Barco and Extreme have partnered on a technology integration that enables organizations to securely share critical control room information across global locations. By combining Barco CTRL—an innovative all-in-one KVM-over-IP solution—with Extreme Fabric, customers gain a secure, scalable, and resilient platform for managing critical operations anywhere.

The Connected Control Room principle addresses genuine operational challenges across multiple industries. Consider offshore drilling operations, where control rooms on remote rigs must maintain constant communication with corporate refinery facilities onshore. The partnership's solution creates a secure bridge between these environments, enabling seamless information flows despite challenging maritime conditions.

Empowering remote and resilient operations: The integration enables experts to work seamlessly from anywhere, including branch offices, home, or remote sites, through SD-WAN hardware, giving them full access to control room environments. It also serves as a disaster recovery solution: if fiber connections between control rooms and Emergency Operations Centers fail, Extreme SD-WAN provides backup connectivity to keep operations running.

The power behind the platform: Barco CTRL combines sophistication with simplicity. This scalable software platform streamlines complex control room workflows through intuitive design and a robust security architecture built on Zero Trust and Shift Left principles that is ideal for the most security-sensitive environments.

Setup is guided and straightforward, while a unified interface ensures consistent functionality across video walls and operator desks. The platform scales easily by adding encoders and decoders, and redundancy options protect critical components to maximize uptime. Together with Extreme’s distributed connectivity, this ensures continuity without compromise.

Transforming critical operations: The Connected Control Room represents a fundamental shift in how organizations run distributed operations. By removing the limits of geography, companies can deploy their best people and resources wherever they’re needed, while maintaining the highest levels of security and reliability.

As industries move toward more distributed and resilient models, Barco and Extreme provide the foundation for the next generation of control rooms: secure, reliable, and intuitive connectivity for mission-critical operations.

Sponsored Content

For years, companies have relied on basic tools for webinars, video calls, and presentations. But today, clients expect the polish of network television—whether it’s for an all-hands meeting, a virtual event, or a public-facing livestream.

For AV consultants and system integrators, that shift has made control room design a top priority. Instead of putting together one-event setups, organizations are investing in centralized systems that deliver consistent, high-quality video across teams and locations.

These control rooms now anchor enterprise video—connecting offices, campuses, and global hubs, and supporting everything from leadership broadcasts to live internal events and studio productions. As video becomes part of everyday operations, rather than occasional productions, the control room is no longer a support tool but a strategic asset—the central hub for all AV production, whether within the corporate studio, production of a live event, or managing digital signage in corporate headquarters and satellite offices.

Simplifying Control Room Operations for All Users 

Traditional AV setups were built for one-room presentations—not necessarily for managing multi-location video at broadcast quality. Today’s corporate clients need capabilities like live switching, remote camera control, virtual sets, robotic camera systems, and automation to deliver polished content at scale—often while integrating with existing infrastructure. Virtual studios are also shaping enterprise AV plans. Many teams are turning to software-based production environments to create on-brand visuals with real-time graphics and virtual sets.

AV production crews span a wide range of experience—from beginners to seasoned professionals. Regardless of skill level or experience, users increasingly expect to walk into a room, press a button, and walk out with a broadcast-quality recording and a high level of automation—no crew required, no troubleshooting.

AV consultants help define those expectations, identifying where automation, remote control, and preconfigured workflows can streamline operations. Consultants and system integrators then design and deliver tools that produce consistent, high-quality results—easy to use and designed to minimize training and support.

User-friendly interfaces, repeatable workflows, and remote monitoring give AV teams the tools to manage studio-grade productions with solutions that are easy to use and deliver reliable, repeatable results.

Scaling Enterprise Video Without Overbuilding 

A single control room might handle a CEO keynote one morning, a video podcast in the afternoon, and a multi-source panel the next day—supporting internal communications and branded video from one centralized interface. To manage a broad range of productions reliably, systems must be compact, integrated, and easy to maintain. Overbuilt or piecemeal setups create friction and make scaling harder.

The most effective solutions are built to work within existing infrastructure and support protocols like NDI, Dante, ST 2110.

Ross Video offers a modular platform that supports this approach:

> Ultrix combines routing and audio processing into one compact, rack-efficient platform.

> XPression - 2D & 3D graphics and animations for any live video format, in real time.

> PTZ and Furio robotics provide automated, silent tracking cameras that enable multi-camera setups without large crews.

> Carbonite delivers intuitive switching for live production control.

> DashBoard offers no-code, customizable user interfaces that let internal teams manage productions easily and give AV teams the flexibility to tailor control panels for different workflows.

> Inception ties everything together with tools for content planning, scripting, and production workflow coordination.

Together, these tools support lean, repeatable control rooms—built for the demands of modern enterprise video, whatever the production format.

Supporting Every Stage of the Project

Control rooms often span multiple environments and require coordination across teams, spaces, and timelines.

AV consultants work with Ross Video solutions architects to validate workflows that help move projects quickly from planning to proposal, streamline approvals, and reduce guesswork. System integrators rely on modular implementation guidance and factory-tested builds, along with real-time assistance to reduce risk, stay on schedule, and deliver clean installs with confidence.

Ross Video stays involved from early consultation through installation and beyond—providing 24/7 technical support and responsive engineering resources that keep projects moving and give clients confidence long after the system goes live.

Enhance Control Room Performance

Broadcast-quality corporate video is now the standard. AV consultants and system integrators who deliver scalable, operator-friendly systems are becoming trusted partners to the enterprise.

Ross Video provides the tools, project collaboration, and support to help you build them.

Talk to a Ross AV solutions expert to get started.

About Ross Video Everything You Need to Connect With Your Audience Every day, Ross powers live productions for billions of viewers. With the industry’s widest range of high-impact, high-efficiency solutions and services, Ross helps all manner of organizations create and share compelling content, from leading broadcasters to houses of worship, stadiums, corporations, education and governments. With approximately 1300 team members around the world and manufacturing facilities in Ontario and Austria and the most reliable service in the industry, we are here to turn your ideas, plans and strategies into reality.

Get your free copy of SCN's Integration Guide to Control Rooms.

Command and Control

Control room experts discuss display choices, the importance of KVM technology, and more for real-time operations centers.

At Issue

Experts from Adder, Barco, Cobalt Digital, Haivision, Jupiter, Matrox Video, Planar, and tvONE explore how command and control room technologies have changed in recent years.

Download the Integration Guide to Control Rooms.

Read the May issue of Systems Contractor News.

Haverford Systems—a specialist control room integrator in the Philadelphia tri-state area—recently worked with video solutions provider Datapath to provide a powerful, flexible solution to an emergency operations center in southeastern Pennsylvania.

In the wake of recent global events, emergency response has become a focal point for businesses and municipalities alike. The trend toward creating more sophisticated and connected operations centers continues at a pace. In the Philadelphia area, this trend is driving organizations to invest in advanced audiovisual solutions to benefit control rooms of every size and scale.

Video walls play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between data and decision-making in emergency operations. This technology ensures that every piece of crucial information is presented in a visually compelling manner, enhancing situational awareness and response capabilities.

With many 4K and HD video sources to view and manage, reliable control room technology is paramount to smooth operations in often mission-critical environments. “Staying ahead in emergency response is not just a priority; it’s a necessity,” R.T. Chalfant, integration sales account manager at Haverford Systems explained. “As businesses and organizations strive to enhance their operational efficiency, the integration of cutting-edge technologies becomes a pivotal strategy.”

“One such technology making waves in the emergency operations sector is video walls and video content management,” Chalfant added. “Utilizing Datapath’s proven expertise in this sector, we can offer customers control room technology that is scalable for operations of any size.”

With over 40 years of experience in delivering award-winning visual solutions, Datapath was selected to power the center’s 4K video walls and give operators the capability to display multiple inputs, in different layouts, on a choice of video walls.

Using Datapath’s tried and trusted WallControl 10 software, Haverford Systems created a system that allows operators to design their own bespoke content layouts, and switch between them seamlessly when circumstances and events dictate.

The emergency operations center in the Philadelphia area features three 2-by-2 4K video walls, with eight operator terminals managing 20 4K and HD sources. To manage the vast volume of video data with near-zero latency, Haverford Systems utilized Datapath’s VSN1172 video wall controller—an 11-slot unit powered by a Core i7 processor and two 240GB SSDs.

Performing pixel duties inside the VSN, the unit is equipped with five ImageDP4+ graphics cards, five VisionSC-HD4 four-channel capture cards, plus a multi-channel ActiveSQX IP decoder.

To complement the hardware and software, Datapath also provided a full on-site commissioning service to support Haverford Systems and the end user for ultimate peace of mind. “Working closely alongside Datapath’s integrator partners and their clients, our commissioning service offers the ultimate hands-on support,” Peter Spaeth, regional sales manager for Datapath, Northeast United States and Mid-Atlantic said. “Full training of the software is provided, and our comprehensive technical know-how is available for any initial system concerns. This level of assurance is a critical component in a control room environment during the first few days of operation.”

Chalfant concluded, “Datapath’s commissioning service gives us an advantage by directly benefiting our clients with the technology for their needs. Here at Haverford Systems, we have over 35 years of experience in delivering turnkey AV solutions and this latest emergency operations center is testament to ours and our manufacturer partners’ expertise. Operators now have total control, flexibility, and reliability when viewing their video content, ensuring that the control room runs at optimum efficiency.”

[Datapath's Enhances Capabilities of Aetria Platform]

Sponsored Content

Check out the full video interview with Black Box from InfoComm 2024 below.

AV Network caught up with Black Box at InfoComm 2024 to learn about its new control room solutions and industry trends.

As it has for many years, Black Box continues to solve the unique challenges and needs that its customers have in the control room space across all vertical markets, whether it's a Network Operations Center (NOC) or a Security Operations Center (SOC), or in places like aerospace, defense, transportation, and, of course, the broadcast and media space.

Keith Lanson, the marketing director at Black Box, unveiled the company's latest control room solutions at InfoComm 2024. These include the Radian video wall processor, the Emerald family of IP KVM products, and the DESKVUE and AV WALL products, all designed to meet the evolving needs of the control room industry.

During the discussion, Eric Farkas, a senior product engineer at Black Box, shed light on the evolving landscape of AV technology in control rooms. He touched upon various aspects, including the advancements in display technology, the shift in source types, the changing logistics within control rooms, the emerging trends in video walls, and the strategies to address security concerns. 

One of the significant trends is that the operators don't always have a workstation in front of them, which means the equipment is further away. "That's why things like AV extension, AV distribution, and KVM extension while processing technology are so important," said Farkas. "The other thing that's changed significantly is the type of sources. We're seeing streaming sources as opposed to real video sources."

Efficiency in the control room is really important today. "One of the ways that Black Box addresses that is everything from our innovative design, seamless integration of physical and virtual machines, and the way that we support our control room ecosystem with ISO certified products, global 24/7 customer service," said Lanson.

Black Box is a trusted IT solutions provider delivering cutting-edge technology solutions & products and world-class consulting services to businesses around the globe. The breadth of our global reach, continuous innovation, and depth of our expertise accelerates customer success by bringing people, ideas, and technology together to solve real-world business problems. Since being founded in 1976, technology has changed, but our commitment remains steadfast.

Every so often a project comes along that not only allows a company to technically innovate and push boundaries but also work with a highly respected educational institution in one’s own backyard. The project, for the University of Connecticut’s (UConn) Athletic District, was honored by the Associated General Contractors of CT (AGC) 2022 Build Connecticut award for the large new construction category.  

Connecticut-based Metinteractive, which provides strategic solutions for architecture, communication, and technology, furnished AV and broadcast integration to UConn Athletic District Development (ADD). The ADD program solved the challenge of improving the outdoor sports venues while consolidating efforts onto a single campus high above Gampel Pavilion at UConn’s Storrs Campus in Mansfield.

“Metinteractive is committed to supporting our home teams,” said Jeff Mele, Metinteractive’s CEO. “Over the years my father and other family members have been big UConn fans so, for me, that very personal legacy made me want more than ever to deliver the best product we possibly could for ADD at UConn. We have a history of working successfully with the university, including on the award-winning Student Recreation Center. It makes us feel good to support UConn over and above our obligations.”

The project also dovetailed nicely with Metinteractive’s expertise in sports nationwide, he points out. “Metinteractive has a significant foothold in the college sports market across the country as well as with Major League stadiums and minor league arenas and stadiums. Thanks to our work with leading teams, particularly MLB scoring and stats, we can produce a workflow for these projects that most integrators are not be able to achieve.”

Under the partnership of contractors Daniel O’Connell’s Sons and McPhee Electric, UConn’s ADD improvements replaced outdated facilities with new stadiums for men and women’s Division I soccer, lacrosse, baseball and softball plus track and field. A new Performance Center, contiguous to the soccer stadium, was also added with a state-of-the-art broadcast control room, locker rooms, offices, training space, strength and conditioning equipment, conference rooms and support space.

The Broadcast Control Room

“Our challenges for this project were twofold: improving the in-venue fan experience and adding a broadcast control room for linear TV and streaming,” noted David Kaplan, assistant athletic director of Video & Production Services at UConn. “Metinteractive brought to the job experience and expertise in building out production rooms and venues and demonstrated a willingness to work with us across our specific needs.”

The Performance Center’s broadcast control room is believed to be unique in college athletics allowing UConn to simultaneously produce multiple shows. “Everything we talked about from design to inception came to fruition in the broadcast control room,” said Kaplan. “It works flawlessly.”

“Creating a user-friendly environment for a control room that technically complex was a challenge,” Mele said. “Workflow is rarely translated through construction documents and drawings; in fact, it’s often overlooked in putting projects together. But David understands how to build a quality experience and was instrumental in how we developed the workflow for this project; we pushed to make the changes necessary to satisfy the control room’s workflow needs.” The project’s AV consultant Jaffe Holden Acoustics, worked very closely with the integration team to marry the workflow needs of the owner into the project.

Enhancing the Fan Experience

Metinteractive’s project manager Kyle Passaro explained, “all the outdoor sports venues’ AV signals—the cameras, the live sound components in the stadia—and communications now connect via fiber to the control room where two events can be broadcast simultaneously. ESPN can pull in and use the control room for tournaments while local TV takes advantage of its capabilities and UConn streams events.”

The broadcast control room’s extraordinary capabilities even exceed expectations. UConn “actually produced two in-stadium events and two streams out of the control room at one time,” Kaplan added.

Even more expansive service will be available when field hockey, basketball from the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, and ice hockey from a new arena tie into the broadcast control room extending coverage to those sports.

Metinteractive also filled AV needs throughout the 54,000-square-foot Performance Center, including video monitors and playback systems—with outdoor-rated TVs in the hydrotherapy room—and ceiling- and wall-mounted audio speakers for each room.

In the baseball and softball fields Metinteractive installed batter analysis systems in which multiple software-enabled cameras, mounted in specific locations, analyze the swings of players coming up to bat.

The new stadia feature custom-mounted EAW outdoor speaker systems for what Kaplan called “spectacular sound.” Most of the speakers are positioned on poles with some on the exterior of the Performance Center, which is contiguous to the soccer pitch.

In addition, “thanks to our work with Major League Baseball we were able to offer the venues a level of graphics automation, for scoring and stats, typically found only in Major League stadia,” Mele said.

Metinteractive also developed a custom camera trolley system for the stadia to enable broadcasters to capture dynamic camera shots that could not otherwise be achieved due to the physical constraints of space, windows, and walls.

Continuing the Mission

Although the first phase of the UConn project has been completed, more remains to be done. “We’re very excited about working with Metinteractive on our new hockey arena due to open later this year,” noted Kaplan. “Metinteractive will handle all its camera and audio needs and tie the facility into the broadcast control room.

“The Metinteractive team has shown a real affinity for UConn,” he added. “I can’t speak highly enough about the work they’ve done for us.”

Greg Downing served as Metinteractive’s engineer on the project and Jesse LaBranche was the lead technician.

“The most significant trend has been that LED products are being accepted as a mainstream technology for a wide range of vertical markets,” said Fred Cain, industry development director at Absen.

“Pixel pitch and pricing are on a downward trajectory and are beginning to move to well below the 1.0 mm pixel pitch. New technologies like Micro LED are driving that movement and are going to bring us higher resolution in a smaller form factor. Other new technologies, like flip chip technology, will bring high brightness and high contrast with a wide viewing angle in a form that protects the pixels from the type of damage that they can sustain today. These new technologies are more efficient in terms of power consumption and heat dissipation, adding an element of sustainable design to the solutions,” he explained.

[ The Integration Guide to Video Walls ]

Cain added that LED is being specified more frequently in commercial spaces—not just in large lobby displays, but in functional meeting and presentation settings.

“Large-format ‘all-in-one’ solutions in the 110-inch to 165-inch size range are also becoming normal in these spaces,” Cain said. “Bigger displays are featuring in smaller rooms. Other trends like AR/VR are rapidly expanding within the virtual studio solutions. Video production sets are also becoming virtual, and LED video walls are playing a big part in that.”

Bigger and Better

Another growing area of interest is curved and flexible LED solutions, according to Samsung’s Mark Quiroz, vice president of marketing, Display Division, at Samsung Electronics America.

“We are seeing a growing interest in curved LED walls, flexible install positions, seamless content management tools, increased picture quality through shrinking pixel pitches, and larger sizing overall. The term ‘bigger and better’ comes to mind with updates in the LED video wall space, and this is true of our new The Wall (IWA Series). It offers 8K resolution with 120 Hz refresh rate and simple 8K playback. Its massive screen can be configured to over 1,000 inches. As a company, our main focus has been understanding how video walls optimize a space and offering options that enhance the area they are in,” said Quiroz.

[ Getting Ahead of the Curve with Today’s Advanced LED Video Walls ]

As far as direct view LED (dvLED) goes, there are some major changes taking place, said Megan Zeller, director of business development, Peerless-AV. One of these has been a technology transition from SMD (surface-mount device) to CoB (chip on board) or Micro LED.

“This development will eventually result in even lower-cost dvLED displays, which increases accessibility even further and presents opportunities for dvLED solutions anywhere. This means that products with finer pixel pitch are available for various businesses, despite their size or budget.”

Versatility Pays

Displays with the flexibility to accommodate a variety of install environments is another trend, added Zeller.

“Another thing I’ve noticed within the dvLED video wall space is a change from the usual, standard installation. We’ve seen an increase in large-scale installations in areas where there is high foot traffic or extreme weather conditions. Integrators within the AV and dvLED video wall space have had to pivot for the consumer to provide more secure installations and mount solutions, in addition to the most durable video wall systems possible.”

She is also keen to highlight substantial developments in high-quality digital content. “The use of HD content in video walls increases their attractiveness and is likely to fuel the growth of the market. The 16:9 format became the standard, and OEM television manufacturers were continuously developing in quality and design. The availability of HD content has increased rapidly in the past five to eight years, and now, unique forms of displays are beginning to make an appearance for lifestyle integration.”

According to Zeller, direct view LED displays offer perfect picture quality, are flexible for a modular configuration, and are unaffected by ambient lighting conditions, thus making them excellent candidates for deployment in any space.

[ Absen Acclaim A2725 Plus Video Wall Review ]

“The rise in the development of 4K content will further provide a growth opportunity to vendors as these displays provide a more compelling experience and add an artistic touch to the video walls.”

Opening Up Access

Another noteworthy trend has been accessibility. Better affordability over the last year or two has been a huge part of that, said Zeller, as manufacturers learn to optimize their operations and technology becomes more widely available.

“Despite dvLED’s reputation of being pricey, integrators have gotten more creative with how they market and sell their products, so smaller-budget customers who may have felt dvLED was beyond their reach are now met with an array of options well within their means. More businesses and business owners are being welcomed into the dvLED video wall market, where they’d previously been underserved by large-format displays. We have taken major strides in presenting dvLED solutions to the masses, and I predict that we will see more diverse displays within museums, schools, public transportation facilities, restaurants, banks, and even the home.”

The topic of accessibility is a point that Daktronics product manager Adam Gilliland is also keen to mention. “LED has become more cost-accessible and has a performance advantage over older generations of digital technology.”

Other major trends, said Gilliland, include pixel quality and mounting expectations. “Expectations for pixel pitches and resolution are getting tighter and tighter and the market is driving toward more options sub 1 mm. Manufacturers are exploring new pixel technologies to reach these tighter resolutions. Solving the durability problem with narrow-pixel-pitch technology and improving speed of install and reliability is another area in development.”

[ What’s Trending Now for Video Walls? ]

Another significant trend is the increasing demand for “all-in-one” LED solutions in applications like meeting rooms, auditoriums, and lecture halls, with standard size LED kits that include the ability to connect to Wi-Fi easily and quickly share presentations, added Gilliland. He added that LED installations in live entertainment, cinema, and corporate applications are helping to entice people back to public spaces after months of COVID-19 isolation.

What’s Next?

What does the future hold for LED video displays in a pandemic-shaped world?

“It is hard to predict what a post-COVID landscape will look like for the LED market,” said Cain. “If you look at some of the trends I mentioned earlier, it is clear that end users are going to have performance expectations of LED moving forward. Meeting spaces will evolve into something new. The hybrid workspace is something that everyone is trying to define. All-in-one solutions are easy for designers to specify, and they can be rapidly deployed by integrators. Technical staff will need to be able to understand the technology and the design considerations to make the most of these solutions. Things like proper wiring and cabling techniques for wall controllers, frame rate, viewing angles, scan mode, scaling and resolution matching are all important to a successful LED solution design.”

Newer vertical markets like XR, AR, and VR will likely require a greater understanding of design considerations, too. “The other item that integrators need to be able to communicate to their clients is the ROI and life cycle component of their LED investment,” said Cain.

It’s clear that the LED video wall space is a developing market. “LED will become the dominant display technology over the next few years. As pricing comes down and resolution goes up, it is replacing other display technologies like projection and flat-panel displays. New products with more efficient and sustainable designs will make adoption more likely in markets like residential and consumer applications. Retail is also poised for a huge investment in LED in the United States, as brands attract people back to the store.”

Looking ahead, new technology will certainly drive new products into the space, said Cain.

“Today we think of it as a display that has ‘other’ equipment connected to it, but manufacturers are beginning to incorporate those ‘other’ pieces of hardware into their all-in-one solutions. We have solutions with integrated audio, control, switching, and scaling in them already. Next, we may see IoT devices, touch and gesturing, new forms of interactivity, and artificial intelligence being incorporated into these LED solutions.”

Click here to read more stories from the October 2021 issue of SCN.

Related Stories

The Need for Adaptability Drives LED Video Wall Installs • Video walls that were used for promotion pre-pandemic are being repurposed to attract and engage with audiences in a different way.

How Video Walls Can Bridge the Virtual Chasm • With virtual events, meetings, and learning sticking around, video walls are helping to take visualization and entertainment to new levels of immersion. Find out how leading manufacturers are driving this revolution.

Outdoor Fine Pitch LED Video Walls: 4 Trends on Display • Planar's Romeo Estores dives into outdoor LED trends including weatherization, versatility, and more.

LED Video Walls in Corporate Environments • While LED video walls previously seemed unattainable for a large portion of companies (think small- to medium-sized businesses), the technology and content needed to successfully wow internal and external clients is becoming more accessible.

Video Walls: An Evolving Landscape • Bigger, brighter, and blending better into their environments, today’s video walls are transforming the way we look at everything from entertainment to critical data.

Amid a challenging 18 months, the control room market is one that has managed to repel any significant damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. With data management now a key requirement for large organizations, as well as the traditional emergency services and government roles, control room technology is now more in demand than ever before.

Here, Systems Contractor News speaks to Matthew Tibbitt, product manager at Datapath, a company that has been bringing innovative control room solutions to the market for nearly 40 years.

SCN: Let’s begin with the basics: How, where, and why is AV being used in control rooms? Is there a particular area where control rooms are breaking new ground in their use of AV?

Matthew Tibbitt: AV is the critical information system that allows control room operators in charge of infrastructure, environments, and networks to monitor, manage, and maintain the core functionality of the businesses they are involved in.

Distributing the visual data from outputs of key systems physically located elsewhere directly to the operator allows the efficient, effective review of the data. The immediacy of the data means that the operator always has the latest view of their operational environment. Content is now expected to be generated and viewed in high-resolution 4K; equipment suppliers need to take these bandwidth requirements into account when planning their control room environments.

[ Taking Command of Control Room Displays ]

The innovation that AV has to bring to this space is in the distribution and display, both locally at the operator workstation and to various monitors around facilities of the visual data. AV needs to ensure that the content is routed in the shortest amount of time to those who need it, making it available at the press of a button.

It could be argued that it is in control rooms that AV is playing its most important role. From a technology perspective, what goes on behind the scenes of the control room? What are the key AV attributes and technologies that support and deliver control room operations?

Modern control room designs are now primarily concerned with the AV over IP distribution technologies. 10G networking is now requested and required more than ever to meet the needs of the amount of data required at the operator stations. A distributed solution of disparate content sources all being brought into networked environment also requires technology that can keep track of all of the endpoints, and centralize them within an interface that allows operator access to any and all appropriate sources, layout files, templates, etc.

[ Moving Forward with the Adoption of AV over IP ] 

Obviously, there is a fair degree of complexity to the integration process. Can you talk us through what happens to this data on its journey from its source to the eyes and ears of the operators?

Once the control room network is installed, the delivery of data and the control of the sources should be invisible to the operators. The system should be seamless and easy for them to use. Of course, it takes a lot of planning to get to “seamless.”

The content generated by the sources—whether they be cameras, computers running SCADA, or a PC that’s capable of monitoring equipment—all get ingested into the system. In 10G networks, the AV, which is often delivered via HDMI, is received into 10G receivers. These can then packetize the data for sending over the network to receivers. The quality of the transmitters and receivers will determine how much latency gets added into the system, but customers should be aiming for a latency of no more than a few lines of delay between source and screen.

Network considerations should not be taken lightly, either. It is possible to deploy a fully functioning AV over IP system that is completely distinct and secured away from other networks. However, control room designers and administrators need to consider whether operators will need to access external websites, access corporate e-mail, etc., and if they do, they need to be able to address the relevant networks accordingly.

[ Datapath Launches Fully Integrated Control Room Platform ] 

From an end user’s standpoint, what are control room owners’ main requirements from their AV technology? What key issues and challenges do they face, and how do they address them?

On the whole, it is the ability to deploy a system that gives each and every operator the content that they need and the ability to control that content effectively. The system must be robust, offering redundancy where appropriate. Also high on the list of priorities, the system must be easy to manage, monitor and configure.

The three key components for an effective control room are ease of use, reliability, and security. Here at Datapath, we’ve got a lot of experience providing systems to governments and organizations around the world. Technology never stops and, as you’ll see at our InfoComm 21 booth in Florida, neither do we.

More About Control Rooms

Datapath Video Wall Powers Operations at Electric Cooperative • Alabama-based Pea River Electric Cooperative is using advanced audiovisual tools for critical monitoring in its headquarters in Ozark, AL.

Decentralizing Command and Control • An organization’s mission-critical personnel gather in command and control centers to access the real-time data they need to manage situations ranging from normal day-to-day operations to emergencies. But when people must remain distanced from each other because of pandemic precautions, forcing many to work remotely, how can command and control stay relevant?

Taking Command of Control Room Displays • In a command and control room environment, flexibility—and the immediacy of it—is nothing short of essential.

The What: Barco’s OverView MVL-721 is a 16:9 LED rear-projection cube video wall with specs and resolution to suit the needs of control room operators in locations where space is not a constraint. A re-engineered version of Barco’s LED RPC video wall, the MVL-721 offers a well-balanced set of essential features and a special focus on sustainability, with low power consumption, a long product lifetime, and the ability to upcycle.

The What Else: The next-generation LED light source drastically improves the brightness of the MVL-721. With a 55 percent increase in maximum engine light output compared with the first-generation model, the MVL-721 can be deployed in virtually all indoor lighting conditions. This increase in brightness is realized with the exact same power needs. With the improved energy efficiency, the solution achieves the eco green score in Barco’s stringent Eco score methodology. This ranking ensures the product fits in with Barco’s corporate sustainability strategy, whose goal is to reduce the energy footprint of its products by 25 percent (baseline 2015).

MVL-721 also brings an important step up in reliability, featuring redundant inputs to ensure a continuous data flow, an optional external power supply with automatic failover, and a light source lifetime of over 100,000 hours.

The MVL-721’s Video Wall Manager software streamlines installation, configuration, and control of the video wall.  The cloud-based Video Wall Management Suite allows remote monitoring and diagnostics for Barco video walls, allowing AV system integrators and managed service providers the ability to remotely manage the complete installed base from a central location. This not only lowers operational costs, but also ensures faster and more effective troubleshooting and increased customer satisfaction.

The Bottom Line: The MVL-721 is expected to begin shipping in October.

With the pandemic changing the way spectators engage with in-person events, and venues wanting a continued return to in-person attendance, integrators have been working closely with stadiums and arenas across the country on technology integration that increases interactivity, making spectators a more active part of the overall experience.

“After a year’s absence from sporting venues, fans are coming back in droves. But to keep them back, we’ve learned we have to create really remarkable experiences that engage fans,” said George Linardos, chief executive officer for event AV service provider ANC. “Whether it’s interactive elements, elements that drive ROI, or elements that help our clients provide 365-day use both inside and outside the venue, we’re getting requests for all of it. It’s not just about static scoreboards anymore.”

Moving away from one-way events, venues want to harness the energy and emotions of the crowd to help shape the competitive landscape. Rodrigo Ordonez, principal at AV consulting firm K2, said, “Fans have always used their noise level to influence a game. A few years ago, stadiums started using technology in the way of microphones, processing, and graphics on the big screens to show a live indicator of the current noise level generated by the audience. This is just a simple thing, but it distinguishes the stadium experience from the remote experience.”

With more people currently watching live events on television screens than in person, venues have to make the case that the in-person experience is worth getting off your couch or leaving your favorite sports bar for. “The AV experience can contribute greatly to that,” Ordonez said.

With this in mind, many venues are choosing to invest in stadium-wide integrated control and immersive sound. Depending on the event, these systems can provide concert-quality sound with low-frequency impact or ensure the back-of-house patrons experience the event no differently than those in the front row.

Chris Sullivan, vice president of business development at sports and live events company Diversified, said, “These days, loudspeaker systems from the touring side of the industry are more frequently in consideration than more traditional installed sound products.” These products offer venues increased flexibility and more inclusive capabilities.

A Feast for the Eyes

Digital signage technology is also advancing rapidly in the marketplace and changing the possibilities for interaction. Chris Mascatello, executive vice president at ANC, said, “We’re seeing ultra-fine-pitch LED, thin LED, and highly flexible LED, so we’re able to design and deliver custom creative solutions like the Power Portal at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. We’re also really excited to help bring the first and only fully transparent media glass to the United States, GLAAM Media Glass, which will really revolutionize sports façades for a much more interactive, engaging experience.”

Mascatello says clear glass façades built with GLAAM Media Glass can be controlled by a user’s smartphone, enabling interactivity on art pieces as expansive as the one installed on the exterior of a New York high rise. Mobile interactivity provides each spectator with the opportunity for a unique event experience while also limiting physical touch points throughout the venue, and Mascatello believes it will be deployed more frequently in the coming years.

Networked Experiences

Unified IPTV systems offer a means of interacting with fans at every stage of the event experience. Implemented over a converged network, information about parking, seating, concessions, weather, safety, and traffic can easily be shared using in-venue digital signage including wayfinding and menu displays. The system also provides a unique opportunity to share sports news and updates, including in-game and out-of-game scoring, statistics, standings, and replay. This level of interaction encourages attendees to view the venue as not only a place to experience live sports, but as the go-to location for fan engagement.

[ The Latest in High-End LED Displays ]

Venues are converting to SMPTE ST 2110, a suite of standards that specifies transmission of audio and video over IP for real-time production, playout, and other professional media applications. SMPTE ST 2110 allows venues to manage their digital assets, including audio, video, and data, over an IP network, helping to control quality and offer increased flexibility.

Sullivan commented, “Most new builds are embracing the new standard. While some retrofits are moving to IP, others are staying baseband. There is no right or wrong decision and many factors go into it, including budget and long-term plans for the facility.” Diversified built and integrated one of the first video control rooms with an all-IP video infrastructure at the Chase Center, the new home of the Golden State Warriors, and the arena’s audio and video has benefited greatly from the SMPTE ST 2110 standards suite for live production bandwidth.

Revolutionizing the Sportsbook

In a May 2018 decision, the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting. With the launch of the first in-venue sportsbook in 2020 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and with many states recently changing legislation or with bills pending, venues are looking for ways to include sports betting as part of the overall venue experience. Linardos said, “We’re working with a lot of clients on premium sports bar spaces, ensuring they can easily transition to sportsbook-type experiences when the time comes. From an AV perspective, that involves the latest technology for crisp, detailed viewing of stats, integration of content management aligned with the sports betting programs, and also creating a luxury feel akin to a Vegas-type experience.”

Venues are looking to integrators to help reimagine the fan experience in these and other premium spaces to help them compete with the comforts of the at-home TV experience. “We’re getting really creative in our content integration services to create interactive and memorable experiences for the spaces we’re designing,” said Mascatello.

Creativity on a Budget

With venues dealing with tight technology budgets, K2’s Ordonez says cost is still the greatest limiting factor for technology integration within venues. Many are unable to find a satisfactory balance between what they want and what they can afford to install to increase engagement. Those who blow the budget on the large physical components of their AV networks, including loudspeakers and video displays, find they are left with very little to put toward creative.

“The main need we see is for creative options to add points of engagement within the budgets of our clients. For example, for school stadium/arena environments, there is a big need to provide a better experience for viewers at home who are streaming the events. But again, budgets are limited,” said Ordonez.

[ Samsung Reveals The Infinity Screen at L.A.'s SoFi Stadium ]

Diversified’s Sullivan noted that infrastructure upgrades (both data and broadcast) need to be prioritized by venues in order to support these new systems. Delaying the upgrade of underlying systems will only cause a hold-up when they want to install a new AV technology.

On the other hand, ANC is finding that its clients have an appetite for bigger and better, hoping to set themselves apart by deploying unique and engaging center-hung scoreboards. “Unique configurations, ultra-high definition, and content management integration are really helping us to create highly custom experiences depending on client desires,” said Mascatello.

Ordonez finds it particularly exciting that advancements at the larger venues are slowly trickling down to smaller ones as the technology becomes more affordable, encouraging all venues to look at technology as an integral part of the experience rather than just a luxury. “The larger venues used by the large professional leagues will of course always drive the technology developments, but smaller venues are finding creative ways to use AV to provide a more intimate fan experience. We see this in some of the high school stadiums and arenas where the client’s requests are not only driven by intelligibility, but by maximizing the fan experience,” said Ordonez.

Click here to read more stories from the October 2021 issue of SCN.

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Stadium and Arena AV Experts Deliver Creative Solutions During the Pandemic • To keep the athletes’ morale and fan excitement high, technologists and broadcasters are turning to artificial crowd noise, virtual fan walls, remote attendees, interactive software, and creative audiovisual solutions.

How AVoIP Is Shaping Live Venue Experiences • In order to fill the seats at stadiums when they eventually reopen, venues need to step up their engagement to compete. Joe Walsh of VITEC and Seth Koch of Daktronics share their takes on the many possibilities that AV over IP offers to enhance the fan experience.

Video Walls: An Evolving Landscape • Bigger, brighter, and blending better into their environments, we examine how video walls are transforming the way we look at everything from entertainment to critical data.

The Growing Accessibility of Large-Scale Video Walls • Video walls are shining stars in the evolving technology landscape that rely heavily on innovation to stand out.

Flexibility at Forefront as Stadiums, Arenas Welcome Back Fans • Modular staging and seating solutions allow venues to meet COVID-19 health and safety regulations. As today’s stadiums and arenas look to maximize use and revenue, demountable staging systems are proving a wise investment by providing the versatility to turn any venue into a multipurpose facility.

Datapath is opening its Online Experience Center, allowing users to get hands-on with the company’s latest control room solutions, including Aetria, while experiencing the power and flexibility of the company's fully integrated hardware and software.

Presented from Datapath’s head office in Derby, UK, users can now experience their AVIXA-accredited training sessions and sales demonstrations as if they were in the room.

Datapath’s global training manager Iñaki Viloria López, explains: “We have used the very latest technology to be able to showcase our Aetria solution to you, wherever you are in the world. With multiple camera feeds, displays and countless permutations possible, we can create virtually any control room management set-up for training or sales requirements.”

Aetria from Datapath brings all the elements of control room design, management, control and monitoring into a single solution, allowing integrators and end users to design systems to meet a wide set of requirements, including connectivity, video walls, workstations and source management, ranging from small to very large installations.”

Iñaki adds: “The requirements for today’s control rooms are highly complex, with ever-increasing demands for sources, data and secure multi-point sharing. Add in diagnostics, management and security requirements and things can begin to look overwhelming. With Aetria, all these components are easily managed and, with our Experience Center, operators, IT managers and integrators alike can see for themselves the benefits of using a powerful, single interface.”

Powered by the very latest video processing technology. The Online Experience Center features Datapath’s Arqa and Aligo solution for seamless KVM and content sharing across the solution. Processing power comes in abundance courtesy of Datapath’s award-winning VSN1172 video controllers.

With a trio of video walls spread out between two rooms, plus several operator terminals, Datapath’s Online Experience Center is able to showcase operations in real time due to multiple cameras. Users will be able to see the room as an overview of any area and watch the content for the different screens.

Cabling between the Netgear M4300-96X switches and the Aligo transmitters and receivers is done via OM3 fiber connecting into Gigalight 10G SFP+ devices. Being seen by users across the globe, it was important that style and function worked in total harmony, with Winsted consoles deployed to bring a professional control room aesthetic to the room.

Bookings are now being accepted for Datapath’s Online Experience Center session. Visit www.datapath.co.uk/resource-center/online-experience-center or contact a regional Datapath specialist  directly through sales@datapath.co.uk.

A newly deployed Matrox and AGELEC video wall solution is a central feature of the French National Railway Company’s (SNCF) new operational center at Lyon-Part-Dieu station. The operational center there includes two control rooms that are purpose-built for 24/7 site management and customer support.

According to Manuel Amenedo, project director at SNCF’s Auvergne Rhône Alpes Regional Station Management Team, the operational center (COEG) plays a vital role in the SNCF’s daily operations. “The head of the COEG translates railway language to the passengers in the station,” he said.

Field-Proven Video Wall Solution

The SNCF was looking to modernize the Lyon-Part-Dieu station’s operational center for a few reasons. The first goal was to ensure real-time display information is transmitted to passengers at the station, especially in disrupted periods. Second, the update supports COEG in becoming the station control center with the conductor present in the station.

The Lyon-Part-Dieu station operational center would therefore need to be equipped with a high-density capture and output video wall solution that could provide reliable passenger information through real-time, high-quality display. Already having had a positive outcome with the AGELEC AGCWall video wall solution—controller systems featuring Matrox capture and IP encode/decode cards and multidisplay graphics boards—SCNF chose to incorporate these technologies into the Lyon-Part-Dieu installation.

[ VuWall Control Solutions Streamline Operations for French Rail Network ] 

“The combination of Matrox and AGELEC video wall technologies has proven itself in SNCF’s demanding 24/7 environments,” said Guillaume Guerin, CEO of SNCF. “We have already deployed 20 of these robust, reliable systems throughout the network, and our operators have noticed enhanced decision-making and information-sharing abilities thanks to the high-performance video walls in each control room installation.”

Easy Train and Passenger Flow Management

In the primary control room, an AGCWall controller equipped with Matrox Mura IPX capture cards and Matrox multidisplay graphics boards captures and displays 14 HDMI video feeds across a 10x2 video wall with 49-inch screens. This video wall configuration gives operators access to comprehensive information about train departures, arrivals, and connections. In the secondary control room, the SCNF uses a second Matrox-powered AGCWall controller to capture seven HDMI video feeds for display on a 3x2 video wall configuration with 40-inch screens.

With the flexible Matrox-AGELEC solution, SNCF is able to distribute the sources of information in each space. Thanks to scenario recording that corresponds to specific railway problems that may occur, SNCF is able to ensure the most relevant information is displayed in each scenario. Additionally, AGELEC’s AGCWEB software enables SNCF to disseminate information within its COEG.

[ Matrox-Powered Control Room Video Wall Streamlines Operations for Paper Pulp Company ]

Maximizing Efficiency While Minimizing Costs

Matrox video wall cards enabled the rapid installation of the AGCWall video wall solution for both Lyon-Part-Dieu station control rooms. The ability of Matrox’s video wall technology to capture multiple video sources while driving multiple, high-quality video displays allowed SNCF to achieve fast display of simultaneous, easy-to-read content from all available data points—all of which is critical to the around-the-clock monitoring and management of the Lyon-Part-Dieu railway station.

“The Lyon-Part-Dieu operational center has seen several key operational improvements since deploying the Matrox and AGELEC video wall solution,’ said Amenedo. “The video walls play an integral part in managing communication between carriers and station managers, and minimizing delays caused by service disruptions.”

More on Video Walls in Transportation Hubs

Inside the 21st-Century Transit Hub • Today’s airline passengers want personalized travel that is tech centric, app enabled, and stress free. 21st-century transit hubs are answering the call with AV and personalized technologies.

Transit Trends • Many transportation facilities have used the extended period of reduced passenger loads during the pandemic to make improvements to their digital signage and communications networks.

AV Technology Keeps Passengers On Track and On Time • Airports are prioritizing speediness, installing technology that will help move travelers through airport terminals as quickly as possible.

The Integration Guide to Video Walls

When Berlin Brandenburg Airport opens at the end of October 2020, it will become one of the largest airports in Germany, with around 350,000 planned aircraft movements per year on two parallel runways. Not far from the main terminal, the control tower of DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung (German Air Traffic Control) rises into the sky. All take-offs and landings will be controlled and monitored from here. But hardly anyone knows that the tower at Berlin Brandenburg Airport has already been in operation since 2012 and has been controlling all air traffic at the neighboring Schönefeld Airport safely and reliably for eight years.

Air navigation service provider DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH operates the airport control towers of all German international commercial airports. With 65 years of experience, it controls over 3 million aircraft movements per year. DFS air traffic controllers direct and monitor all air traffic in German airspace and will soon also take over air traffic control at the new BER airport. By using cutting-edge equipment and employing professionally trained personnel, Deutsche Flugsicherung play a pioneering role among air navigation providers worldwide.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Command and Control

For years, KVM products of Guntermann & Drunck (G&D) have been supporting DFS in Germany to ensure that they are able to operate their technical systems even more safely, efficiently, and easily. With KVM technology, the computer systems required for air traffic control can be removed from the air traffic controller environment and still be operated from a distance in real time. In addition, KVM matrix switches enable the independent operation of several servers via several controller consoles. The matrix switches can also be used to set up extensive redundancy concepts and thus prevent failures and system malfunctions.

The tower pulpit offers air traffic controllers an unimpeded view of the runways. From here, DFS controllers ensure that air traffic at nearby Schönefeld Airport runs smoothly around the clock. Using KVM systems from G&D, it is possible to switch between different computers that are physically separated and to display the images of several Air Traffic Systems (ATS) on their screens. All systems and the entire IT infrastructure must run securely and reliably 24/7, 365 days a year. 

In order to take account of the changed interface architecture and the latest computer technology, the KVM systems were recently inspected, and after eight years of reliable service, renewed with more modern equipment. Without interrupting the work of air traffic controllers, the equipment was replaced during normal operations, which placed additional demands on safety and reliability. DFS and G&D worked hand in hand to implement the complex redundant infrastructure. The new equipment ensures that the system is always available, thus providing maximum security for flight operations. 

Guntermann & Drunck has specialized in ATC applications for many years and has been able to gain extensive experience in setting up redundant KVM systems for mission-critical environments. The systems are used in all mission-critical areas such as center and tower are also included in DFS’s remote towers. Both companies, G&D and DFS, benefit greatly from their close cooperation. This enables G&D to work together even more closely with the ATC industry and to further adapt their portfolio to the industry’s requirements. This way, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung is also able to discuss new products and requirements directly with the KVM manufacturers. Thus, both the efficiency and the reliability of the constantly improved systems will continue to benefit from the use of KVM.

tvONE is marking October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in partnership with breast cancer foundation Susan G. Komen, by supporting the charity with sales of the Pathfinder KVM over IP from its Magenta Research brand.

The Magenta Pathfinder KVM over IP was announced in October 2019 and began shipping to customers worldwide in February 2020. As part of the ongoing effort to raise awareness for cancer research, tvONE Inc. is donating a portion of its proceeds to Susan G. Komen for every Pathfinder unit sold during 2020.

Related: Anywhere Control: The Latest in KVM Over IP

“As we begin National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all of us at tvONE are proud to be able to give our support to such a worthy cause,” said Andy Fliss, vice president of sales, tvONE. “By partnering with Susan G Komen, we are helping them to meet their goal of reducing the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026.”

Pathfinder is a KVM over IP solution that provides a scalable, zero latency, KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse, and USB 2.0) extension and switching solution for 4K and HD sources capable of up to 2,000 high-quality endpoints in a single system using standard IT network switches.

A standout visual feature of Pathfinder is that the hardware encoders and decoders are encased in pink, an anomaly in the “black box” world of AV hardware.

VuWall has announced a partnership to provide customers with an affordable and efficient control room kit that addresses the specific requirements of small to midsize control rooms — and fully complements VuWall solutions. Engineered to simplify the design, quoting and purchasing, and installation process for small and medium size control rooms, the new visualization kit includes TBC SmartTrac Console System and the VuWall ecosystem in one solution. Customers simply need to add the displays of their choice for a complete control room deployment.

"As the need for surveillance, monitoring, and collaboration capabilities proliferate across facilities of all sizes, customers are requesting a simple and efficient workstation that scales to smaller environments with robust monitoring and collaboration requirements," said Paul Vander Plaetse, CEO at VuWall. "TBC Consoles has long-standing expertise in designing modular technical furniture for the AV industry, making them a great partner in creating a combined solution. Now these customers have an affordable, easy-to-deploy and intuitive solution that leverages innovations often only seen in large, high-end control rooms."

The kit provides organizations with VuWall's flexible and powerful video wall management solutions that drives the best video wall visualization experience. It includes the VuStation KVM multiviewer, a control workstation that enables operators to seamlessly interact with multiple sources from a single keyboard and mouse on their desktop; VuScape, a series of power and modular video wall controllers for small and large-scale video walls; and VuWall Touch Panel, featuring a PoE tablet with an intuitive interface designer, that doesn't require any programming skills to configure. As an integrated platform, organizations have a comprehensive ecosystem driving the video wall that is easy to use and deploy.

TBC's SmartTrac Console System is designed to meet modern surveillance and monitoring demands within a lightweight aluminum and steel-based workstation that can be combined with other consoles, carts, or accessories to allow the system to adapt to any sized control room. It features full cable management, height adjustment, rack modules built into the countertop, and the ability to mount a variety of accessories without tools. These features speed up deployment and maximize versatility for any system components and user requirements.

"Our customers look to us for modern, ergonomic, and modular control room furniture," said Jansen Hahn, chief operations officer at TBC Consoles. "In these environments, we are tasked with providing workstations where the operators can view a variety of sources on multiple monitors in a setting that incorporates all hardware and software to meet their needs and allows for future expansion. Working with VuWall allows us to suggest a package kit which does just that. We see great value in our ability to provide a number of discrete solutions that include furniture, processors, and visualization software all in one."

Systems integration firm BeckTV recently worked with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens to complete a new control room within M&T Bank Stadium for centralized production of RavensVision in-game content and promos distributed across the two main video boards; all ribbons, corner boards, and concourse video boards; and all concourse and suite displays. BeckTV served as system integrator for the control room project, which is a major component of an ongoing three-year, $120 million facility investment designed to improve the in-stadium fan experience.

"The Ravens have always been on the forefront of experimenting with and adopting new technology," said Jay O'Brien, vice president of broadcasting and game day productions for the Baltimore Ravens. "The solutions we've deployed within our new control room enhance our creativity and effectively eliminate any technical control barriers. With much-improved speed and flexibility in presenting video, graphics, game stats, NFL scores and highlights, and fantasy stats, we can provide our fans with a rich viewing experience."

The new control room at M&T Bank Stadium supports new 4K UHD video displays that doubled the width of the stadium's previous standard HD boards and equal the highest resolution and clearest picture of any stadium video display in the United States. With a game day team that likewise has doubled in size, the production team for the Ravens takes full advantage of additional cameras and camera locations, updated replay and graphics systems, and additional engineering stations to enrich the on-screen product.

"With our great video displays, we needed to power them with great equipment," O'Brien said. "In designing a state-of-the-art control room, we required a company that could suggest the right product and then work with us to integrate the technology. It was also imperative that the company install and support our systems through game day, allowing us to focus on content rather than hardware issues. BeckTV's engineers offered expert knowledge and worked tirelessly on the project, and we could see they were invested not only in the installation, but in the quality of show our fans experience."

The control room project included Ross Acuity switchers and graphics systems, Sony 4K cameras, Panasonic 4K outdoor PTZ cameras, Wave Central wireless cameras, an Evertz 4K Dreamcatcher replay system representing the largest 4K IP deployment at launch, and Evertz EXE IP routing and multiviewer systems that represented one of the first EXE router deployments supporting 100 percent of the live production with full discrete video/audio routing and embedding/de-embedding capabilities.

Together, these systems give the production team complete control in driving content and marketing throughout the entire stadium. A major benefit for fans is the team's ability to show many different unique views of a play—typically two or three replays after a big play and six or seven different angles following a touchdown.

"We want the fan experience at our stadium to be the best a person can have while enjoying a Ravens game,” O'Brien said. "We are proud that we provide more replays than broadcast TV and offer unique camera angles that fans can see only at our stadium. These elements engage our fans, foster team spirit, and help us maintain one of the NFL's best home-field advantages."

"Our 'product' at BeckTV is building systems that are highly capable, flexible, and reliable," said Peter Dernbach, director of engineering, at BeckTV. "We're pleased that the Ravens saw this commitment, as well as our experience and history, and chose BeckTV to help them achieve their goals."

The What: Matrox Graphics has announce that the Matrox Maevex 6120 dual 4K enterprise encoder appliance is now shipping. Leveraging the same capture and real-time encoding technology as the Matrox Maevex 6150 quad 4K encoder, Maevex 6120 delivers simultaneous dual 4K capture, stream, and record—with options to stream and record even more channels in different configurations—all on a standard one Gigabit Ethernet network.

The What Else: Packaged in a rack-ready, plug-and-play form factor, Maevex 6120 features encoding capabilities that can easily feed cloud-based servers to reach internet viewers, push many streams on-premises over the LAN for local audiences, and record to local or network storage for later editing and viewing—all concurrently. The appliance’s ability to also stream multiple resolutions, bitrates, and protocols—including Secure Reliable Transport (SRT)—at the same time, significantly offloads or eliminates cloud transcoding operations and costs for organizations.

The included Maevex PowerStream Plus software management tool provides complete reach and control over the entire Maevex network—including all Maevex 6100 Series 4K enterprise encoders and Maevex 5100 Series Full HD encoders and decoders. For rapid customization, the PowerStream Plus API for Windows and Linux and lower-level REST API are also available for integrators and developers looking to create personalized Maevex control applications. These APIs can be used to easily include Maevex functionality into existing or even third-party applications.

The Bottom Line: The standalone appliance is ideal for a variety of streaming and recording applications in corporate, education, digital signage, military, government, control rooms, and more.

From sending an email to powering urgent medical equipment, energy keeps America connected. The energy industry is diversifying in exciting ways as consumers explore new buying and distribution options. The Alabama-based Pea River Electric Cooperative is at the heart of innovation in the channel. To deliver reliable service for its 18,000 accounts, this member-owned, not-for-profit distribution cooperative is using advanced audiovisual tools for critical monitoring in its headquarters.

ALABAMA ADVANTAGE

For a recent video wall and control system installation at Pea River’s headquarters in Ozark, AL, the value-driven cooperative turned to Encore Technologies, a subsidiary of Harris Security Systems, also based in Ozark. Encore’s deep expertise in all aspects of integrated audiovisual solutions was exactly what Pea River needed.

LaDon Findley, Encore Technologies division manager and senior AV designer/estimator, has been specializing in AV systems for nearly 35 years. From state capitols to houses of worship, Findley and the Encore team bring passion to projects across the country. “We travel extensively and we do systems everywhere,” Findley enthused. But delivering a state-of-the-art solution for a neighbor in the Yellowhammer State was a win-win for all parties involved.

MEETING USER NEEDS

With the Pea River video wall project in mind, Findley searched the halls of InfoComm 2017 in Orlando looking for potential fit.

“I met the Datapath staff at InfoComm in Orlando,” Findley said. While the Pea River Cooperative HQ operators were aware of trends and new technologies on the market, they were hesitant to make a purchase. Many of the quotes they had fielded were surprisingly high, even “cost-prohibitive,” Findley said.

After a quick software demonstration of the VSNMicro 600 at Datapath’s booth, Findley was impressed by the product’s intuitive operation and robust feature-set. And, the cost of the processor was “very reasonable.” The VSNMicro 600 platform includes a motherboard that is connected to Datapath’s Express6 PCIe backplane containing six half-length PCIe slots for use with Datapath’s range of cards.

Available with a variety of options including an industrial-grade motherboard, Intel processors, DDR4 memory, and ATX or RSPU power supplies, the VSNMicro 600 is designed to offer the same rich feature set of larger VSN systems. The VSNMicro 600 is also compatible with Datapath’s portfolio of Vision capture, image graphics, and ActiveSQX IP decoding cards. Customers can build systems with myriad video inputs and IP streams that can feed to a large, multi-screen video wall.

KEEPING COMMUNITIES CONNECTED

Pea River’s supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) monitors the power lines and transformers throughout their area, and more specifically, their area of responsibility. When they have a power outage, lose a transformer, or a line goes down, a critical alert appears on the video wall as an alarm. A map instantly indicates the exact location of the issue.

Maintaining the serviceability of the power structure is a complex task with many moving parts. There’s no room for ambiguity and no time for guesswork. Multiple computers at the Pea River HQ call desk run different software packages, and operators display information feeds on the video wall. “Everybody sitting at the call desk—typically three to four people—can just glance up at the wall and see the status of a particular call.”

“[The operators] are able to glance up and see where they have a problem, how to get to the problem, and where the issue is originating,” he said. “They can dispatch somebody immediately to get it fixed.”

Findley also used Datapath’s ActiveConnect cables in this project. ActiveConnect are long-range fiber optic DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 cable, with lengths up to 100m. They require no additional power.

ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY

Greg Babbs, Datapath’s sales and accounts manager, said that a key element for this Alabama control room was the “flexibility to visualize and position any of their critical operations information in different places, at different times.”

Datapath delivers enhanced flexibility, according to Babbs, such as the ability to take cable TV, output PCs, which are looking at networks, operations software, and real-time status information. “This is where the video wall processor offers benefits over other technologies,” he said. “The user can position any of that information anywhere on the video wall, any time they like.”

USER-FRIENDLINESS

While HQ operators at the call desk are seasoned professionals, the video wall is so easy to use that one doesn’t need a Ph.D to master it. Findley noted that there are two individuals that operate the system: one to field the service calls and one to dispatch the service after the call is made.

The integration team implemented Extron control to further improve the user-friendliness with presets. With the 12-inch Extron touchscreen, operators can simply reach over, and with one touch, start the action. All it takes is a “one-button press,” Findley said, to activate the desired mode for video wall display. The video wall immediately jumps into that position. There is also no need to return to the rack or reconfigure to make the wall function as desired. Managers can simply touch the desired preset that activates stored themes.

“It’s just a matter of touching the one that they desire and then the video wall acts accordingly and moves into that position with the images,” he said.

A BRIGHT IDEA

The display solution in this control room is LG’s 55-inch super narrow-bezel LED displays with 700 nits. These flat panels offer remarkable brightness, fluid performance, 24/7 operation, and, according to Findley, are “very easy to watch…easy on the eyes.” The resolution, despite running at 1080p, is incredible. “It’s easy to read, no pixilation,” he said. “When you’re looking at the wall, it doesn’t give you the concept of lines between the monitors because they’re so tight already.” LG’s modules can also be configured via LAN daisy chain if desired.

Findley believes this LED-based project echoes broader display trends in the industry. He sees the demand increasing for LED. In fact, another electric cooperative reached out to Encore inquiring about a similar setup. “Command and control spaces seem to desire LED because [it allows for] the quick showing of information.” Responding to the information is also instantaneous. In a mission-critical space, every second counts.

Margot Douaihy is the editor-at-large of AV Technology magazine.

Key Elements for the AV Manager

• * User-friendly
• * Extremely Flexible
• * Easy to Operate
• * Return on Investment
• * Full Feature Set

POWER IN NUMBERS

Pea River Electric Cooperative is one of more than 700 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in 46 states that collectively deliver power and energy solutions. http://www.peariver.com/

AV Equipment Spotlight

* Datapath VSNMicro (rack-mounted) and ActiveConnect Cables https://www.datapath.co.uk
* Extron Control System https://www.extron.com/
* LG 55-inch LED Displays http://www.lg.com/us/business/commercialdisplay/displays-tvs/video-walls