Argentina. With 15 years of sustained growth in the market, BVS Technology Solutions attended NAB Show 2019 in Las Vegas and presented its work done for Tournaments and Competitions at the 2018 World Cup russia. The case was awarded, within the framework of the NAB fair, with a PRODU Technology Awards 2019 as the best technological project of the year.
The success story details the moment in which the production company Torneos, a renowned company in charge of covering large-scale sporting events, implemented an important IP-based intercom system for the 2018 World Cup of Football Russia. In this way it managed to meet the needs of various channels with programming dedicated 24 hours live to the World Cup.
This system was designed and implemented in Argentina through VHL Technology Solutions, with equipment and solutions from the company Clear-Com. As a particularity, the communication system used was based on a single matrix and several remote points in Russia. The efficiency and versatility of Clear Com's products and the support of VHL made the complete coverage of the meeting easily developed in a large event.
The project was headed by Guillermo Romano, Deputy Manager of Tournament Operations, with the assistance of Diego Prosdocimi, Pre Sales Manager of VHL, and Joquebed Colin, Sales Manager for Latin America of Clear-Com.
With a vast trajectory of almost 20 years in the TV and telecommunications sector, Guillermo Romano, member of the Technical Department of Tournaments, has covered four editions of the Olympic Games and five World Cups, including the great deployment made for Russia 2018.
The update of the Eclipse HX communication system happened on a par with the production company's preparations for the World Cup since 2014. In 2018, Torneos added some more licenses as well as IP v-series panels to complement the equipment and ensure the correct functioning of the system according to the production requirements. All this with the support of VHL.
The intercom system based on the Eclipse HX matrix is a hybrid platform designed to facilitate the coordination of the production of television programs, audiovisual productions, plays, etc.
For this project, v-series panels with IP connection and Agent-IC virtual panels were used. The so-called Agent-IC is an app that offers the possibility of accessing the communications matrix with a smart mobile device from anywhere in the world. "The possibility of transporting independent audio channels over the same IP connection of the panel was very useful for us to send audio return to the different locations. The audio was injected into the array in Buenos Aires and routed internally to the destination panel. That same panel served as an intercom with its Central and with journalists to generate its own Interrupted Foldback (IFB)," Romano said.
In this way the multiple audio channels of the panel allowed to transmit the audios of the production and the live program simultaneously. "The flexibility of working by IP makes the system malleable according to the needs of the moment," he added. In this way, integrating remote productions from the place in the world that one prefers to live production and coordinating it with what is happening, at the headquarters without delay, is easily and fluidly concretized.
In Moscow, the Tournaments base was set up at the International Broadcasting Center (IBC), the place destined to locate all the technical production supporting the event. The operation focused on the studies of Tournaments in Argentina as a geographical base point. The simplicity and agility in the operation allowed it not to be necessary to move all the technical equipment to Moscow to provide a quality service. The multi-channel capability of the panels helped optimize costs and simplify infrastructure.
"It is very rewarding to be able to contribute to the successful realization of our clients' projects and events while helping to simplify their operation. Torneos has always been at the forefront implementing new technologies at the service of its operational staff, they were one of the first companies in the world to use remote panels connected by IP for at least 5 years, "said Joquebed Colin.
On the other hand, the executive added that "the functionality of the multichannel panels is giving many more advantages to users by being able to link not only the intercom panel but also 2 more channels of bidirectional audio and completely independently, all with the same audio quality and with a very reduced bandwidth. With less than 200 Kb / s practically any internet connection no matter how basic it is allows the connection from anywhere in the world. This same connection works the same way for Agent-IC."
