While watching varsity high-school baseball or softball games these days, take a second to look at what is attached about six feet high on the outside screened section of the backstops.
One or two, maybe as many as three, small cameras usually are fastened that stream the games live on the internet. It’s pretty standard these days for at least one streaming camera to be attached during a game, as advanced technology is becoming a bigger and bigger part of high-school sports. The photo with this blog shows two cameras, situated a few feet apart, but at the same height, to broadcast a recent varsity baseball game at Yorktown High School in Arlington.
Watching a streamed game from one of those cameras, especially at night, isn’t the greatest overall view. Sometimes balls hit deep into the outfield are had to pick up, as are those hit along the foul lines. The infield coverage is pretty good.
Daytime streams are much better to see the entire field.
Occasionally one of the cameras will get hit by a foul ball and dislodged a bit. Once reattached, the stream cast continues just fine, as the cameras are pretty durable.
It’s still much better, though, for now to watch the high-school games in person, because so much more can be fully seen.
– Dave Facinoli
dfacinoli@sungazette.net