High Point University Choose Daktronics LED Displays
Daktronics has partnered with High Point University to manufacture and install four new LED video displays to the Millis Center in High Point, North Carolina. Installation was completed this summer to bring improved visual experience to Panthers sports and special events.
“High Point University is thrilled to enhance the game-day experience for our fans this season with the installation of new Daktronics video boards in our basketball arena,” said High Point University Athletic Director Dan Hauser. “Daktronics has been the leader in the area of video board technology and it was an easy decision to partner with a business built on customer service and quality products. We’re excited to begin the 2018-19 basketball season with hall of fame head coach Tubby Smith and a transformed Millis Center thanks to Daktronics video boards.”
The main display measures 12.5 feet high by 22 feet wide and three auxiliary displays each measure 9.5 feet high by 16.5 feet wide. All four displays feature 6-millimeter line spacing to bring crisp, clear imagery to fans, student-athletes and coaches at every event.
“This project started out with a goal of increasing the size of each display in Millis as well as trying to streamline their control system in hopes of making the operator experience more user-friendly,” said Corey Williams, Daktronics sales representative. “I think that we were able to accomplish their goals and it has brought a new feel to this great facility. We’re very grateful for the opportunity to build upon our long-standing relationship with High Point University and can’t wait to see the impact the new system will have on the fans’ game-day experience.”
Each of the video displays is capable of variable content zoning. This allows each display to show one large image or to be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics, animations and sponsorship messages.
Along the sidelines, the Millis Center received four courtside LED scorer’s tables. Each table measures approximately 2ft high by 9ft wide and features 10mm line spacing. They can provide supplemental content to the main displays such as statistics and graphics as well as offering the opportunity to highlight sponsors throughout events.
Daktronics included its powerful Show Control System with this installation. 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.
www.daktronics.com
Alteros Employs Direct-to-Fiber Implementation for US Open 2018
After a successful trial run of its GTX 6.5GHz UWB wireless microphone system last year at the US Open Tennis Championships in New York, Alteros, an Audio-Technica company, upped its game for 2018. Utilising the enhanced range and flexibility provided by the new Alteros Direct-to-Fiber system, host broadcaster ESPN was able to quickly set up and cover multiple locations with Alteros’ great sounding interference-free wireless microphone coverage.
The standard GTX system allows up to 32 GTX32 transceivers to each be connected to the GTX3224 control unit with up to 1000 feet of Cat 5 cable, creating a L.A.W.N. (local area wireless microphone network) system to communicate bi-directionally with up to 24 GTX24 wireless microphone transmitters – 24 microphone channels and 24 talkback channels with an additional eight group channels. With the introduction of the GTX3224F, fibre connections measured in miles instead of feet can connect the control unit to GTX-FX8 8-port nodes for remote Cat 5 connection to up to 48 GTX32 transceivers (up to 16 GTX32s can be connected directly to the GTX3224F by Cat 5 for a total capability of 64), resulting in the ability to cover larger spaces and multiple locations.
While the Direct-to-Fibre system would allow coverage anywhere within the Arthur Ashe Stadium (the largest tennis stadium in the world), three areas were covered with the Alteros GTX3224F system for the 2018 U.S. Open: practice court #1 and the broadcast sets at both the Stadium courtyard and practice courts. The Alteros GTX3224F main fiber control unit was housed in the safe convenience of the ESPN Technical Operations Center. Fiber then connected to the remote locations where GTX-FX8 8-port fiber nodes supplied control and power. The high-resolution audio remained uncompromised and fully digital – 48 kHz/24-bit – throughout the system.
The GTX Direct-to-Fibre system fits perfectly into the IP-based and networked structures increasingly adopted by broadcasters for high-quality efficient production.
Harman Brings Electrifying Concert Lighting to 2018 X Games
Slamhammer recently deployed a full complement of Martin by Harman lighting fixtures to illuminate three nights of musical performances by major headlining artists at the 2018 X Games in Minneapolis.
The X Games is an annual sports competition produced by ESPN that brings together the best athletes in skateboarding, BMX, motocross, snowboarding, inline skating and more. The 2018 Summer X Games were held at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, with three nights of official concerts at the 8,400-capacity Minneapolis Armory. In order to provide stunning visuals and immersive lighting for headlining performances by Ice Cube, Zedd and Kaskade, ESPN hired live production company Slamhammer to deploy a world-class lighting rig on the Geico Music Stage at the Armory. Slamhammer selected a full complement of Martin lighting fixtures for their versatile features, reliable performance and vibrant colours.
“It’s a privilege to be involved with an event as iconic as the X Games for the second year in a row,” said Marty Lesmeister, Lighting Department Manager at Slamhammer. “ESPN asked us to put together an impressive lighting rig that could handle the demands of a high-energy concert at an extreme sports event, while staying within a reasonable budget. We went with the Martin rig because it’s flexible and powerful enough to deliver impressive results with a modest number of fixtures. Everyone was really satisfied with the rig. Zedd’s lighting designer uses 200 or more fixtures for his show, so it’s a real testament to Martin fixtures that he was able to get everything he needed from a fraction of the lights he originally requested. These performances were fly dates for all three acts too, so it was crucial that the lighting designers were comfortable with the fixtures and could get in and get out without sacrificing quality and speed on the programming and performance side of things.”
To provide the guest lighting designers with maximum power and versatility while maintaining a modest footprint, Slamhammer supplied the Geico Music Stage at the Armory with an impressive Martin rig consisting of 12 MAC Viper Profile spot fixtures, 30 MAC Aura wash fixtures and 21 Atomic 3000 DMX strobe fixtures. The flexibility, programmability and reliability of these rider-friendly fixtures are highly valued by lighting designers throughout the industry, enabling the Slamhammer team to satisfy the lighting requirements of all three headlining artists without having to make changes to the rig between performances.
“We basically used the same lighting rig for all three artists—the only things that moved were floor packages on the actual stage,” added Patrick O’Brien, Lighting Technician at Slamhammer. “Everyone was really happy with the Martin rig in the air, so the trusses stayed the exact same each night, which makes our job that much easier. That’s the great thing about working with Martin—they’re extremely well-known and have a solid reputation for doing the job well. We know that every lighting director will have zero problems when they walk in and see Martin fixtures on the rig.”
www.harman.com
DNP Supernova is Clear Favourite at Tokyo Racecourse
The Japan Racing Association (JRA) wanted to replace the existing display system in the main concourse of the racecourse to overcome the problems of low definition and insufficient brightness. The relatively dim lighting required in the concourse was undesirable for a premier venue, so they opted for dnp Supernova screen technology, supplied by KIC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan and matched with high-spec projectors.
JRA had already settled on a pair of high-spec Panasonic projectors when they contacted installer KIC Corporation for advice on a suitable screen. They needed high contrast, brightness and definition to deliver images that would satisfy demanding bettors and spectators.
KIC recommended a dnp Supernova Screen because of its ability to offer high contrast even at extreme viewing angles – qualities that have put the screen among the few to have earned ISF certification.
“They also enable you to use multiple projectors to create bigger high-resolution images without risking visible overlap,” KIC said. “Furthermore, the screen is physically easy to manage, which helped us when we built in additional protection against the effects of possible earthquakes.”
The projectors and screen are well matched for performance and quality. The system displays live horseracing, results, odds and payout information with the clarity and brightness that racegoers demand. JRA comented: “The new projection system provides high-contrast, high-definition images that clearly show the number information for a fast-running horse, even under brighter lighting conditions.”
Daktronics Selected for Fertitta Centre LED Displays
Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, has been selected to design, manufacture and install new curved, end wall LED video displays, halo ribbon display, fascia display and stanchion displays for the University of Houston’s Fertitta Centre, Texas. With installation slated for the summer of 2018, progress is currently being made on the project.
“We are focused on providing a tremendous game-day experience in the Fertitta Centre for both our fans and our student-athletes,” said Houston Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman. “The Daktronics video displays throughout the Fertitta Centre will factor heavily into what we expect to be an exceptional home-court advantage and entertaining fans throughout our home games.”
The two curved LED video displays will each measure 13.5ft by 60ft, one mounted at each end of the coliseum. The displays are capable of variable content zoning allowing each to show one large image or to be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replay, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.
Hanging in the centre of the arena, a halo ribbon display will bring a unique element to digital content and information for fans. The display will measure 2.5ft high by 568ft in circumference and feature 10mm line spacing.
“The Fertitta Centre will be a state of the art facility for live events and Daktronics is thankful to be involved in such a great project. We thank the University of Houston for their commitment to us and look forward to seeing the displays in action this December,” said Dan Fjeldheim, Sales Representative for Daktronics.
Along the seating fascia, a ribbon display will be installed measuring 2.5ft high by 130ft long. On the sidelines, four new LED scorer’s tables can be positioned in any configuration. Each table measures approximately 2ft high by 9ft wide. These displays, along with the main curved displays and halo ribbon display, will feature 10mm line spacing to deliver crisp, clear imagery to fans throughout the venue.
The halo, ribbon and scorer’s tables can show supplemental content and statistics to the main displays while also providing the opportunity to highlight sponsors throughout events.
Additionally, four stanchion displays, two at each basketball hoop support structure, will be installed at the Fertitta Centre. Each measure 1ft high by 3ft wide and features 6mm line spacing. These displays provide the centre with more advertising and revenue-generating opportunities for basketball games held inside the venue.
In addition to the equipment installation, the University of Houston will also receive a content package that will be produced and delivered by Daktronics Creative Services.
NHL Team Renews Blackbird Partnership for Game Highlights
Forbidden Technologies plc, the developer and seller of Blackbird, the workstation experience in the cloud, has announced that the Buffalo Sabres have extended their Blackbird partnership.
Blackbird enables the Buffalo Sabres’ media team to access, edit, add closed captions and rapidly publish video highlights of the NHL team’s games to social media and TV for the enjoyment of fans worldwide. Leading sports production, content development and distribution company, MSG Networks, which covers Buffalo Sabres games is also a Blackbird partner.
Blackbird’s super low-latency codec allows video to be frame-accurately viewed and edited just six seconds after live from anywhere using bandwidth as low as 2Mb per second. Video production teams benefit from a workstation experience in the cloud using Blackbird - significantly increasing productivity and eliminating the potential technical points of failure that on-premise hardware can cause.
Forbidden CEO, Ian McDonough said: “The Sabres renewing is a great endorsement of how Blackbird has become a vital part of their video production infrastructure week in week out. We’re delighted to extend our commercial relationship with them.”
“We rely on Blackbird to help us share our live content across multiple platforms,” Mark Preisler, Pegula Sports and Entertainment’s Executive Vice President of Media and Content said. “Blackbird technology keeps the process of posting video with captioning simple and efficient.”
Daktronics Provides LED Displays for Osceola Heritage Park
South Dakota-based Daktronics has provided four double-sided digital street furniture displays using LED technology for Osceola Heritage Park, an entertainment complex, home of the Silver Spurs Arena, the Events Centre and Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida. The new eye-level displays are being installed this summer to bring awareness to event attendees.
“The addition of these and other Daktronics digital signage on our property has enhanced the aesthetic beauty of our facility; improved our operational systems and elevated the fan experience for our patrons,” said Robb Larson, SMG/Osceola Heritage Park’s General Manager.
Each display measures more than 5ft high by 3ft wide and features 6mm line spacing to deliver excellent image clarity and contrast for foot traffic that may be very close to the displays. Perfect for advertising and additional messaging, these displays will be used to communicate with event attendees year-round.
“These new displays will transform the area around Osceola Heritage Park to bring additional messages and information to audiences attending events or passing by,” said Mike Kempany, Daktronics sales representative. “We’re excited for this new digital signage installation as our products continue to help our customers share important messages with their audiences.”
Digital street furniture features a sleek, European-inspired design to compliment the surrounding architecture while also emphasizing the message, not the medium. They can be used to share advertising, live data update for information such as weather updates and warnings, and other location-specific branding.
Harman Hits a Homerun at SK Happy Dream Stadium
Kinoton Korea recently equipped Incheon SK Happy Dream Stadium with a complete networked sound reinforcement system by Harman Professional Solutions.
Built in 2001, SK Happy Dream Stadium plays host to home games by SK Wyverns, a professional baseball team based in Incheon, South Korea. As part of a continuous effort to improve the stadium, which seats 25,000 fans, the stadium recently decided to upgrade its aging sound system. In order to provide fans with a rich audio experience with superior coverage and intelligibility, SK Wyverns hired local audio integrator Kinoton Korea to design and install a premium sound reinforcement system. Kinoton Korea selected a complete Harman networked audio solution for its industry-leading sound quality and reliable performance.
“The stadium owners love the new Harman system—the improved audio coverage really enhances the fans’ experiences during games,” said Cheol Yoon, VP, Kinoton Korea Inc. “South Korea experiences a wide variety of weather as the seasons change, so it was critical that all stadium speakers be weather-proof. The ability to utilise weather-resistant JBL speakers enabled us to provide SK Happy Dream Stadium with a high quality sound reinforcement system that is perfectly suited to the dynamic South Korean climate.”
The Harman system features a range of weather-resistant JBL Professional speakers distributed throughout the stadium, including 54 AM7215/95 WRX, 16 AW595, nine ASB7128 WRX, 37 AC26 WRX, 39 Control 26CT and 15 Control 25AV speakers, the entire speaker system is powered by Crown DriveCore Install Series amplifiers. In the control room, microphone and playback signals are mixed using a Soundcraft Vi1 Series mixer, while two JBL LSR305 speakers provide accurate monitoring.
Kinoton designed the entire system around a BSS Soundweb London BLU-800 signal processor and two BLU-320 expanders, providing the foundation of the custom Harman solution. Additionally, six Soundweb London BLU-BOB2 break-out boxes each offer eight channels of analog audio output expansion via the high bandwidth, fault tolerant digital audio bus. Finally, six BSS MC-1 fibre optic media converters provide signal transport over extremely long distances (up to 6.2 miles) using a single cable. MC-1 devices utilise automatic link restoration which re-establishes network links between two devices when any Soundweb London device is disconnected or restarted.
“The BLU Link connectivity helped us ensure clean digital connections between the processors and amplifiers,” continued Cheol “The MC-1 was also critical for successful transmission over the necessary distances. The main broadcasting room was in a completely different space than the amplifier racks, so we used optical cables for transmission. The BSS Soundweb London system was the perfect choice in this scenario.”
“At Harman Professional Solutions, we understand the excitement that fans feel during baseball games,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM, HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC. “We are pleased that our solutions help keep the momentum at SK Wyverns’ games at a high level. We thank Kinoton Korea for their expertise and excellent customer service, and for their faith in utilising Harman products to satisfy their clients’ expectations.”
Kentucky Wildcats Take Control with Allen & Heath
Head coach Mark Stoops has shown himself to be quite capable of taking charge when it comes to leading the University of Kentucky Wildcats into gridiron action, but it took a decidedly different kind of guy with a shock of spiky hair and dark sunglasses named Max Maxwell to bring better command to the audio systems serving the team. Utilising Allen & Heath’s compact Qu-Pac digital mixers, Max, along with his own players from Jeffersonville, Indiana-based SystemMax, has developed and installed new layers of audio control for multiple venues used by the Wildcats for everything from practice to championship games.
“There was one thing in common among all the facilities the Wildcats had at their disposal,” Max recalled vividly after he and his business partner Darryl Johnson first visited the university. “And that was regardless of the venue, there was always a rack full of gear stuffed away in some back room that couldn’t be further removed from the playing fields they served. The mixer would always be in that rack. We asked ourselves: ‘Shouldn’t that stuff be out front where they could control it easier, and more-to-the-point, shouldn’t the operators be able to hear the sound they are actually trying to shape in the environment where the listeners are?’ The correct answer to both those questions, of course, is yes and yes.”
Maxwell and Johnson ultimately found a better solution in the form of Allen & Heath’s Qu-Pac mixer. Imbued with the power and performance of the company’s Qu Series family, compact Qu-Pac products are shrunk-down digital devices that can be either rack mounted or used as you would a standard desk-type console. Capable of utilising custom settings and Cat5 expansion with up to 38 inputs, the mixer’s functions can be accessed via the front panel and touchscreen, or from an iPad.
“Gaining iPad control of these systems is what brought real change to the university,” Max added. “Now the operators can lower volumes, mute microphones, play music—anything—right from the field. Even coaches can if they want. The template is simple, universal, and totally familiar for everyone within each location as well, so there’s no learning curve for system operators as they move from venue to venue, and the performance is rock-solid regardless of whether it’s an afternoon scrimmage or major contest.”
Ekstraklasa Adds New OB Van to its Fleet
Ekstraklasa Live Park, host broadcaster for Polish premier football league Ekstraklasa adds a new UHD/4K/HDR OB Van to their fleet.
Set to produce matches from the beginning of 2019, the OB Van is designed and built by system integrator Broadcast Solutions with partners NEP. The new truck is the second unit delivered by Broadcast Solutions, after initial delivery of a Streamline S12 HD OB Van in 2015.
“Essential requirements for building a new OB Van are the coming changes towards remote production workflows and IP-connectivity,” Marcin Serafin, COO at Live Park, said, “additionally, viewers show a growing demand for higher resolution we have to address. Due to its future-driven approach and innovative toolset we are sure the OB Van fulfils our expectations – now and in the future.”
The OB Van leverages the latest technology to ensure for a seamless and simultaneous SDR/HDR and HD/UHD production workflow. To advance productions for HDR content Grass Valley’s LDX 86N 4K cameras are upgraded with perpetual HDR licenses. For conversion and HDR-processing, Live Park and Broadcast Solutions opted for AJA solutions, Ten FS-HDR units handle HDR remapping and SDR conversion.
For audio and video processing Broadcast Solutions implemented Riedel’s MediorNet solution, based on MetroN Core Routers, MicroN I/Os and MicroN multiviewer devices, as a decentralised signal routing and distribution backbone.
Further on the unit is equipped with EVS’ newest live production server generation XT-VIA plus LSM Connect and XFile3, the fully networked EVS eco-system enables multisite and collaborative workflows. With its external stage boxes, equipped with Riedel MicroNs, Lawo I/Os and DirectOut bridging devices the new OB Van is ready for the most demanding production purposes.