PNC Arena Adding 4,000-Square-Foot Daktronics LED Display System
Daktronics and The Centennial Authority, owner of PNC Arena, are partnering to install a 4,000-square-foot centerhung LED display system by the start of the 2019-20 hockey season to enhance the fan experience at Carolina Hurricanes hockey games, NC State University men’s basketball games and other special events held at the facility. The centerhung is nearly three times larger than the existing system and adds to the already-installed 5,250 square feet of digital displays at the arena.
“We are committed to maintaining PNC Arena as a first-class facility and providing enhancements that create the best possible fan experience for all events,” said The Centennial Authority Chairman Thomas McCormick. “We are excited to unveil the new centerhung scoreboard at the opening of the 2019-2020 Carolina Hurricanes and NC State men’s basketball seasons.”
The centerhung is curved around the corners to provide a large, single canvas presentation that is HDR ready and capable. This single canvas presentation will measure approximately 25 feet high by 148 feet wide and will feature 5.9-millimetre line spacing to bring high-resolution imagery to fans throughout the arena. Each side of the centerhung provides a 25-foot-high by 47-foot-wide viewing experience while each end measures 25 feet high by 27 feet wide.
“This new video system will bring a larger-than-life experience to fans and event attendees at PNC Arena,” said Daktronics President and CEO Reece Kurtenbach. “We’re excited to work with PNC Arena, the Carolina Hurricanes and NC State to bring this improved visual centerpiece to their events. As the fan experience at live events continues to be paramount, our team remains dedicated to providing the best possible solutions for our customers to help them exceed their entertainment goals.”
Two displays will be mounted to the underbelly of the centerhung to appeal to fans, players and coaches sitting courtside. Each display will measure approximately 10 feet high by 20 feet wide and will feature 3.9-millimetre line spacing to provide optimized resolution for those viewers.
The main display features variable content zoning allowing it to show one large image or multiple zoned images. Live video, instant replay, statistics and game information, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages can all be shown simultaneously or take over the entire display in coordination with specific moments during the event.
These displays join approximately 5,250 square feet of Daktronics LED displays currently installed at PNC Arena including two 360-degree ribbon displays, five more ribbon displays, 10 scorer’s tables and an exterior marquee.
Britannia Row Supplies Sound Solutions for Spurs’ Home Turf Triumph
In 2017, Britannia Row was tasked with providing live audio for the Tottenham Hotspur's ground closure at White Hart Lane. After proving itself as a trusted audio supplier to the Premier League club, two years later the rental house was asked to supply top engineers and a control package for a special event to mark the opening of the club’s new stadium.
Working closely with Donaldson Creative, event producers Gary Beestone Events and Theatre contracted in Britannia Row to ensure a smooth delivery was achieved for the highly anticipated production.
Britannia Row Client Liaison, Tom Brown, explained why it was a very important gig to execute perfectly. “We had some of our expert TV and touring crew working on this job. With an event like this, there’s simply no room for glitches.”
Britannia Row also brought in broadcast sound supervisor, Toby Allington [The BRITs / MTV EMAs] to provide a music feed which Sky then mixed in with their sports ambient mics. The broadcaster had final control over what hit TV screens.
Before the match against London rivals Crystal Palace, fans were treated to 45-minutes of team favourites by The Tottenham Hotspur Marching Band before the official Opening Ceremony was broadcast live on UK TV. The artists comprised a choir from Gladesmore Community School [orchestrated by Musical Director, Steve Sidwell] with Lanya Matthews leading the vocal celebrations. The pupils were also joined by Spurs super fan and Welsh tenor, Wynne Evans.
Britannia Row provided the live audio mix and a broadcast feed for the Sky Sports crew. Mixing desks deployed were Yamaha QL1s, which received stems from the Britannia Row playback system. A package of Shure handheld microphones, Shure IEMs and 32-channels of RF were also utilised.
Tom continued: “The RF needed some figuring out, with the channel list fitting for TV coverage. As far as our equipment goes, we deliberately designed the system with a small footprint. We built the spec around the varied line-up [from a soulful songstress to rap and operatic vocals], which played for around 10-minutes.”
Gary Beestone said: “This mini concert had a huge audience and called for a collaborative approach between both our team and Brit Row. We had a very intense task ahead but with Tom Brown in place handling audio from the very beginning, it meant the project benefited from absolute continuity; from conception right through to the delivery, I knew we were in safe hands.”
Britannia Row has managed audio for a number of high-profile live sporting events such as the Rugby World Cup, Game 4 Grenfell (the tragedy’s charity football match) and a host of NFL and FA games to name but a few. Brown revealed: “Taking a gig in and out of a football or rugby stadium is difficult and requires some precise logistical management, obviously nothing can get in the way of the game. This show went very smoothly; we had a very happy client and a great crew in place to mix the performance and get it right the first – and only! - time.”
According to Gary, Spurs’ 2-0 victory wasn’t the only success of the night: “Brit Row are very well suited to both high-pressure and largescale outdoor events. They’re able to deliver huge coverage and, as usual, the sound quality was faultless.”
Solotech Appoints Paul Owen as General Manager at its Nashville Office
Martin Tremblay, President and CEO of Solotech, has announced the appointment of Paul Owen as General Manager of the company’s Nashville office.
In recent years, Solotech has undergone significant international growth and has found that the addition of local general managers for Solotech’s offices best supports the vision and the business model of the company: Think Global, Act local.
Under the shared responsibility of Philip Giffard, President, Sales and Systems Integration Division, and Mickey Curbishley, President of the Live Productions Division (USA), Paul is now responsible for ensuring the efficiency of local operations and sales, encouraging seamless synergies between the Divisions and further developing the company’s business opportunities in the Nashville area.
Drawing on over 40 years of experience in the audiovisual and entertainment industry, he is recognized for this work in the world’s biggest stages and stadiums. Paul was also the driving force behind the opening and expansion of the Nashville office, created in 2016, which he was administrating prior to taking this new position.
“Owen managed the Nashville office operations with brio since its opening, that’s why his appointment was the perfect decision to pursue our business opportunities in this area”, said Martin.
Daktronics and Dimensional Innovations Partner for Successful LED Video Integration
Daktronics has partnered with Dimensional Innovations (DI), an experience design, technology and fabrication firm, to bring new LED video displays to life for the University of Connecticut’s Hall of Champions on campus in Storrs, Connecticut.
“The Daktronics team worked with us every step up of the way of this project, beginning in our early conceptual design all the way through installation,” said Curtis Walker, technology director for Dimensional Innovations. “We couldn’t imagine doing walls of this scale with a different product. We have high expectations for our final product and Daktronics exceeded these during every phase.”
Working closely with DI, Daktronics manufactured and provided three narrow pixel pitch displays featuring 2.5-millimeter line spacing. Two displays measure more than 21 feet high by 10 feet wide and are positioned along the staircases in the lobby of the Hall of Champions. A single display measuring 9 feet high by 16 feet wide is mounted to the main wall in the hall.
These displays are positioned to connect and engage with visitors in the space as they look through the championship accolades of the University of Connecticut.
“Dimensional Innovations developed a killer design concept for the new UConn Hall of Champions,” said Steve Bayer, Daktronics special projects director. “A key piece of their integration scope was sourcing the LED displays. #UConnNation has high expectations and DI knew they could count on Daktronics to deliver the best displays the industry has to offer.”
Daktronics works with AV integrators in various applications to bring LED installations from the idea phase to reality.
MONDO STADIA is Category Partner for the World Football Summit Industry Awards
MONDO STADIA has joined the World Football Summit (WFS) Industry Awards as the new category partner for the Best Venue award.
The WFS Industry Awards acknowledge and reward the work done by professionals in the football industry, who in their daily lives, beyond the 90 minutes of the game, make this sport a real economic engine. This event rewards the achievements of the world’s leading football club managers, agencies, sponsors, press, associations and NGOs.
With a distinguished jury, selected for their expertise and wide knowledge of the industry, the WFS Awards are a major networking event linked to the annual World Football Summit congress. The awards serve as a recognition to the best professionals in the global football industry, and as a marketing badge for the winners.
The WFS Awards take place in September in Madrid, Spain.
Daktronics and Texas Athletics Team Up for New Video Displays
When University of Texas Longhorn fans head to sporting events in 2019, they will enjoy six new LED displays manufactured and installed by Daktronics. Nearly 3,000 square feet of LED technology will enhance the fan experience at baseball, swimming & diving, soccer, and track and field events on campus for years to come.
"Daktronics continues to provide valued products for Texas Athletics,” said Texas Vice President/Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. “These new videoboard displays at Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, UFCU Disch-Falk Field, and Mike A. Myers Track & Soccer Stadium provide our fans with excellent in-venue game-day enhancements. Fan attendance and engagement are so important to our student-athletes and coaches.”
Main video displays at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field, Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, and UFCU Disch-Falk Field bring excellent image clarity and contrast to fans in those venues. The new displays are capable of variable content zoning, allowing each display to show one large image or divide into multiple windows to show any combination of live video, instant replays, statistics, event information, graphics, animations and sponsorship messages.
“All of us at Daktronics thank the University of Texas for their confidence and trust in us to upgrade the displays at these venues,” said Daktronics Sales Representative Dan Fjeldheim. “We are excited to showcase the aquatics and track and field displays at NCAA national championship events this year. The baseball video board caps off a system that provides attendees a second-to-none college baseball game-day presentation.”
In the outdoor venues, UFCU Disch-Falk Field receives a new left field video display and a backstop display. The video board is 15-millimeter SMD line spacing while the backdrop features 6-millimetre line spacing. Myers Stadium receives a new display at the north end and clock displays at field level. Both feature 15-millimetre line spacing.
Inside Jamail Texas Swimming centre, new displays will be mounted at each end of the venue and one other display is mounted to the wall next to the diving well. These displays feature 10-millimetre line spacing to bring high-resolution imagery to fans throughout the venue.
For ease of control across multiple venues, Daktronics has also installed its powerful Show Control System. This industry-leading system provides a combination of display control software, world-class video processing, data integration and playback hardware that forms a user-friendly production solution.
Kansas City Football Club Turns to Daktronics for Field Level Displays
Daktronics has been asked by Sporting Kansas City Football Club to manufacture and install 835 linear feet of LED displays along the field level of Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas. A 15.5-foot tunnel display was installed along with the field level displays in March.
“We’re excited to welcome Daktronics as one of the club’s newest partners and we’re thrilled to showcase our partnership at Children’s Mercy Park,” said Jon Moses, Sporting KC’s senior director of corporate partnership sales. “Our stadium continues to be one of the most technologically advanced venues in Major League Soccer and Daktronics will now help us deliver an even more engaging experience for our fans.”
Lining the soccer pitch at 2.5 feet high by 835 feet in length is LED technology featuring 15-millimetre line spacing. These displays are video capable and can show multiple different graphics, statistics or sponsorship messages throughout events.
“Our pitch perimeter displays are engineered to provide a visual experience that is second to none,” said Tony Mulder, Daktronics regional manager. “The brightness punches through direct sunlight to engage viewers, and we’re looking forward to this installation having an impact on matches at Children’s Mercy Park for years to come.”
Above the tunnel entrance in the southeast corner of the park, another display measuring 3.5 feet high by 15.5 feet wide and featuring 15-millimetre line spacing was installed. This has similar functionality to the sideline displays and offers supplemental information to fans and viewers.
These new displays feature industry-leading environmental protection to keep them operating as expected in the outdoor elements. They also provide excellent image clarity and contrast with wide angle visibility to appeal to every seat in the park.
Daktronics Provides LED Video Display for University of Alabama at Birmingham Soccer
Daktronics has partnered with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to design, manufacture and install a new LED video display at BBVA Compass Field for the 2019 season. The venue will also be in use by professional soccer’s Birmingham Legion FC.
“The Daktronics LED video board at BBVA Compass Field has made a tremendous impact to our upgraded facility,” said UAB Director of Athletics Mark Ingram. “It provides our fans a first-class visual experience and has contributed to what is now one of the nicest on-campus soccer stadiums in the country.”
Bringing an upgraded visual experience, the new LED display measures approximately 18 feet high by 32.5 feet wide and features a 15HD pixel layout to bring crisp, clear imagery with wide angle visibility to appeal to every seat in the facility.
“Daktronics is proud to be part of the video upgrades at BBVA Compass Field,” said Glen Marts, Daktronics sales representative. “This continues our longstanding partnership with Blazer Athletics and we’re excited for what the future holds.”
The display is capable of variable content zoning allowing for one large image or to be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replays, statistics and game information, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages. It also features industry-leading environmental protection to keep it operating in all forms of weather.
In addition to the equipment installation, Birmingham soccer will also receive a content package that will be produced and delivered by Daktronics Creative Services.
Daktronics Provides Technology for the Olympic Oval
Daktronics has partnered with the Olympic Oval in Alberta, Canada, to deliver two new LED video boards and control equipment. Everything for the project was manufactured and installed in 2018 to be fully operational at the start of the 2019 calendar year.
“The Olympic Oval strives to have a ‘Game Ready’ concept that allows us to host all events very easily,” said Jamie Seguin, Olympic Oval associate director, marketing, sponsorship and events. “From club racing to international events, this capacity allows the Oval to lead the world in video delivery for speed skating. The addition of these screens, the versatility they add, further evolves the quality of the amazing daily training environment that the Oval offers to all clients. Daktronics aligned with our vision for this project and has delivered on that idea.”
A new main video display was installed at one end of the venue featuring 650 square feet of video display space. It employs 6-millimeter line spacing and measures 12.5 feet high by 52 feet wide. Additionally, a portable display featuring the same 6-millimeter line spacing and measuring 12.5 feet high by 25 feet wide was provided to the Olympic Oval. This display can be moved to different locations throughout the venue to maximize viewing during any event.
“This video display project brings a flexible and unique visual experience to the Olympic Oval,” said Brady Jacobsen, Daktronics regional sales manager. “The ability to move the large portable display to various locations for different events will help the venue maximize their visual components for all audiences. All of this new equipment will produce a positive impact for the Olympic Oval for years to come.”
Both displays are capable of variable content zoning allowing each to show one large image or multiple zones to show any combination of content. Live video, instant replays, statistics and event information, graphics and animations, sponsorship messages and more can be shown to inform and engage audiences.
Custom Daktronics control components were delivered and integrated with the installation including front end video equipment. This equipment helps connect the new displays with an existing Daktronics LED display for a cohesive visual experience for all audiences and events within the venue.
SVT Utilises EVS to Deliver Two Landmark World Championship Host Remote Productions
Swedish national public broadcaster SVT has utilised EVS live production technology to successfully deliver two complex and ambitious remote productions for high-profile winter sports events: The Åre 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and the Östersund 2019 IBU World Championships Biathlon, which took place in February and March in the neighbouring Swedish resorts. This presented host broadcaster SVT – one of the pioneers of remote productions – with an opportunity to remotely produce both events from its broadcast centre in Stockholm, some 600 km away.
Around 75 uncompressed HD camera signals were transported in IP via two 100 Gbps Telia fiber circuits from the events in central Sweden to SVT’s three control rooms back in Stockholm. The main director and vision mixer operator for both events were directing from galleries in Åre and Östersund that were connected to SVT’s central control rooms.
There, SVT scaled up its existing EVS resources for the specific demands of ingesting and producing the large amount of incoming feeds from both Championships which included standard cameras, triple-speed and 6 times super slow-motion cameras. This was done by bringing in additional industry-standard XT3 ChannelMAX servers from HDR Sweden to expand SVT’s existing EVS XT3/XS3 production servers and IPDirector PAM software suite. The expanded EVS system consisted of over 100 EVS HD channels for both Host and national-unilateral operation.
All EVS LSM replay operators were located in SVT’s Stockholm control rooms to provide instant replays, slomos, highlights and closers for the World Feed for both events. The EVS operators in the control rooms were able to create replays and highlights packages for the World Feed, World Feed Plus and also SVT’s national production remotely. One of the benefits of the central/remote operation, as all camera feeds were transported directly back to the broadcast centre in Stockholm, was that SVT’s in-house editorial team working on the national-unilateral production as well as SVT’s winter program “Vinterstudion” had exclusive material at their disposal to craft even more compelling content.
The World Feed Plus, which was an additional feed produced and offered by Infront Sports & Media and SVT to all rights holders for the Åre 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, was also produced thanks to the EVS system. All EVS operators in the gallery were tagging the best Super Motion footage from each skier with metadata/keywords. And thanks to IPDirector’s advanced filtering and search capabilities, the World Feed Plus EVS operator could very quickly have a package ready of every skier as soon as they had completed their run. This would not be possible without EVS’ unique XNet instant live media sharing network, as Super Motion clips could be shared instantly across the XNet network without any transfer.
“We’ve been exploring the possibilities that remote productions bring since our first test at London 2012, as they can be both more efficient and more environmentally friendly. These two recent winter sports events were landmarks in terms of the sheer scale of what was attempted,” said Adde Granberg, SVT’s CTO and Head of Production.
Laurent Petit, EVS’ SVP Product said: “SVT has been driving forward remote productions for many years and has reached yet another scale on the host production of the Åre 2019 and Östersund 2019 World Championships. EVS is embracing and supporting such initiatives. From a product/solution development perspective, we do our best to assess our customer’s requirements in such remote production operations or by enabling remote access and workflows from OBs on location. The newly released XT-VIA and XNet-VIA will bring even more possibilities since it supports IP SMPTE2110 standards for any production environment.”
In addition to its involvement in SVT’s host broadcasts for both the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2019 and the IBU World Championships Biathlon 2019, EVS live production equipment was also extensively used on-site and at the broadcast centres of numerous rights holders.