On Saturday, June 1st, the National Finals of the first “Egg Party” College Tournament officially kicked off at the Hangzhou Esports Center. As a highly anticipated national esports event, the finals were simultaneously live-streamed on five major platforms, including CC Live, Bilibili, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu, reaching a large online audience across China.

The Hangzhou Esports Center, as the first professional esports venue in China built to Asian Games standards, covers an area of 12,838 square meters, with a total construction area of approximately 80,000 square meters, and can accommodate about 5,000 people. The Hangzhou Esports Center, which is the first professional esports venue in China built to Asian Games standards, has hosted numerous major esports events, including the “100 Days Countdown to the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2023” event on June 15, 2023.

To meet the high expectations for image quality and immersive viewing, the event organizers placed strong emphasis on camera selection and overall production workflow.

Outcome: Smooth, High-Quality Live Streaming Across Multiple Platforms

With the ZowieTek 4K POV NDI cameras integrated into the production workflow, the event successfully delivered a smooth, stable, and immersive live-streaming experience across all platforms.

The cameras provided audiences with a more engaging viewing angle by showcasing real-time player reactions, enhancing the overall storytelling of the competition. At the same time, the simplified IP-based workflow reduced setup complexity and improved operational efficiency for the production team.

As a result, the National Finals of the “Egg Party” College Tournament achieved both high production quality and reliable live transmission, demonstrating how compact NDI-enabled POV cameras can effectively support large-scale esports events.

Challenge: Capturing Immersive Player Perspectives in a Live Esports Environment

For esports live broadcasting at a national finals level, the production team faced multiple challenges in delivering an immersive and high-quality viewing experience. In addition to capturing clear close-up shots of players—highlighting facial expressions and subtle movements—the team also had to work within the limited installation space around player seating areas. At the same time, the live production required low-latency and stable video transmission to support simultaneous streaming across multiple platforms. Balancing system simplicity with professional-grade image quality became a key consideration throughout the planning and execution of the broadcast workflow.

Solution: ZowieTek 4K POV NDI Camera (AF Model)

After comprehensive comparisons and repeated testing, the organizers selected the ZowieTek 4K POV NDI Camera (AF model) as the core solution for capturing player perspectives during the event. Designed around a concept of compact flexibility, the camera’s small and lightweight form factor made it easy to install in space-constrained player areas while maintaining a premium, professional appearance. Equipped with a 4K CMOS sensor, the camera delivered sharp, detailed images that clearly presented players’ expressions and movements, enhancing the overall viewing experience for online audiences.

To accommodate the diverse requirements of the live production environment, the ZowieTek POV camera supported simultaneous HDMI and SDI output, allowing seamless integration with the existing broadcasting and switching systems. Its interchangeable lens design further increased flexibility, enabling the production team to select and replace C/CS or M12 lenses according to different shooting angles and scene requirements.

Leveraging NDI technology, the camera connected directly to the IP network, enabling high-quality, low-latency real-time video transmission without the need for complex additional equipment or extensive cabling. Comprehensive network control support—including protocols such as NDI, Onvif, and IP VISCA—allowed the production team to manage and adjust the cameras efficiently within the live workflow. The camera also demonstrated strong compatibility with mainstream production and livestreaming software, ensuring smooth distribution to multiple platforms.

As part of the NDI ecosystem, the ZowieTek 4K POV camera fully supported NDI|HX3, providing ultra-low latency and stable transmission across the IP network. This not only simplified the overall system architecture but also enabled the camera to function as a network camera, allowing direct integration with live streaming and video conferencing platforms without relying on traditional USB connections. Together, these capabilities made the ZowieTek POV camera a practical and cost-effective solution for professional esports live broadcasting.