Comcast SportsNet Philly sounds off with SSL

Comcast SportsNet, a 24/7 regional sports network based in the Wachovia Center, has taken delivery of a Solid State Logic C100 Digital Broadcast Console. The C124, to be housed in the recently reconstructed HD Studio control room to produce 5.1-channel audio, is the network’s second C Series console, joining a C148 in Comcast SportsNet’s HD Live Event control room.

Comcast SportsNet televises the games of Philadelphia’s many sports teams, including the Flyers, 76ers, Phillies, Wings and KiXX, as well as NCAA basketball and AFL football games. Additionally, Comcast SportsNet produces an abundance of daily live programming from its studio facility, including sports-related news, pre- and post-games shows, and sports magazine programs.

The broadcaster’s original C100, installed in February 2004, is used to televise live sporting events from the Wachovia Center and Citizens Bank Park, the latter via a 6,000-foot fiber optic connection to an SSL stagebox. The new console, to be installed this summer for an October on-air date, will handle all production from Comcast SportsNet’s television studio.

“The C100 has enabled our facility to achieve a level of audio excellence that far exceeded our expectations,” exclaims David Finocchiaro, Comcast SportsNet’s director of Engineering. “We are very pleased with its design, performance and features.”

Finocchiaro explains that the Comcast SportsNet engineering team was initially attracted to the C100 for its ability to handle 5.1-channel audio. “SSL has an excellent understanding of 5.1 audio and how to bring that experience to the operator in a way that is easy to understand and operate,” he notes.

Comcast SportsNet’s two C100 consoles replace analog consoles from another manufacturer, Finocchiaro explains. Like several other networks—including CBS, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the New England Sports Network (NESN)—Comcast SportsNet has concluded that multiple C100 consoles are advantageous to a contemporary broadcast facility.

“Having two complementary consoles makes sense for us,” he says, “because it keeps the design, integration, operation and maintenance much more consistent.”