APPLICATIONS & TIPS of the TRADE

SCREEN GEOMETRY & PLACEMENT

It is our understanding that each Stadium End Zone will be built with two 16x9 (1.77x1) Video Display Screens. One End Zone will have screens stacked; the other End Zone will have the screens side by side.

When screens operate in combined mode, the North End Zone has an effective width of 520" and height of 570" and the South End Zone has an effective width of 1000" and height of 288".

With a display pixel pitch of 15.7mm this translates to the following pixel density:

Combined North End Zone ~ 922 Pixels High

Combined South End Zone ~ 1618 Pixels Wide

UPCONVERTED SCREEN FEEDS

While each 16x9 screen element can be fed a standard definition wide screen digital signal (SD), the combined screens have a resolution that exceeds the 480x704 SD pixel resolution. Upconversion to 1080x1920 (HD) resolution will supply a video signal that exceeds the pixel density of both End Zones.

EQUIPMENT CAPABILITY

It is understood that the selected monitor wall processors each have SD HD switching and are capable of passing 2 SD signals to 2 SD screens. Additionally each processor is capable of splitting an HD signal to 2 SD screens.

It is further understood that the production switcher is capable of shotbox control of routing switcher salvos with simultaneous GPI-GPO functions.

The production system will be configured with router outputs to both upconverters and to all 4 screens.

INTEGRATED SOLUTION

Tight integration of the production switcher with the routing switcher plus resource management within the routing switcher allows for independent standard definition (SD) feeds to all 4 screens.

In double-high or double-wide mode one feed is provided to each upconverter. GPI-GPO interface between the switcher and monitor wall processors allows the resultant (HD) signal to feed either combined End Zone screen array.

With this signal topology a multi-layered show can be built in the switcher then distributed in the appropriate size and resolution to any screen.

The production switcher, routing switcher and monitor wall processor, act as one system providing direct or combined screen feeds under shotbox control.

 One Control Room Several Venues:

The proper mix of Fiber-Optic equipment brings camera crews at multiple venues "next door" to the core production control room.

Multiple sports can all be covered by the cost of one control room plus the incremental cost of fiber gear for additional venues.

The total capital outlay is significantly lower than the cost of multiple dedicated control rooms at each facility.

Campus Fiber Advantages:

Major educational institutions have Fiber Optic right-of-way and "in house" resources that simplifies Fiber-Optic interconnectivity.

Recent technological advances have made possible campus wide fiber camera connections, and those same advances have driven down the cost of camera-over-fiber solutions.

Telecast Fiber Systems, Stadium Applications Note describes in more detail the Fiber Optic equipment used to link Camera, Video, Audio, and Intercom systems between facilities.

Digital Control Rooms:

Digital in the control room is now affordable and frankly inevitable. Fiber optic connections to other venues and television broadcast trucks solve both distance and bandwidth problems. What was not possible 5 years ago and prohibitively expensive 3 years ago is commonplace & affordable today.

The broadcast industry is in the process of considerable change as it migrates to digital and high definition television. Those changes will inevitable affect the Large Screen Display community and how they do business. The FCC has mandated how and when television stations convert to digital operation. The networks are rolling out digital now, and all television markets have to be digital by 2006. Digital production trucks are pulling up to truck docks now and eventually will only be providing digital video to the screen control rooms.

What changes are appropriate for large screens and their control rooms is the core of the issue? While no one solution will work for all teams, a general trend is emerging: Screens and their control rooms are moving to wide screen and digital.

LARGE SCREEN DISPLAY 16X9 PRODUCTION:

Planning for 16X9 wide screen installations goes a long way to "future proof" your facility. As broadcast moves to wide screen in the home, the viewing public will expect wide screen presentations during the game, just as they have come to expect replays, highlights, statistics, close-ups and contests.

We have given careful consideration to the issue of conversion from the current screen aspect ratio of 4X3 to the wide screen ratio of 16X9. Our paper, Wide Screen Considerations for the Large Screen Display Industry, discusses the screen upgrade issues affecting the industry as a whole.

Many of the basic industry questions such as: "Do we need to upgrade to wide screen?", "When do I need to be up and running?" and "What are advantages and disadvantages of upgrading?" have already been answered.

The programming section introduces, "Polyscreen" Display and Shoot & Protect production solutions, necessary to create wide screen presentations. These program techniques work equally well right now, and in the future with any contemplated equipment installations.

GOING the DISTANCE with FIBER:

In many ‘Campus’ settings Multi-Mode fiber build out within and between buildings is common. Over the years, 50 micron and later 62.5 micron fiber runs were pulled into place. Indeed, there is high likely hood that multi-mode ‘dark fiber’ is already installed and available.

"I’m doing a Television Show and need to get signals back from distant venues.

Should I use it (Multi-Mode)?"

To serve the growing data needs of student and faculty, the campus Information Technology folks have developed a fiber backbone system that uses ST connectors.

"Is that the best connector?"

Fiber routing and fiber management systems were developed to provide flexible connectivity to many locations.

"Is this right for my needs?"

To answer these and other questions here are some…

Fiber Rules of Thumb:

FIBER ELECTRONICS - The Basics

The various Camera, Video, Audio and Intercom signals used in Television production are interchanged by pushing electrons through copper cable and connectors. Electron flow is the information. To send these signals over fiber, electron flow is converted to light waves and at the other end light is converted back to electrons.

FIBER MODES

Fiber cable bundles typically come in two ‘flavors’ Single-Mode and Multi-Mode.

Fiber mode refers to the physics of light going on inside the cable.

Essentially, in Multi-Mode cable light bounces off the walls to get from one end to the other. In Single-Mode cable the launch light is more tightly controlled and travels down the center of a much smaller fiber pipe.

You can go much greater distances and carry much more information with Single-Mode fiber but the cable, connectors, electronics for Multi-Mode costs less. Multi-Mode is usually in place and available. Single-Mode fiber needs to be installed.

TELEPRODUCTION SIGNALS

For Camera Interconnect, Both Analog or Digital – Use only Single Mode fiber

For Standard Definition or High Definition Digital Video – Use only Single Mode

For Analog Video (NTSC) – Either Multi-Mode or Single Mode Fiber is OK

For Digital or Analog Audio – Both Multi-Mode and Single Mode Fiber will work

For Intercom signals (usually carried over audio fiber systems) – Either is OK

FIBER QUANTITY

"How many fiber runs should I use for each type of signal?"

"Do I put all Camera, Video, Audio and Intercom signals on one fiber or do I use a bunch of fiber between venues?"

If the venue and control room are "next door’ and fiber is easy to put in, use lots of fiber connections and simpler, lower cost electronics at each end.

• Each camera uses two fibers, one for transmit and one for receive.
• Each video signal uses one fiber, so there are as many fibers as video.
• Audio and Intercom can easily be combined on to one fiber. If you’re doing intercom, you need two fibers, one for send and one for receive.

If the locations to be connected are far apart, or the locations have a limited number of fibers already in place use Single-Mode fiber with optical multiplexing.

• Camera send and return can be carried on one fiber.
• Several cameras can be combined on one fiber.
• Many video, audio and intercom signals can go on one fiber.

Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) or optical combining is common place but increases the cost of equipment at each end.

FIBER CONNECTORS

There’s an alphabet soup of connectors in the fiber world: ST, SC, SC-AP, LC, etc.

When you add the connectors used by broadcasters: SMPTE Hybrid Fiber, Packard-Hughes Tactical series, Stratos HMA, HLDC or HQDC things get even more confused.

If you want power over copper and fiber at the same time, stick with SMPTE Hybrid Fiber.

If you can locally power the electronics more options are available.

In short ST bayonet connectors are the most commonly known and used fiber connector. Adapter pigtails can convert ST to almost any other type of connector found on fiber to copper electronic equipment.

FIBER ROUTING

Once you’re comfortable with the type of fiber connector, the location of management panels present a simple choice:

Is the connection from Venue to Control Room a dedicated home run or patched through a number of places?

• Dedicated runs insure that you and only you have access to the Camera, Video, Audio or Intercom signals. It also means that all connections that can disconnect or degrade the signal are accessible by your staff.

• ‘Put up’ runs use existing fiber backbone and management panels. The cost can be much lower but there are now a number of places where the signal can be lost. Additionally, access to these cross-connect points for troubleshooting and repair can be difficult and time consuming.

            HONORED GUEST – GRACIOUS HOST

To ensure that your facility creates and maintains its Signature Quality Image, certain technical infrastructure enhancements need to be put in place.

One of the best ways of creating "buzz’ is to make your venue appealing to broadcasters.

If it’s easy for them to spike-the-camera and get-the-signal-home from your facility, they’ll use it over and over again.

Broadcast Friendly Infrastructure

• To insure that the venue becomes and continues to be the recognizable location, for the broadcast/video production community, selecting and making easily available prime camera locations is a must.

• Choosing the right place(s) for talent, camera equipment and operator is fine for productions to tape, disc or RAM.

• To keep the live broadcasters happy also means high quality camera, video, audio, and intercom connections to their ENG truck, Microwave/Satellite link, or directly back to their station via Fiber.

Many Locations with Simple Interconnects is Key

• When planning a new facility, determining the camera sweet spots is challenging; getting the signals back and forth is essentially straightforward.
• Working in an existing facility presents an additional challenge. A premier facility begs many prime locations, however interconnect costs limit the number of good camera locations. Getting proper interconnectivity throughout the facility becomes that additional challenge.

ACQUISITION CRITERION

Choose Several Shooting Locations– that:

• Tell a story with pictures - and
• Provide the right background setting to enhance your facility’s image

These camera locations can:

• Use Visual Shorthand to Create the Right Emotion and

• Become the station’s favorite shot

Each location should be chosen to provide the best "eye candy".

Each presenter brings compelling foreground elements. It’s up to us to provide the right background. The look and feel of each signature spot becomes familiar and comfortable and is completely intertwined with the "look" of your venue.

INTERCONNECT REQUIREMENTS

Once the right location is chosen getting the signal back should be easy for the crew.

Provide that Ease-of-Connectivity with Standardized Equipment Panels and readily available Rental Equipment.

Today on-campus distribution is by Fiber Optics. The beauty here is that one "piece of glass" can provide the broadcaster with all camera, video, audio and intercom signals needed to do that favorite Live-Shot.

Whatever way broadcasters bring the signal home, Microwave, Satellite or Metro-Fiber, you have provided the right background for their content.

Bonus: With camera-over-fiber, we can "back haul" all the way from the camera location to the station completely on fiber.

Make the shot compelling, make the connection easy and "They’ll want to come back" again and again.

Providing easy setup compelling Live-Shots makes you the Gracious Host to your Honored Guest the broadcaster.

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Additional Tips and Hints can be found by viewing the presentation:

When Big Screens Go Wide. (Power Point - 340K)

Or the text presentation:

When Big Screens Go Wide. (Adobe Acrobat - 485K)

A peak into the future happens when viewing:

the text presentation:

Digital at IDEA or IDEA and the Digital Future. (Adobe Acrobat - 2124K)

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16x9 Production | Digital at IDEA | Related Links | Applications | Contact Us

Jacques Verdier
Verdier Ventures, Inc.
380 Valdez Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94127

Voice: (415) 333-1280
Fax: (415) 333-7859
Jacques@Verdier.com

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