Super Bowl XLV: ANC Sports Operates Massive LED Signage System at Cowboys Stadium

ANC Sports Enterprises will operate the LED signage system at Cowboys Stadium during Super Bowl XLV this weekend with the company’s patent-pending VisionSOFT control system.

According to ANC, VisionSOFT is the only 3D interface capable of operating multiple displays through a single console while distributing uncompressed video to its displays. The interface features transparent three dimensional spaces, which allows the operator to set up one video board while seeing what is actually on every other display and operating more than 10 displays at the same time.

The operating system will control over 4000 linear feet of Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision LEDerAd ribbon boards and four 32 feet wide by 6 feet high vomitorium video screens at Cowboys Stadium during Super Bowl XLV.

Cowboys Stadium is the largest domed stadium ever built and features the largest HD video screens in the world. The Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision displays hang above the field and measure 72 feet high by 160 feet wide spanning the length of the field from one 20-yard line to the other 20-yard line.

“The sheer size of the building and main video screens at Cowboys Stadium made it imperative for the venue’s other displays to be able to entertain fans in different sections of the stadium on their own or coordinate with the enormous video screens,” says Mark Stross, chief technology officer of ANC Sports Enterprises. “VisionSOFT’s unique flexibility enabled the venue to feature many different presentations or one dynamic show for every event at Cowboys Stadium.”

Utilizing an open architecture design, VisionSOFT is capable of controlling any signage application, including LED, plasma, DLP and non-digital signage venue features such as special lighting. ANC’s ability to customize the operating system for each installation led to the development of new statistical displays at Cowboys Stadium.

Cowboys Stadium features over three-quarters of a mile of LED ribbon fascia, the longest system in North America. Since there is so much active display of the fascia system, there were more opportunities to feature statistical data. VisionSOFT enabled the display system to run more statistics in individual layouts in real-time than any other stadium.

The complexity of Cowboys Stadium signage led to the development of the first 64-bit operating system in sports, which ANC is rolling out in 2011. The 64-bit system will allow for 32GB of memory per thread per video board, creating real-time speed throughout all of the venue’s displays.