PigTV
PigTV, also known as PigTV Paintball Television, is an online paintball video service launched in spring 1997 by WARPIG (World And Regional Paintball Information Guide). The service distributed tournament footage, player interviews, equipment demonstrations, scenario games and industry coverage through internet video streaming.[1]
PigTV was an early example of online paintball television, offering full-length programmes at a time when internet video distribution was still developing. Its first production was a 32-minute programme documenting the 1997 National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) and Great Western Series tournaments in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1][2]
History
[edit]Establishment
[edit]PigTV was established in spring 1997 in response to requests from WARPIG readers for greater television coverage of paintball.
The service was developed by WARPIG, an American paintball publication operated by Bill and Dawn Mills.
Its first episode, Viva Las Vegas, documented the combined NPPL and Great Western Series tournaments held in Las Vegas during 1997.
The programme ran for 32 minutes and was distributed over the internet using RealVideo technology.
According to WARPIG's retrospective account, the programme received feedback from a viewer in Finland shortly after its initial release, demonstrating the international reach of internet video distribution.[1]
Early internet streaming
[edit]The earliest PigTV productions were encoded for viewers using 28.8 Kbps dial-up modem connections.
These technical limitations required heavy video compression and low image resolutions.
As internet access improved, PigTV introduced higher-quality video streams suitable for 56 Kbps and later 200 Kbps connections.[1]
The service eventually adopted broadband video delivery using Java and Adobe Flash technology.
Unlike commercially distributed paintball VHS tapes and DVDs, PigTV's online programmes were made available without charge.[1]
1997 Paintball World Cup
[edit]One of PigTV's earliest major productions documented the 1997 Paintball World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida.
The programme ran for approximately 104 minutes, combining tournament footage with interviews and equipment demonstrations.[2]
Featured subjects included:
- Brass Eagle and the Rainmaker paintball marker.
- Smart Parts and the electronic Shocker.
- KAPP equipment and accessories.
- Palmer's Pursuit Shop and the Blazer.
- ViewLoader and the Revolution loader.
- Traumahead Sportz and its tournament video productions.
- Interviews with event organiser Jerry Braun.
The coverage also documented the tournament's closing ceremonies and discussions concerning compressed-air equipment.
The programme was divided into shorter episodes for online viewing.[2][3]
Later tournament coverage
[edit]PigTV continued documenting paintball events throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Its coverage included major professional tournaments, amateur competitions, trade shows and scenario games.
In 2004, WARPIG produced a 30-minute PigTV programme covering the Mardi Gras Open, including competition from the National Xball League (NXL).[4]
Selected productions
[edit]The following is a selection of programmes preserved in the PigTV Classics archive.[2]
| Year | Production | Runtime |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Viva Las Vegas | 32 minutes |
| 1997 | The 1997 World Cup | 104 minutes |
| 1997 | Summer in the Sunshine State | 20 minutes |
| 1997 | I Left My Paint in San Francisco | 31 minutes |
| 1998 | Indoor Nationals | 24 minutes |
| 1998 | ZAP International Masters | 19 minutes |
| 1998 | ZAP International Amateur Open | 65 minutes |
| 1998 | Challenge Cup | 44 minutes |
| 1998 | Skyball | 32 minutes |
| 1999 | ZAP Masters | 12 minutes |
| 1999 | Great Western Series Finals, Hawaii | 23 minutes |
The list represents selected productions rather than a complete filmography.
Content
[edit]Tournament coverage
[edit]Tournament footage formed the principal component of PigTV programming.
Productions included match highlights, player interviews, tournament results, awards ceremonies and behind-the-scenes material.
PigTV documented competitions organised by the NPPL, Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP), the Great Western Series and other tournament organisers.
Equipment and industry coverage
[edit]PigTV also featured interviews with paintball equipment manufacturers and demonstrations of new products.
The 1997 World Cup production included material concerning the Brass Eagle Rainmaker, Smart Parts Shocker, ViewLoader Revolution and Palmer's Pursuit Shop Blazer.[2]
Other programmes documented paintball trade shows, industry conferences and manufacturing facilities.
Recreational and scenario paintball
[edit]The service covered recreational and scenario paintball alongside tournament competition.
Its 1997 programme Summer in the Sunshine State included footage from Without Remorse, a 24-hour scenario game organised by Wayne Dollack in Ocala, Florida.[2]
Collaboration with Traumahead Sportz
[edit]PigTV incorporated footage supplied by other paintball video producers.
Traumahead Sportz contributed excerpts from its coverage of the 1997 Pittsburgh NPPL tournament.
These segments included professional ten-player competition, interviews and equipment demonstrations.
The PigTV programme I Left My Paint in San Francisco featured Traumahead footage of the Smart Parts Shocker and Pittsburgh tournament action.[2]
WARPIG's contemporary correspondence confirmed that PigTV accepted contributions from outside producers rather than limiting its programming to material filmed by WARPIG itself.[5]
Music and soundtracks
[edit]PigTV used licensed music in tournament highlight sequences.
Its official website identifies the following recordings featured in programmes from 2001:[6]
| Programme | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|
| Gettysburg 2001 | The Benjamins | Clover |
| Challenge Cup 2001 | The Starting Line | Greg's Last Day |
| Ultimate Madness 2001 | Allister | Jimmy's Dream Girl |
| Mardi Gras Open 2001 | Midtown | Direction |
All four recordings were credited as being used courtesy of Drive-Thru Records.
The song Jimmy's Dream Girl appeared on Allister's album Dead Ends and Girlfriends.
The recordings are identified directly in PigTV's published music credits.[6]
Historical archive
[edit]PigTV's original programmes remain documented through the WARPIG website.
The PigTV Classics section preserves links to productions from 1997 to 1999, originally distributed using RealPlayer video streams.[2]
The service also established a YouTube channel for selected archived productions.[6]
Many original recordings used video formats and compression standards developed for the limited internet bandwidth available during the 1990s.
PigTV's surviving programmes provide historical footage of tournament formats, equipment, professional teams, industry representatives and playing fields during an important period in paintball's development.
See also
[edit]- WARPIG
- Traumahead Sportz
- Paintball film
- Paintball media
- National Professional Paintball League
- Paintball World Cup
References
[edit]- WARPIG, "About PigTV", official history of the service, its 1997 launch, early webcasting and video technology.
- WARPIG, "PigTV Classics", historical programme catalogue, descriptions and runtimes, 1997–1999.
- WARPIG, "World Cup 1997", contemporary tournament coverage including PigTV episode descriptions.
- WARPIG, "Mardi Gras Open 2004", contemporary tournament coverage and 30-minute PigTV programme.
- WARPIG, "Letters to the Pig", historical correspondence discussing Traumahead's video contributions and PigTV's open submission policy.
- WARPIG, "PigTV – Paintball Television", official video archive and 2001 soundtrack credits.