posted Feb 26th, 2009 - The actual CamScore success story began at the World Challenge indoor competition at Bodyflight Bedford in 2007. Computer wizzard Andrew Mansfield had taken on the challenge to computerize and digitalize DZ-TV and competition judging. Result was a software program that was applied at the World Challenge 2007 and worked flawlessly.

The program took a video feed from the windtunnel cameras through to the CamScore video recording software. The timing of the video footage was controlled by using a camcorder remote client. A video file was created for each competition round, processed via CamScore and then made available for the judges. They used a PC gamepad to enter their scores and independently reviewed their own decisions using an LCD display unit manufactured by CamScore.

Throughout the first indoor competition in Bedford, CamScore scheduled all the videos that were available at any one time, interspersing commercials and up-to-date results, so providing a continuous real time broadcast to participants and spectators at the competition site.

Each file of a competition round was overlaid with points scored, time taken and other information to enhance the viewing. CamScore concurrently compressed the video and compiled the scores and results for uploads to the internet.

The NSL News experienced and witnessed the same and already improved system a year later at the World Challenge 2008, and it was an impressive experience. The NSL News mentioned the first-class technology of CamScore, its DZ-TV system and the related Cametrix programs quite a few times during the event coverage live from Bedford.

The great feedback after the World Challenge 2007 and the more than convincing repetition at the World Challenge 2008 prepared CamScore well for the logical transition to outdoor events. CamScore judging and DZ-TV became the standard equipment throughout the 2008 season in the United Kingdom and was successfully used at the UK Nationals 2008, as well.

The NSL News experiences with CamScore at the World Challenge 2008 initiated further communication after the event. The NSL began to use CamScore's Dive Pool Generator for the weekly competition draws of the international league network when the Omniskore services were not available any longer. The NSL community has had the opportunity to use this new feature already for a while.

The 2009 season will become even busier for Andrew Mansfield and his CamScore operation. The Czech Republic organizers of the FAI World Cup 2009 decided to use the CamScore system for the most relevant Formation Skydiving competition this year.

The CamScore 2009 season begins with a different event this year.

The World Challenge at Bodyflight Bedford has been CamScore's season opener in 2007 and 2008, and the NSL News will cover the event once again live from Bedford. However, the first CamScore event in 2009 will be an outdoor competition, the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2009.

The NSL News has experienced four different judging and DZ-TV systems in the past years of live event coverage, and the CamScore experiences were the most impressive ones. The high-profile competition in DeLand deserves high-quality judging and a first class DZ-TV system, and discussions between NSL and CamScore resulted in an agreement that will benefit the participants and the on-line audience.

The NSL decided already earlier to bring three world class judges to DeLand for the Shamrock Showdown 2009, Judy Celaya, Rina Gallo and Eric Heinsheimer.

The latest agreement with CamScore moves judging and DZ-TV eventually up to the same world class level that the participating teams have already brought to the table at the previous Shamrock Showdowns in DeLand.

This year's event now offers a great opportunity for the international participants and the whole US community to experience a high-tech operation at an outdoor competition. CamScore does not only provide a complete and sophisticated judging system. It is actually mainly designed as a comprehensive DZ-TV system for all skydiving purposes at any skydiving center, which will be demonstrated at the Shamrock Showdown 2009 in DeLand.

The digital and computerized system makes it also easy to apply different judging options. The NSL plans to apply slower speed judging for the first time at a major event. There will be a first viewing in full speed. The second viewing will be slowed down to a speed between 50% and 80%. Then the score will be posted. The details still have to be discussed with the three world class judges in DeLand.

The Shamrock Showdown 2009 is scheduled for March 20 - 22. Teams and visitors are welcome to participate in this unique experience. The team registration is open until the morning of the first event day.