XOS Digital, University of North Texas to Embark on Collegiate Broadcast-Control Trend

XOS Digital, Inc., a provider of content management solutions and digital media services for collegiate and professional sports organizations, announced a new partnership with the University of North Texas athletics department to design and install a broadcast control room within the school’s new 30,000 seat football stadium, currently under construction, to power the Mean Green’s new in-stadium video boards and the highway marquee sign facing Interstate 35.  The announcement was made by Chris McCleary, CEO, XOS Digital.

“Across the board, universities are taking over control of broadcast operations to allow for production of top-notch broadcasts,” McCleary said.  “UNT is committed to enhancing fan interaction, and as such, they understand how original broadcast productions can enhance the overall fan experience at games, and our expertise in fully integrated control rooms allowed for that experience to become a reality.”

The University of North Texas’ new broadcast control room will enable the school’s athletics program to acquire, manage and distribute video to numerous sources within the new donor funded football stadium.  The sources will also be capable of dispersed content across various outlets including: the large-screen score board display, online live stream channels, in-venue televisions for viewing on concourses and lobbies and to the satellite truck dock incorporating feeds for video board production and TV broadcasts.  All of this will be accomplished from the main production control room.

XOS Digital will outfit the new football stadium in the university’s “Mean Green Village” to accommodate a multi-format switcher, which will leverage several input sources including:

• Four cameras total, two HD, and HDV and an SD (with a fiber-optic transmission system for optimum picture quality) strategically positioned throughout the arena via two fixed tripods and two hand held with shoulder-mount option for operator mobility
• Slow-motion instant replay system with up to four channels of video
• DVD player/recorder

XOS Digital also will enable the University of North Texas’ production staff to monitor and adjust individual camera signals from the control room so that shading adjustments can take place remotely and expeditiously. All four stadium cameras include intercom communications for the camera operators and technical production staff to receive and relay information.

North Texas’ new broadcast control room will feature custom millwork for consoles and an assortment of workstations inclusive of camera shading areas, the Technical Director station and an instant replay station.

Aside from two previously owned university cameras, all new equipment has been installed. The Technical Director station will include a multi-image display processor which can create split-screens for all of the inputs as well as program and preview outputs, eliminating the need for separate monitors. The system is designed to expand to seven cameras. UNT will also be implementing an FTP server that will allow media outlets to access real-time highlights during games.

“Following the construction of our first new stadium in nearly 60 years, this is the next step in our digital media evolution,” said Rick Villarreal, Director of Athletics, University of North Texas. “By integrating a broadcast control room into our new facility, we are positioned to experience much more than an efficient process to record, edit and distribute quality scoreboard pieces. This is a strategic investment that will add tremendous value to our loyal Mean Green fans, media partners and sponsors. We look forward to producing high-quality results that will provide attractive opportunities for advertisers, and make our fan experience more enjoyable and visually stimulating.”

The University of North Texas in conjunction with their general contractor, Manhattan Construction, accepted bids for the project in late February.  XOS was awarded the control room opportunity in late April.  The stadium will open in time for the 2011-2012 college football season and will be built according to strict Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.  The stadium is slated to be the first collegiate football stadium that achieves LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.