Game Creek Video Makes Use of IHSE KVM Matrix System for NBC Sports’ NASCAR Coverage

NBC Sports coverage of the NASCAR racing season is underway and the Game Creek Video PeacockOne units are using an IHSE high performance KVM matrix system used to maximize efficiency for instant replays and video production management.

The addition of IHSE’s KVM matrix switchers in PeacockOne follows Game Creek Video’s recent decision to install IHSE’s KVM equipment in their FX-HD, Riverhawk and Spirit trucks. Game Creek was one of the first mobile production companies to recognize the level of connectivity IHSE’s KVM matrix allowed to production teams. Through a few key stroke commands, a workstation can have the use of any available server by instantly connecting the workstation to a specific server. Pre-configured and stored connection paths allow the replay operators to instantly connect to their data servers with no interruption to work flow.

Game Creek’s truck design moved the playout and graphics rooms to PeacockOne B and retained the Engineering and main equipment racks in the A unit. So, as with any multiple truck unit, a critical design requirement was how to transparently allow any workstation access to any server connected to the KVM system – no matter if the workstation was in the A unit or B unit.

“PeacockOne was designed to push the boundaries for mobile production and we needed a KVM system that helped us meet the critical challenges of shared A/B unit replay sources,” said Jason Taubman, Vice President of Design and New Technology at Game Creek Video. “With the success we had in all our other trucks, it was an easy decision to incorporate the IHSE matrix into PeacockOne.”

To solve the requirements of shared replay operations between the A/B units, Game Creek selected the Draco tera enterprise 160 port matrix as the primary KVM for PeacockOne A and added a draco compact hybrid 32 fiber/48 copper matrix to PeacockOne B as the expansion KVM. The two KVM matrix systems use 32 fiber interconnects to tieline the units as a single KVM switch system. The KVM grid system connects 24 EVS instant replay sources and 3 IP Director Stations. Software control of the two KVM matrices was handled via IHSE USA’s Grid Manager – a bundled software package allowing up to 16 matrix frames to be integrated into a single control environment. Game Creek used a combination of IHSE’s Draco vario series of extenders supporting DVI and VGA throughout both units. Each matrix switch included redundant power and connected via a standard network interface for administration setup and diagnostics through IHSE’s tera tool utility software.

IHSE’s KVM flex-port technology provided huge time savings for pre-configuring ports to specific I/O requirements. The Draco tera compact and enterprise switch systems include instant switching technology allowing quick switching between different formats and display resolutions. Switching between sources was glitch-free and instantaneous thus eliminating the typical eye strain and annoying tear with less robust systems.

For extending signals to and from the matrix, Game Creek used the IHSE 474 series extenders for DVI and VGA. Optional daughter cards were added to include RS-422 control signals.

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