Kentucky Upgrades Rupp Arena Camera Complement With Ikegami

The 23,000-seat Rupp Arena at the University of Kentucky is ensuring high standards are met with a recent HD upgrade that includes four new Ikegami HDK-95C Full Digital Portable CMOS camera systems.Total clarity for live action and replays is now the norm at Rupp Arena, with the superb detail of Ikegami imagery feeding four newly installed HD LED screens and more to come. “Ikegami produces the most natural picture of any we’ve seen,” says Merrill Richardson, Director of Facilities for Rupp Arena, and Lexington Center Corp. “The Ikegami HDK-95C has the sharpness that we’re looking for, and the CMOS technology assures us that our cameras will be up to date for years to come.”

Richardson and his team use their Ikegami cameras to produce all in-house promotions for the Wildcats games, as well as covering a long list of events that includes concerts, motocross, graduation ceremonies, conventions, expos, and corporate events. Two of the Ikegami HDK-95C cameras are located on camera platforms and shoot the games with box lenses, while two others are in portable configuration at each goal. Additionally, two Ikegami HDL-57 HD POV cameras are employed above each goal.

Ease of use has proven to be another benefit of Rupp Arena’s Ikegami HDK-95C cameras. “Our operators really like the focus assist function on the cameras – focus is more critical on HD than on SD, and these controls make it easier to focus,” Richardson notes. “We’re using Ikegami’s OCP-300 control panels for all six of our Ikegami cameras, and the video operator feels that it’s outstanding for shading.”

Part of Ikegami’s Unicam HD line, the HDK-95C HD portable digital camera is equipped with Native multi-format 2.5 million pixel, 2/3 inch CMOS sensors. It also features an upgrade path to 24p and 3G formats, including 1080/60p and 4:4:4 24p. In addition, the HDK-95C is 4K-ready with the Ikegami BS-98/CCU-980 4K Multi-format Base Stations.

As an Ikegami house since 2001, Richardson knew to expect total reliability and world-class support. “We’ve always had terrific service from Ikegami, and very few technical issues with the cameras,” he says. “Between the performance, dependability, and factory support, when the time came for our HD upgrade it was an easy choice: We immediately looked to Ikegami.”