BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast media industry, worked with Ross Video to design and implement broadcast-quality multimedia systems at Localhost at The Block in Philadelphia. This new esports campus is owned by Nerd Street Gamers and is the first of its kind in the nation.
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The 40,000-square-foot campus, known as The Block, not only functions as Nerd Street Gamers' new corporate headquarters, but also includes--among other things--global broadcast studios; a Localhost gaming and esports facility for hosting community, scholastic, amateur and pro-level tournaments that get streamed worldwide; and a bank of 150 top-of-the-line gaming stations that locals can rent to compete against other gamers in the facility or online.
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"We are thrilled to have built a world-class, state-of-the-art broadcast facility designed for esports events here in Philadelphia," said Todd Berman, vice president of media at Nerd Street Gamers. "Our control room, studio and caster area at Localhost at The Block elevate in-person experience and online tournaments to the next level. We are grateful that BeckTV and Ross Video partnered with us to develop a toolset to create the highest quality content for the community."
Together, BeckTV and Ross Video designed the system, with Ross Video providing expertise in esports implementations, equipment recommendations, APIs and most of the equipment. The solution includes:
•34-foot by 5-foot LED ribbon package designed and installed by Greg Gerner Inc.
• Ross Carbonite Ultra production switchers driven by touch screens running Ross DashBoard rather than traditional hardware panels
• Ross 96 x 96 Ultrix 3G router/AV processor with built-in MultiViewers
• Panasonic 4K Professional PTZ cameras and a Panasonic wireless camera
• Six-channel Ross Mira replay system with four recording channels and two playouts
• Three-channel Ross XPression CG and graphics system
• RTS OMS Digital Party Line with Roameo Wireless beltpacks
• Epiphan Pearl Nano All-In-One Video Production System - Streamer and Recorder for sending live RSS streams to Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook
Commenting on the new Nerd Street Gamers facility, Phil Englert, Ross Video's business development manager for esports, described it as "another impressive esports hub that will bring together pro and amateur gamers alike, developing the community and setting new standards for esports production. The number of dedicated esports venues springing up around the world is remarkable, and we're delighted that so many are choosing Ross to provide the highest levels of quality and flexibility."
"Being able to apply my 25 years of broadcast engineering experience to an esports venue, along with my countless years of gaming, allowed BeckTV to successfully execute a premier broadcast system," said Abel Sassenhagen, the BeckTV project engineer who oversaw the project on the ground in Philadelphia. "Now Nerd Street Gamers has a state-of-the-art setup that will satisfy gamers and fans for years to come."
