NAB Perspectives: Gepco’s Zajac Talks Ruggedized Fiber Optics for Remote Sports Production

At the forefront of Gepco’s offerings for the sports-broadcast market is a new line of ruggedized fiber-optic cables designed for portable applications in harsh environments. TactiFlex fiber-optic cables are both tough and lightweight, standing up to the rigors of mobile production while offering the flexibility of fiber.

Sales and Applications Engineer Joe Zajac extols the durability of TactiFlex fiber-optic cables.

“[TactiFlex] is  extremely flexible [and] extremely durable,” says Joe Zajac, sales and applications engineer for Gepco. “For the remote sports guys, literally, you could run it over with semi trucks, so it stands up to a lot.”

Available in either single-mode or multimode, TactiFlex fiber-optic cables are encased in a polyurethane outer jacket that is abrasion-, chemical-, and cut-resistant. For further damage protection and mechanical isolation, the fiber elements are coated with a hard elastomeric, tight buffer. TactiFlex makes its NAB debut by running 3D-4U’s 180-degree 3D camera in the Gepco booth. Used at last year’s World Series, 3D-4U’s 180-degree and 360-degree 3D cameras enable real-time, viewer-controlled in-venue panning.

When this camera is used, “the viewer at home can use their remote and basically pan anywhere they want to in the stadium,” explains Zajac. “You [can] have, in real time, complete control of the cameras at a sporting event.”

Gepco has also introduced its Mobile Web Reference, which is equipped with a competitor cross-reference and product directory that allows users to quickly and easily find Gepco-equivalent products and their specs from anywhere at any time. The Mobile Web Reference is available at http://xref.gepco.com.

“For the guys out there in the field that say, ‘Oh, I need a competitor part number,’ they punch it in and [the Mobile Web Reference delivers] the Gepco one,” says Zajac. “They don’t have to make any phone calls, don’t have to look it up in a catalog; it’s right there at their fingertips.”

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