XFlicker is the ultimate REAL-TIME deflicker unit for live broadcast events – an absolute necessity for all high speed shooting systems.

All slow-motion cameras show flickering artefacts in slow motion playback. These artefacts are the result of the interference between the flickering produced by most artificial lights and the frame-rate of the camera. This is a physical effect, which cannot be avoided if the subject being filmed depends entirely on already installed light-sources, e.g., in a sports stadium. The XFLICKER 1U system completely removes the flicker/frame rate conflict. The unit receives the HDSDI input signal and, using our own patent pending algorithm, delivers a flicker-free output in real time without any visible artefacts. This is done inside our FPGA based hardware.

The XFLICKER comes as a 1HE 19-inch rack housing to mount directly into any OB VAN or studio facility. The 1U rack unit can be delivered with one or two HDSDI channels. In the two channel configuration, two signals from independent slow motion cameras can be processed at the same time. The XFLICKER has a front panel display, which is configured using a five button element to navigate through the on-screen menu. The unit can also be operated with a remote-control via RS485 and firmware updated via USB. The XFLICKER has a built-in, safe, adjusting algorithm, which allows the system to automatically adapt to environments. In most cases, there is no need for scene-based correction. The algorithm also supports non-continuous video frame rates as an input signal. This is critical for ramps, which are typically used to fast-forward to a dedicated scene, as well as, to ramp into the slow motion sequence.

This example shows the result of the XFlicker deflicker solution on a high-speed shoot, captured using a Phantom high-speed camera in an environment with several light sources (e.g., tungsten, daylight, different lighting techniques). As a result, this leads to light flickering and an unstable image at 600 frames per second. For demo purposes, the XFlicker delicker solution is shown in both ON and OFF scenarios.