Crestron DigitalMedia Distributes HD at the 2010 Winter Olympics
ROCKLEIGH, NJ - The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia is recording, distributing and displaying all the games and events held in several stadiums and arenas in full digital HD using Crestron DigitalMedia(TM) (DM). In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies and all athletic competitions, the sports complex is totally secured using HD cameras and digital recording devices, all monitored and controlled from a central command center. Crestron DM and RoomView(TM) remote management software provide the technology platform on which the Olympics depend for safety, security and entertainment for the tens of thousands of athletes, media and spectators during the games.
"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," states 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 fiber, manage all the embedded data and transmit multiple HD signals simultaneously."
The Olympic sports complex is divided into two main locations approximately 100 miles apart. Security facilities are similarly separated; one is the site for the Military Command and Control Center; the other houses the Local Command Center, the Master Command Center, and their respective backup facilities.
Audio and video feeds come in from diverse AV sources and locations, including more than 100 high-definition security cameras, five simultaneous HD television feeds of the individual events, and computer-driven digital signage: a total of 30 centralized feeds. All feeds are routed through the Master Command Center (the main AV control facility) that is equipped with 37 displays.
Crestron DigitalMedia was chosen as the communications backbone for all the facilities that comprise the Olympic complex due to its ability to quickly and reliably transmit multiple signals, including analog audio and video, high-res computer, HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, Ethernet and USB keyboard/mouse control long distance over fiber.
Each command center is equipped with a number of multi-window displays fed by the Crestron DVPHD, a fully HDCP-compliant, multi-window video processor that provides up to eight simultaneous, full-motion video windows. Security personnel watch these displays to monitor the centralized sources routed to them from the Master Command Center. At all times, the Master Command Center and/or the Military Command and Control Center have full control over signal routing via dedicated Crestron TPS-15 touchpanels, which are connected to multiple, cascaded DM-MD16X16 switchers.
Signals may also be routed to and from on-site conference rooms and other designated buildings around the complex for multiple purposes, including press conferences, media interviews and other meetings. In addition to the primary routing system, a stand-alone DM-MD8X8 switcher - with all-fiber inputs and outputs - is used to route higher security content. Web-based Crestron RoomView® Server Edition software ties everything together on the network and enables full control of devices, such as cameras, digital recorders and switchers, from any location.
Local control in each conference room is supplied by a Crestron MP-B10 pushbutton controller, and a DM-TX-300-F transmitter provides audio and video input connectivity for a laptop, local computer or other portable AV sources. Any of these sources may be routed through the main DM switcher, enabling the sharing of content across the network. The Crestron audio amplifiers and mixers that feed the conference rooms are located in the main control room, eliminating the need for local racks of equipment.
