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.
SBP Excellence Awards Accepting Entries
January 17, 2018
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
Applications are being accepted for the MHSAA’s fifth annual SBP Excellence Awards, which recognize the efforts of member schools participating in the School Broadcast Program for content produced during the 2017-18 school year.
SBP schools can submit up to two entries in each of six categories: best single-camera production, best multi-camera production, best use of graphics, best produced local commercials/features, best student play-by-play announcers and best highlight clip.
The SBP Excellence Awards will be used in selecting the Program of the Year. Other criteria for Program of the Year include quantity and quality of productions and sports covered, best command of graphics software, initiative to cover home and away athletic contests and initiative/creative in selling local advertising and subscriptions.
Montrose High School has won the Program of the Year award the past four years.
More details about the 2017-18 SBP Excellence Awards, and an online entry form, can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website. (For more details, CLICK HERE; to go to the entry form, CLICK HERE)
The deadline for submitting entries is Feb. 16, 2018, at 4 p.m.
More than 90 live sporting events are scheduled on MHSAA.tv this week, produced by SBP participants. A total of 55 games at the varsity level will be covered, with more to be added as the week progresses. 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 – the NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution - is used by schools that wish to live stream games but lack 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:
Tuesday - January 16
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Chesaning at Otisville-Lakeville - 4 p.m.
- Freshman Girls Basketball - Comstock at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Kent City at Comstock Park - 4:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball – Livonia Stevenson at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Genesee at Montrose - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Chesaning at Otisville-Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Comstock at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball – Lake Linden-Hubbell at Dollar Bay - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Houghton at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Lake City at Harrison - 6 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Onaway at Rogers City - 6 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Stephenson at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Onaway at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Kent City at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Ferndale at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Chesaning at Otisville-Lakeville - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Mason at Fowlerville - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball – Livonia Stevenson at Novi - 7 p.m.
- Boys Ice Hockey - Escanaba at Marquette - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Genesee at Montrose - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball – Sault St. Marie at Negaunee – 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball – Bellaire at Onaway – 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Houghton at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Comstock at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Grant at Fremont - 7:19 p.m.
- Girls Basketball – Lake Linden-Hubbell at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Lake City at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Stephenson at Norway - 8 p.m.
Wednesday - January 17
- Wrestling - Paw Paw at Plainwell - 5:30 p.m.
- Cheerleading - Lake Fenton at Montrose - 6 p.m.
Thursday, January 18
- Freshman Boys Basketball - New Lothrop at Otisville-Lakeville - 4 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - New Lothrop at Otisville-Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Burton Bendle at Montrose - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball – Howard City Tri County at Fremont - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Spring Lake at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Hancock at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Beaverton at Harrison - 6 p.m.
- Girls Gymnastics – Lake Linden-Hubbell at Negaunee - 6 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball – Cooks-Big Bay de Noc at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Southfield at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - New Lothrop at Otisville-Lakeville - 7 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball – Howard City Tri County at Fremont - 7 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Burton Bendle at Montrose - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Hancock at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Beaverton at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
- Boys Basketball – Cooks-Big Bay de Noc at Norway - 8 p.m.
Friday – January 19
- JV Girls Basketball - Hartland at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Bessemer at Dollar Bay - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Hillman at Rogers City - 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Spring Lake at Comstock Park - 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Lansing Catholic at Fowlerville - 6 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Traverse City at Alpena - 6 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - North Dickinson at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Hartland at Novi - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Hillman at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
- Boys Ice Hockey – Grand Rapids Catholic Central at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 7:15 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Bessemer at Dollar Bay - 7:15 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Lansing Catholic at Fowlerville - 7:30 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Spring Lake at Comstock Park - 7:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - North Dickinson at Norway - 8 p.m.
Saturday – January 20
- Cheerleading - Harrison Invitational - 9:45 a.m.
- Cheerleading - Freeland Invitational - 12 p.m.
- Boys Ice Hockey – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood at Warren DeLaSalle - 2:30 p.m.
Monday – January 21
- Boys Basketball - Alma at Fowlerville - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball – Painesdale-Jeffers at Lake Linden Hubbell - 7:20 p.m.
Tuesday – January 22
- Freshman Boys Basketball - South Haven at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Allendale at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Otisville-Lakeville at Montrose - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Howell at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Montrose at Otisville-Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Jeffers at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - South Haven at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Bessemer at Dollar Bay - 5:45 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball - Tawas Area at Rogers City - 6 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Whitehall at Fremont - 6 p.m.
- JV Girls Basketball – Niagara (WI) at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Whitehall at Fremont - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball – Rochester Hills Stoney Creek at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Allendale at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Otisville-Lakeville at Montrose - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Montrose at Otisville-Lakeville - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Howell at Novi - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Tawas Area at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball – Painesdale-Jeffers at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
- Girls Basketball - Bessemer at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - South Haven at Plainwell - 7:30 p.m.
- Boys Basketball – Iron Mountain at Negaunee – 7:30 p.m.
- Girls Basketball – Niagara (WI) at Norway - 8 p.m.
Wednesday – January 24
- Freshman Boys Basketball - Gabriel Richard at Macomb Lutheran North - 4 p.m.
- JV Boys Basketball - Gabriel Richard at Macomb Lutheran North - 5:30 p.m.
- Cheerleading - Allendale at Comstock Park - 6:30 p.m.
- Boys Basketball - Sault Ste. Marie at Alpena - 7 p.m.
- Boys Basketball – Riverview Gabriel Richard at Macomb Lutheran North - 7 p.m.
- Girls Basketball – Escanaba at Negaunee – 7:30 p.m.
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:
- Ice Hockey – Detroit Catholic Central 6, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 3
- Boys Basketball – Mt. Pleasant 56, Midland 54
- Girls Basketball – Alpena 57, Traverse City West 45
Highlights can be found each week on the MHSAA.tv website, the home page of the MHSAA Website, and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube.
With the winter sports season fully underway, StateChamps! High School Sports Show returns with new weekly editions debuting each Sunday at 9 a.m. on Fox Sports Detroit – featuring fresh editions of the MHSAA Minute.
The MHSAA Minute takes a look each week at different things happening in the life of the Association, from promoting educational programs to rules changes in high school sports. This week’s Minute promotes the upcoming Women In Sports Leadership Conference. Archived editions of MHSAA Minute can be found on the StateChamps! YouTube Channel.