Crestron control technology is in widespread use at the ongoing two-week winter sportsfest in Vancouver, Canada. Crestron DigitalMedia (DM) and RoomView remote management software provide a technological platform for the HD recording, distributing and displaying of games and events held in various stadiums and arenas.
Audio and video feeds come in from diverse AV sources and locations, including more than 100 HD security cameras, five simultaneous HD televisions, individual event feeds and computer-driven digital signage. All feeds are routed through the Master Command Center, with Crestron DM serving as the communications backbone for all facilities that comprise the Olympic complex.
The DM technology's ability to reliably and quickly transmit multiple signals long distance over fibre was among the factors that informed the selection of the Crestron system.
Other specific features of the Crestron set-up at the Winter Olympics include: DVPHD multi-window video processors to feed displays in each command centre; TPS-15 touchpanels and multiple, cascaded DM-MD16x16 switchers to enable the Master Command Center and/or the Military Command and Control Center to have full control over signal routing; a stand-alone DM-MD8x8 switcher for the routing of higher security content; RoomView Server Edition software to tie everything together on the network and enable full control of devices such as cameras and digital recorders from any location; MP-B10 push button controllers for local control in each conference room; and a DM-TX-300-F transmitter to provide audio and video input connectivity for portable AV sources.
"The Olympic committee knew that all the content in the stores, hotels, sports venues and security stations needed to be digital. The concern for them was how to manage and distribute all the HD content safely and reliably," commented Vin Bruno, Crestron director of marketing. "Once they evaluated DigitalMedia, the decision was made quickly. No other system was able to handle all the different formats over fibre, manage all the embedded data and transmit multiple HD signals simultaneously."
Initially overshadowed by the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili hours before the opening ceremony, the 2010 Winter Olympics is due to conclude on 28 February.
