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.
Unified Basketball On MHSAA TV
January 30, 2018
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The efforts of MHSAA member schools to promote participation opportunities with the Michigan Special Olympics will get live video coverage this week as part of more than 80 events on MHSAA.tv being produced by participants in the School Broadcast Program.
The Kensington Lakes Activities Association is in the midst of several weeks of events where a number of its member schools are conducting Unified Basketball games, including a Tuesday (Jan. 30) contest with Novi hosting Brighton at 5:30 p.m. in a game being covered by Pixellot.
Project Unified puts special education students on the court, participating in concert with their general education peers. Lineups must consist of three unified student athletes and two unified student partners on the floor at all times.
The Unified game is one of several basketball games between Novi and Brighton on Tuesday, beginning at 4 p.m., and culminating with the varsity contest about 7:30 p.m. To help promote the Unified event, all of the games on MHSAA.tv originating from Novi will be free.
The schedule over the upcoming week also features a potential battle of unbeatens in the Copper Mountain Conference. Next Tuesday (Feb. 6), Ewen-Trout Creek (15-0), the second-ranked team in Class D, will play at sixth-ranked Dollar Bay (10-0). E-TC leads the Porcupine Mountain division, and Dollar Bay sits atop the Copper division. On Saturday (Feb. 3), the KLAA Competitive Cheer Tournament will be streamed live from Novi High School.
Of the 83 games on this week’s schedule, 49 at the varsity level will be covered, with more to be added as the week progresses. Fifty-six of the games will be produced by schools using Pixellot, the NFHS Network’s automated coverage solution. Be sure to check Upcoming Events on the MHSAA.tv home page daily for last-minute additions.
In its ninth 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. Pixellot is used by schools wishing to live stream games, but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members:
Monday – January 29, 2018
- JV Boys Basketball – Bessemer at Dollar Bay – 5:45 p.m.
- Boys Basketball – Bessemer at Dollar Bay – 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday - January 30
- JV Boys Basketball - Brighton at Novi - 4 p.m.
- Freshman Girls Basketball - Cedar Springs at Fremont - 4 p.m.
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Hopkins at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Clawson at Macomb Lutheran North - 4:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Whitehall at Fremont - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Fruitport at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
- Unified Coed Basketball - Brighton at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Hopkins at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Copper Country Christian at Dollar Bay - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Au Gres-Sims at Rogers City - 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Clawson at Macomb Lutheran North - 6 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Au Gres-Sims at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Stockbridge at Fowlerville - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Brighton at Novi - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Fruitport at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Fowlerville at Stockbridge - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Tawas Area at Alpena - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Royal Oak at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Hopkins at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Watersmeet at Dollar Bay - 7:15 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Dearborn Divine Child at Macomb Lutheran North - 7:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Whitehall at Fremont - 7:30 p.m.
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Clare at Harrison - 4:30 p.m.
- Wrestling - Reed City at Fremont - 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday - January 31
- JV Boys Basketball - Clare at Harrison - 6 p.m.
- Wrestling – Standish-Sterling at Freeland - 6 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Clare at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday - February 1
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Burton Atherton at Otisville LakeVille - 4 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Northville at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Burton Atherton at Otisville LakeVille - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Gladwin at Harrison - 6 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Northville at Novi - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Watersmeet at Dollar Bay - 7 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Burton Atherton at Otisville LakeVille - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Gladwin at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Friday - February 2
- Ice Hockey – Houghton v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood @ MIHL Showcase - 4 p.m.
- Freshman Girls Basketball - Big Rapids at Fremont - 4:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Baraga at Dollar Bay - 5:45 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Chesaning at Freeland - 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Fowlerville at Portland - 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park - 6 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Oscoda at Rogers City - 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Reed City at Fremont - 6 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Oscoda at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Baraga at Dollar Bay - 7:15 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Fowlerville at Portland - 7:30 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Chesaning at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park - 7:30 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Reed City at Fremont - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday - February 3
- Cheerleading – KLAA Conference Meet at Novi - 11 a.m.
- Girls Basketball - Carson City-Crystal at Vestaburg - 1 p.m.
- Ice Hockey – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern-Eastern v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood @ MIHL Showcase - 3:10 p.m.
Monday - February 5
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Riverview Gabriel Richard at Macomb Lutheran North - 4 p.m.
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Alma at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Hancock at Dollar Bay - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Lake Linden-Hubbell at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Alma at Freeland - 6 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Lincoln Alcona at Rogers City - 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Lincoln Alcona at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Lake Linden-Hubbell at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Hancock at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Alma at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday - February 6
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Edwardsburg at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Saline at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Genesee Christian at Montrose - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Grand Rapids Catholic Central at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Vassar at Otisville LakeVille - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Negaunee at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Edwardsburg at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Ann Arbor Pioneer at Fowlerville - 6:59 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Genesee Christian at Montrose - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Vassar at Otisville LakeVille - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Saline at Novi - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Rochester Adams at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Grand Rapids Catholic Central at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Negaunee at Calumet - 7:15 p.m. Negaunee #4
- Boys Basketball - Edwardsburg at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Ewen-Trout Creek at Dollar Bay - 7:15 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Republic-Michigamme at Lake Linden Hubbell - 7:20 p.m.
Wednesday - February 7
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 will also be selling Season and 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.
Highlights of games produced in the past week by MHSAA School Broadcast Program members feature the following events:
- Boys Basketball – East Lansing 56, Jackson 48
- Ice Hockey – Kingsford 4, Marquette 3
Highlights can be found each week on the MHSAA.tv website, the home page of the MHSAA Website, and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube.