At the production of the 16th X Games action sports competition in Los Angeles, ESPN used a multinode MediorNet installation from Riedel Communications to distribute video signals between the different venues for the live event.
With the X Games occurring in and around the L.A. area, the installation connected the tech hub on Georgia Street, the production suite on 11th Street, the patch room, the Staples Center, the Nokia Theater, Nokia Plaza and the Park/Street venue at L.A. Live's event deck.
Riedel's MediorNet, a fiber-based signal transport platform, enabled the routing of more than 30 video signals. Six MediorNet mainframes with 40 inputs and 48 outputs fed various video walls as well as commentary positions with information and program from the different event locations.
Molly MacDonald, director event production at ESPN X Games, said that MediorNet's flexible routing capabilities via its MediorWorks software front end enabled last-minute changes during the show without interruption in signal transmission or the need to change the wiring.
MediorNet is used to route and distribute HD/SD video, intercom, audio and data over fiber cabling, which can form a network of any type of topology. Each MediorNet mainframe provides routing capacity for 32 x 32 720p/1080i signals, 160 x 160 SD-SDI signals, 27,000 x 27,000 AES signals or any combination of these. The platform's software-based broadcast-quality processing and conversion features such as embedder/de-embedder or framestore eliminate the need for external devices and provide significant savings in infrastructure investments.