Telecast's Viper II and CopperHead Systems installed in US university facility

Telecast Fibre Systems’ fibre linking and transmission systems are being installed in an upgrade of Brigham Young University's Marriott Centre, designed to establish a complete fibre infrastructure for coverage of Cougar basketball games and nearly 100 other events held at the facility each year.
Telecast equipment is responsible for carrying all video signals in the building, both HD and SD, as well as for transmission of a portion of the building's audio signals.
"We selected Telecast gear for our-state-of-the-art fibre infrastructure not only because it has a proven record of reliability and high signal quality, but also because it is easy to use," said Cecil Harrison, video supervisor for the Office of Information Technology's events staff at BYU. "The flexibility of Telecast's Viper II throw-down modules allows us to establish signals virtually anywhere in the building and move them to anywhere and from anywhere. Telecast's CopperHead units also have impressed me with their ability to get all the camera signals onto one cable just a quarter-inch in diameter, as opposed to the much thicker multicore cables we had been using previously."
Within the Marriott Centre, five CopperHead camera-mounted transceivers fit on the back of five Panasonic SDX900 digital 16:9 SDI cameras, and each transceiver transmits video, audio, intercom, and camera-control data bidirectionally over a single, lightweight optical fibre. Signals from three Panasonic WVCS854B robotic cameras - used for unique shots including views from the ceiling and highlights from the ‘Slam Cam’ located behind the backboard - are transmitted to the Marriott Centre control room via Telecast's Viper systems, as are signals for the facility's Mitsubishi Diamond Vision large-screen video display and the podium used for events such as graduations and lectures.
The 50 Viper II modules installed at the facility include 25 rack-mount modules installed in three Viper rack systems and another 25 throw-down modules that allow staff to create fibre lines anywhere they are needed. The Viper II modules operate over a broad temperature range with low power consumption and no need for fans. The systems' high reliability is enhanced by redundant power supplies and alarmed UPS protection.
The new Telecast-based fibre infrastructure for video transmission eliminates ground loops and hum caused by the building's 35-year-old power structure while insulating the facility's equipment from potential damage from external sources. Signal quality also has been improved significantly through the shift to digital video and audio transmission over fibre lines.
"The Marriott Centre was ahead of its time when it was first erected, and with installation of this new fibre infrastructure, BYU renews its leadership in first-rate event production at the facility," said Richard A. Cerny, president of Telecast Fibre Systems. "Sports broadcasting at the collegiate level has become a demanding application, requiring versatility and creativity in capturing high-quality audio and video, and the same standard is increasingly being applied to other live stadium-based events. Fibre systems play a critical role in providing a dynamic presentation, and we're very proud that our fibre linking and transmission systems are being relied upon to meet the current and future broadcast needs of the Marriott Centre.”
(GB)