Texas High School Selects MultiDyne Technology for Sports Broadcasts

MultiDyne, a provider of fiber optic-based video and audio transport solutions for broadcast and pro A/V applications, today announced that Belton High School, the 5A public high school located just north of Austin, Texas, is using MultiDyne’s new SilverBACK-II with JUICE camera-mounted fiber transport system to broadcast sports games, performing arts productions, and other events.

Purchased from Omega Broadcast Group — a major video equipment sales, rentals, and services provider in the region — MultiDyne’s SilverBACK-II with JUICE features a robust power supply that enables the students to transmit camera signals over fiber at a distance of up to 300 meters away without the use of local power or batteries, simplifying broadcast production.

“Belton High School has a state-of-the-art broadcast and media production program that enables our students to gain hands-on experience similar to what they’d experience in the professional world,” said Mark Fitzwater, a teacher in the Career and Technical Education Department at Belton High School. “MultiDyne’s SilverBACK-II with JUICE is an integral part of our workflow as it gives our students the freedom to shoot from anywhere on campus without worrying about power supply issues. We’ve found it to be extremely reliable and user-friendly for remote broadcasts.”

Prior to implementing SilverBACK-II with JUICE, Belton High School students were isolated to recording within each camera and editing material after the event. SilverBACK-II with JUICE allows them to support a live multicamera remote production environment by transmitting a variety of high-quality camera signals, including HD-SDI video, audio, intercom, control data, GPIOs, tally, and power, over a single hybrid copper and fiber cable from remote locations around the school to a production studio for real-time editing. The video broadcasts are used by a local TV station and Tiger Productions, the Belton High School student production group, which provides video production services for 12 schools within the district.

“Belton High School came to us with a challenge: They wanted to transmit multiple camera feeds from the stadium sidelines to a jumbo-sized video scoreboard during football games without video degradation or delay,” said Bart McNeil, sales, Omega Broadcast Group. “Through the use of fiber and a robust power supply, MultiDyne’s SilverBACK-II with JUICE allows the students to reliably transmit high-quality video signals from the football stadium to a control room located a quarter-of-a-mile away. Since we began this project, it has evolved into being about so much more than just football coverage; the entire school is now wired to support high-quality broadcasts and media productions.” McNeil’s colleagues, Omega Broadcast Group’s Dave Fry designed the system and Dean Raney was the project manager.

SilverBACK-II is milled from a solid block of aluminum and measures just over one inch thick, a little thicker with JUICE, providing student camera operators with a compact, unobtrusive camera-backed system for remote signal transmission. Integrated dovetails on the front and back of the unit simplify camera operation by enabling users to add optional accessories like 15-mm rod adapters as needed. The JUICE power supply acts as a reliable power source at the camera and the other end can be built into the base station’s 1-RU frame or housed separately for added flexibility. When built into the unit, it enables simple plug-and-play operation and delivery of up to 100 watts of power for a distance of up to 300 meters. When used externally, the system supports a wider range of cabling topologies and transmission distances.