ MIHL Showcase, 6 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Coopersville at Comstock Park, 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Lapeer at Davison, 6 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Allegan at Plainwell, 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Burton Atherton vs. Montrose, 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - McBain at Beal City, 7:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Coopersville at Comstock Park, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 4
- Ice Hockey - Notre Dame De La Baie Academy vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood @ MIHL Showcase, 12:40 p.m.
- Ice Hockey - Novi vs. Detroit Catholic Central @ MIHL Showcase, 6:50 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 6
- JV Girls Basketball – Hillman at Rogers City, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 7
- JV Girls Basketball - Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park, 5:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Midland Dow at Mt, Pleasant, 5:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Greenville at Cedar Springs, 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park, 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Midland Dow at Mt. Pleasant, 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Chassell at Calumet, 7:20 p.m.
Be sure to check the Upcoming Events page at MHSAA.tv for schedule additions every day.
The NFHS Network has announced new pricing for 2016-17, eliminating the Day Pass and lowering the cost of a Month Pass to $9.95. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. Some schools also will be selling Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.
Fans also can access scores of games in-progress on the NFHS Network website via ScoreStream. Click on the Scores button in the upper right corner.
A weekly staple on the MHSAA.tv website and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube is back for another year with highlights of selected games last week produced by members of the Association’s School Broadcast Program.
This week’s highlights package consists of clips from last week’s Bark River-Harris at Powers North Central boys basketball game in which the Jets set a state record for consecutive boys hoops victories, an ice hockey game pitting Detroit Catholic Central at Brighton in a battle of two of the top teams in the state and a demonstration of Pixellot in action during a boys basketball game with Millington at Otisville-LakeVille.
Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.
PHOTOS: (Top) A laptop shows the variety of angles for the Pixellot and the calibration of its four cameras. (Middle) This Pixellot hangs at midcourt at Otisville-LakeVille High School.
OAA, TVC Showdowns to Stream Live
October 2, 2018
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The top spots in divisions in two leagues are up for grabs this week on MHSAA.tv, part of a live video streaming buffet of over 75 events being produced by participants of the School Broadcast Program.
On Tuesday (Oct. 2), the top spot in the Oakland Activities Association Red in volleyball is on the line when No. 9 (Division 1 coaches poll) Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and No. 3 Lake Orion square off at Lake Orion at 7 p.m. Both are 4-0 in OAA play.
Then on Friday (Oct. 5), the Tri-Valley Conference East football title will be settled when Millington travels to Frankenmuth for a 7 p.m. clash. Both teams are 5-1 overall, 4-0 in league play, and ranked in the top 10 in different divisions in media polls this week.
The TVC also has another football match-up of top-ranked teams on MHSAA.tv this week. On Friday, Alma is at Freeland at 7 p.m. While both teams are tied for second behind No. 2-ranked (Division 5) Saginaw Swan Valley in the TVC Central, they are both in the top 10 in Division 4.
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by School Broadcast Program members and the NFHS Network:
Tuesday - Oct. 2
- JV Girls Volleyball - Hartland at Howell - 4:55 PM
- Girls Volleyball - New Lothrop at Otisville-Lakeville - 5:25 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - Lapeer at Grand Blanc - 5:30 PM
- Freshman Girls Volleyball - Chesaning at Ovid-Elsie - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - Chesaning at Ovid-Elsie - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball – Saginaw Arthur Hill at Saginaw Heritage - 5:30 PM
- Freshman Girls Volleyball - Lapeer at Grand Blanc - 5:30 PM
- Boys Soccer - Allendale at Comstock Park - 6 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Hartland at Howell - 6:25 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Chesaning at Ovid-Elsie - 6:30 PM
- Girls Volleyball - New Lothrop at Otisville-Lakeville - 6:55 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - East Jackson at Manchester - 7 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Lapeer at Grand Blanc - 7 PM
- Girls Volleyball - East Jackson at Manchester - 7 PM
- Girls Volleyball – Rochester Hills Stoney Creek at Lake Orion - 7 PM
- Girls Volleyball – Saginaw Arthur Hill at Saginaw Heritage - 7 PM
Wednesday - Oct. 3
- Freshman Boys Soccer – Canton at Saline – 4 PM
- Middle School Girls Volleyball – Wyoming Kelloggsville at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian – 4:15 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - Millington at Frankenmuth - 5:30 PM
- JV Field Hockey - Dexter at Saline - 5:30 PM
- Middle School Girls Volleyball – Wyoming Kelloggsville at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 5:30 PM
- Freshman Girls Volleyball - Millington at Frankenmuth - 5:30 PM
- Field Hockey - Dexter at Saline - 7 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Millington at Frankenmuth - 7 PM
Thursday - Oct. 4
- Freshman Football – Canton at Howell – 3:55 PM
- JV Football – Riverview Gabriel Richard at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – 4 PM
- Field Hockey – Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart at Novi - 4:15 PM
- Freshman Football - Coopersville at Comstock Park - 4:30 PM
- Freshman Football - Bay City John Glenn at Saginaw Heritage - 4:30 PM
- Middle School Girls Basketball - Ontonagon at Dollar Bay - 4:30 PM
- JV Boys Soccer - Sturgis at Plainwell - 4:45 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Sturgis at Plainwell - 4:45 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - Burton Atherton at Otisville-Lakeville - 5:25 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - Midland Dow at Grand Blanc - 5:30 PM
- JV Boys Soccer – Ann Arbor Pioneer at Saline - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - Gwinn at Calumet - 5:30 PM
- Freshman Girls Volleyball - Midland Dow at Grand Blanc - 5:30 PM
- JV Football - Bay City John Glenn at Saginaw Heritage - 6 PM
- JV Football - Byron at Ovid-Elsie - 6 PM
- JV Football - Bay City at Saginaw Heritage - 6 PM
- Boys Soccer - Sturgis at Plainwell - 6:15 PM
- JV Football - Bessemer at Negaunee - 6:30 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Gwinn at Calumet - 6:30 PM
- JV Football - Ann Arbor Huron at Saline - 6:30 PM
- JV Football - Addison at Manchester - 6:30 PM
- JV Football – Canton at Howell – 6:45 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Burton Atherton at Otisville-Lakeville - 6:55 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Midland Dow at Grand Blanc - 7 PM
- Boys Soccer – Ann Arbor Pioneer at Saline - 7 PM
Friday - Oct. 5
- Football - Bloomfield Hills at Lake Orion - 7 PM
- Football – Fowlerville at St. Johns – 7 PM
- Football - Houghton at Calumet - 7 PM
- Football - Millington at Frankenmuth - 7 PM
- Football - Alma at Freeland - 7 PM
- Football – Saginaw Arthur Hill at Grand Blanc - 7 PM
- Football - Hartland at Novi - 7 PM
- Football - Salem at Brighton - 7 PM
Saturday - Oct. 6
- Freshman Girls Volleyball – Saginaw Heritage Invitational – 8:30 AM
- Girls Volleyball – Ovid-Elsie Invitational – 8:30 AM
- Field Hockey – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at Saline - 10 AM
- JV Field Hockey – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at Saline - 11:30 AM
- JV Boys Soccer - Rochester Adams at Saline - 12 PM
- Boys Soccer - Rochester Adams at Saline - 1 PM
Monday - Oct. 8
- Boys Soccer - Clinton at Manchester - 5 PM
- Freshman Girls Volleyball - Plainwell Quad - 5 PM
- Middle School Girls Volleyball - Hopkins at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - Houghton at Calumet - 5:30 PM
Tuesday - Oct. 9
- Freshman Girls Volleyball – Calumet at Negaunee – 4:30 PM
- Freshman Girls Volleyball - Northville at Novi - 5 PM
- Field Hockey - East Grand Rapids at Novi - 5 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Michigan Center at Manchester - 5 PM
- Freshman Girls Volleyball – Bay City Western at Saginaw Heritage - 5:30 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball – Bay City Western at Saginaw Heritage - 5:30 PM
- Girls Volleyball – Niles Brandywine at Kalamazoo Christian - 5:30 PM
- JV Field Hockey - East Grand Rapids at Novi - 6:30 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Northville at Novi - 6:30 PM
- Girls Volleyball - Calumet at Negaunee - 6:45 PM
- Girls Volleyball – Bay City Western at Saginaw Heritage - 7 PM
- JV Girls Volleyball - Michigan Center at Manchester - 7 PM
All sporting events – live or delayed - are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.
NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $9.95 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants also will be selling Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
Highlights of games broadcast during the past week by MHSAA School Broadcast Program members include clips from the Saginaw Heritage/Bay City Central and Stevensville Lakeshore/Battle Creek Lakeview football games and Freeland/Saginaw Swan Valley volleyball match.
Highlights can be found each week on the MHSAA.tv website, the home page of the MHSAA Website, and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.