NASCAR, Charlotte, NC
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As part of a major relocation of the NASCAR headquarters to a new office complex at NASCAR Plaza in Charlotte, NC, NASCAR Media Group wanted to build a new high-definition production center. CEI was brought in to handle the design and integration for the massive file-based facility, which features the latest wideband 3Gigabit HD processing and distribution technologies with television studios, control rooms, editing suites and numerous other production areas.
CEI was responsible for all aspects of the NASCAR HD production center project, including complete design, equipment procurement, systems integration, installation, testing, training and overall project management as well as elements of ongoing technical support.
The production center is part of the new NASCAR Plaza, located next to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It occupies four floors of an office tower and two floors of the adjacent building, which contains a new television studio and production control room. Showtime uses the facility to tape and produce the one-hour “Inside NASCAR” program, which includes highlights, analysis and feature stories, as well as previews of upcoming races.
The project was especially challenging because the systems integration and installation had to be done in an active construction site, and much of the facility had to be ready for the first “Inside NASCAR” program and the start of race season. Complete testing of the 3Gigabit signal had to be conducted throughout the facility to ensure effective operations.
The facility also has a new HD international control room and post-production facility, which is used to broadcast races to international markets. The live feed of the race is customized for countries outside the US, and broadcast to those markets via satellite. The video is also captured by NASCAR and delivered to the new post-production area, where it is edited and used for upcoming NASCAR programming. These activities previously were handled by mobile units located at the race track venues. The new system enables easier, more efficient management of the process while improving quality and reducing costs.
A radio production area includes two new radio control rooms featuring Wheatstone consoles. Each control room can accommodate six people, and one of the rooms is used by Sirius to produce its Sirius NASCAR Radio channel.
In addition to the production center, CEI provided a media playroom, several conference rooms and custom A/V systems. A second studio, with HD audio and video control rooms, was completed in late 2010.
The on-time completion of the NASCAR Media Group HD production center provides NASCAR with a future-proof facility that allows for the addition of even more capabilities and services.
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NEWSEUM, Washington, DC
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The museum of news, called the Newseum, near the White House in Washington, DC, is one of the most technologically advanced museums in the world, featuring 250,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits, theaters and studios. The new facility combines 500 years of news history with the latest in news-gathering capabilities.
The task of designing, integrating and installing the wide array of broadcasting and audio-visual equipment making up much of the museum experience was handled by CEI. One of the key challenges was the need to install the systems while the 643,000-square-foot, seven-story building -- which includes a conference center, offices, a restaurant and apartments -- was under construction.
CEI’s role in the Newseum project included designing and building several production control rooms, installing audio and video equipment in the Newseum theaters and studios, installing network equipment connected to interactive areas throughout the museum, and building the sophisticated master control room.
The master control room was especially challenging because it not only acts as the control center for managing all aspects of the Newseum systems, it also is a primary attraction for visitors. A large glass wall in the room faces the huge atrium area of the facility, allowing visitors to watch the operators in action. So, the room needed to be very functional as well as aesthetically suitable for the museum.
From here, operators can control the video and audio that is displayed throughout the Newseum, including the content on more than 160 touch screens in interactive kiosks. CEI supplied hundreds of PCs and worked with Evertz to build a special bi-directional fiber optic device that could handle 1920x1200 resolution, RS232, USB and audio for managing the kiosks.
CEI also built two identical high-definition production control rooms with adjoining audio control rooms for two broadcast studios. The Newseum TV Studio will be used for public affairs and news programs by major television networks. A second, smaller studio features a backdrop of the U.S. Capitol.
One of the facility’s 14 theaters is the Big Screen Theater, which features a 10x90-foot screen displaying images provided by five blended Christie XGA projectors.
CEI also built four Avid HD edit rooms plus a multi-purpose room that serves as an Avid suite, screening room and audio post-production room. A central equipment room contains servers for the 12 SD & 36 HD channels of content being played back throughout the Newseum, and an ingest room enables the intake of content in a variety of formats.
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FEDEXFIELD, Landover, MD
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When the Washington Redskins kicked off the 2010 regular season against the Dallas Cowboys, their fans were treated to a completely new stadium experience due to a comprehensive high-definition (HD) upgrade to the FedExField video control room and infrastructure by CEI.
The new system enables the event-day control room to originate HD programming and to transmit the signals to the new FedExField HD LED video displays and stadium-wide video distribution systems, and places the facility at the leading edge of NFL stadium technology.
The system features the ability to receive and record video and audio feeds from network television production trucks, as well as video signals from the dedicated video replay system, cameras and other external audio and video sources. CEI was responsible for project management, space planning, final design, equipment procurement, systems integration, interfacing with the new 100-foot-wide Daktronics video boards and data processors, installation, testing, and training for the HD upgrade.
CEI has also provided systems integration and service for the Redskins for many years, and handles game-day operations for the broadcast and audio-video systems at FedExField.
CEI was responsible for developing engineering and operational information, while producing conceptual and detailed designs for the FedExField control room requirements. The project included generating floor plans, signal drawings, schedules, and power requirements, as well as designing operating consoles, furniture, and interfaces to existing stadium systems. The system is designed to integrate with the HD broadcast trucks at FedExField.
CEI also performed complete integration, testing and training at FedExField, while providing equipment and project management services for the entire modernization process, including schedule and budget controls. The system features new routing and production switching systems, monitoring equipment, fiber transmission equipment, intercom system and HD cameras.
One of the main goals was to improve the workflow in the room, and this was accomplished with more efficient digital equipment, improved consoles and a more effective layout. The existing control room was completely gutted to accomplish that goal. A key challenge was the deadline, because the facility had to be ready in time for the start of the football season. Also, CEI’s staff had to work in conjunction with contractor personnel because the space was being completely renovated at the same time.
The upgrade also included a file-based workflow system that allows easy audio and video clip storage and playback. Plus, the new control room features a multi-viewer at every operator position, allowing many sources to be easily viewed and managed from anywhere in the room. The end result is a much more efficient system and a greatly enhanced experience for the fans.
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ORIOLE PARK AT CAMDEN YEARDS, Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore Orioles fans experience Oriole Park at Camden Yards in a whole new way thanks to a new high-definition (HD) digital production system designed and built by CEI.
The Maryland Stadium Authority, which operates Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the premiere site for sports and entertainment activities in Baltimore, brought in CEI to upgrade the existing analog facilities to a modern HD production facility. The new system can originate HD programming to the stadium’s new HD LED video displays. The system also generates two new HD channels to add custom HD content to the in-house cable system. The project resulted in a modern event-day presentation that incorporates the latest HD capabilities.
The system includes resources to receive and record HD video and audio feeds from network television production trucks, as well as video signals from the dedicated video replay system, graphics system, cameras, satellite receivers and other external audio and video sources.
CEI was responsible for developing engineering and operational information, while producing conceptual and detailed designs for the Oriole Park control room requirements. The project included generating floor plans, signal drawings, schedules, and power requirements, as well as designing operating consoles, furniture, and interfaces to existing Oriole Park systems. The system is designed to integrate with the HD broadcast trucks at Oriole Park, as well as Major League Baseball’s Advanced Media initiatives.
CEI also performed complete integration, testing and training at Oriole Park, while providing equipment and project management services for the entire modernization process, including schedule and budget controls. The system features new routing and production switching systems, monitoring equipment, fiber transmission equipment, intercom system and HD cameras.
The project involved the first update of the control room since the stadium opened in 1992. One of the main goals was to improve the workflow in the room, and this was accomplished with more efficient digital equipment, improved consoles and a more effective layout. The existing control room was completely gutted to accomplish that goal. A key challenge was the presence of numerous trades in and around the control room at the same time CEI’s work was in progress. The deadline was very firm, because the facility had to be ready in time for opening day of the baseball season.
In addition, a new HD video board had been installed at Camden Yards two years earlier, but the systems were still analog, which resulted in a more cumbersome workflow. The upgrade not only eliminated that problem, but also included a file-based workflow system that allows easy audio and video clip storage and playback. Plus, the new control room features a multi-viewer at every operator position, allowing many sources to be easily viewed and managed from anywhere in the room. The end result is a much more efficient system and a greatly enhanced experience for the fans.
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF GLENARDEN, Upper Marlboro, MD
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The First Baptist Church of Glenarden (FBCG) obtained the services of CEI to design, integrate and install a network-quality live production facility in its new 205,000-square-foot structure, featuring state-of-the-art live production and broadcast capabilities inside the theater-style sanctuary that seats 4,000 attendees.
Key production system goals for the new facility were to provide high-quality coverage of the services and events held at FBCG, enable fast, efficient distribution of recorded services in various formats on a large scale, and enhance the worship experience of the attendees and viewers at home.
To achieve these goals, CEI also partnered with RCI Sound Systems to provide a concert-grade sound system with the ability to accurately capture the energy of the FBCG services.
CEI designed a full-scale production facility that is capable of handling all types of events at FBCG. The production system was designed to be used by both professional engineers and volunteers depending on the requirements of the event. A production control room, a dedicated audio production room with voice-over booth and three non-linear edit suites are all located within the main production area. In addition, a second identical audio production room is located high in the rear skybox of the church’s 44,000-square-foot sanctuary.
The audience experience is enhanced by two 22-foot 16x9 Draper rear-projection screens located directly above the performance platform and illuminated by two DPI video projectors.
The broadcast production system provides tremendous event flexibility, with more than 130 connection panels which are strategically located throughout the facility. In addition, the FBCG’s worship center is capable of sending and receiving signals from the church’s Ministry Center located several miles away via a bidirectional fiber-optic link.
This interconnection also provides FBCG access to the Verizon DC Audio Visual Operations Center, which allows easy access to send or receive signals anywhere in the world.
Since the church leaders wanted to make recorded services available to attendees immediately after the services, CEI designed and implemented a large duplication center to produce DVDs, CDs and VHS tapes. The finished system is capable of generating 100 DVDs and 300 CDs within 10 minutes of the end of a service or event. Future cabling is already in place to expand these capabilities as required.
Finally, to enable use of the system by volunteers or other non-professionals, key production and other media-related functions can be performed via a highly customized AMX control system which features custom touch panels throughout the facility.
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TELE-TV (Bell Atlantic Video Services), Reston, VA
CEI was contracted to supply full turnkey consulting, system design, engineering, equipment procurement, implementation and training services for Bell Atlantic Video Services (BVS), Digital Service Bureau and Digital Production Center. These facilities utilize extensive supercomputing technology, advanced software and hardware and large scale file server implementations to establish key elements of the BVS system which will deliver Interactive Multimedia Television to the home through new and existing telephone wiring. The Digital Service Bureau is a multi-format component digital playback and routing system designed to originate, correct and process a diverse variety of program material which is then channeled to various program compression systems. The Digital Production Center is a multi-media program production facility utilizing open platform supercomputers, extensive file server technology, video/audio editing systems, high speed local area networks and other tools to produce and integrate sophisticated original concept multi-media program material.
Additional areas of CEI service included:
