WWE wrestles with Clear-Com
Dec 22, 2009 3:34 PM
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), based in Stamford, CT, is using Tempest 2400 four-channel digital wireless intercom systems from Clear-Com Communication Systems during production of its popular TV programs.
Clear-Com technology is now used extensively to coordinate lighting changes and other video elements during live entertainment production of shows like WWE’s “RAW.”
As the largest promoter of professional wrestling in the world, the WWE needed a system that would work seamlessly in the United States and abroad, without the need for licensing and frequency coordination. The organization chose two Tempest 2400 base stations and 10 belt stations, which make up a four-channel digital wireless intercom system that operates license-free in the 2.4GHz band. It’s now used extensively to coordinate lighting changes and other video elements during each live entertainment production.
Prompted by the FCC’s recent spectrum changes, the WWE was eager to purchase equipment that would give it access to additional RF space during its shows. Working with Scharff Weisberg, a provider of audio, video and lighting equipment, WWE can easily register each belt station to a base station with no further configuration.
Because the WWE’s stage shows are large, media-intensive events, the lighting crew is responsible for changing looks during each part of the show and working multiple media servers to support the video elements crucial to the show design and live broadcast. The system also helps ensure that the crew can communicate clearly with other belt station users and the TV trucks, using an algebraic code-excited linear prediction (A-CELP) voice compression algorithm to maintain the highest possible voice audio quality amid loud WWE fans. Further, the system’s iSelect on-command roaming allows the crew to move easily from one coverage zone to another.
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