Philadelphia Flyers Select Integrated Microwave Technologies Camera System
Story Highlights
Comcast-Spectacor, the parent company of the Philadelphia Flyers and owner of the Wells Fargo Center, announced a new partnership with IMT’s Nucomm CamPac2 camera-mounted transmitter and Newscaster DR2 diversity receiver to provide the nearly 20,000 Flyers faithful fans with a great game-day experience.
The CamPac2 wireless camera system is compact and simple to use, yet sophisticated enough to handle a wide range of applications, including ENG, portable camera mounting for sports production, helicopter, and UAV links, as well as portable, mobile video, and data links.
“We have some of the most passionate and loyal fans in all of professional sports and we wanted to make sure that their in-house experience is as enjoyable as possible,” says Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “Nucomm’s wireless camera system allows us to shoot incredible pictures all over the Wells Fargo Center, something we thought we would never be able to achieve inside the building. From the last row of the upper bowl to the concourse and ice level, not having to worry if we will lose our signal or if the picture will freeze is a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. We can now focus all of our attention on the fan experience.”
The CP2 is a tri-band-capable unit that operates in the unlicensed 5.8-GHz band, as well as the licensed 6.4- and 7.1-GHz bands, without the need for any hardware changes.
“The CamPac2 system was designed to give camera operators plenty of options in regards to what they are able to achieve during a broadcast or in-house presentation,” says Integrated Microwave Technologies Divisional Chief Executive Stephen Shpock. “Having the ability to take really unique shots is what the viewer enjoys. By giving them the perspective of the game from different angles, whether it be on the ice, behind the goal post, on top of the stadium, outside the locker room or from the players’ view, the CamPac2 delivers this.”
The Newscaster DR2 diversity receiver is an updated model of its industry-leading predecessor, the Newscaster DR. It offers new features including “intelligent” block down converters, which actually communicate to the DR2 receiver, and the ability to control various operating modes. By utilizing the ability to block down convert the received high-frequency signals to UHF band signals in the 150- to 850-MHz range, the DR2 now has the ability to extend its antennas remotely up to 1,000 feet (using Belden 1694A cable), complete with DC power from the receiver, as well as other versatile modes of operation.
By having the option to choose from two different versions of BDCs for the Newscaster DR2, these units can transmit and receive a wide range of frequency bands, from 1.99 GHz to 7.1 GHz, depending on customer requirements, making these units truly world-class products.
“The Nucomm equipment has been extremely successful,” adds Luukko. “It’s been flawless. Our goal was to provide our fans with an incredible experience inside the arena and the Nucomm gear allowed us to do just that.”