EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Nucomm, part of The Vitec Group's RF Extreme business unit, and a leading provider of digital and analog microwave systems for the broadcast industry, common carrier, cable, government, military and international marketplace, recently scored some points with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which oversees the operation of Giants Stadium and the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey with its CamPac 2 wireless camera transmitters and Newscaster DR diversity receivers.
As RF clutter continues to increase, the need for a reliable, noise free signal continues to expand as well. The Nucomm gear was created to offer solutions to some of these issues and provide the sports, entertainment and news gathering world with the perfect solution.
"Before selecting the Nucomm equipment, we did extensive research on a large amount of equipment on the market and by arranging demos in our sports venues under actual crowd conditions," says Rich Carlino, director of multimedia productions at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
Carlino and his team chose the Nucomm CamPac 2 wireless camera transmitters, along with the Newscaster DR diversity receiver. "The first Nucomm demo was during a New Jersey Nets basketball game," continues Carlino. "The Nucomm gear has easily gotten us around the line of sight restriction, as it provides a reliable, clear signal from nearly limitless camera positions. We're able to get locker room shots, concourse camera views directly beneath the receiver site and from anywhere in the crowd seating area."
The CamPac 2 is also receiving high accolades for its reliability. "We used to have to sweat out certain camera shots when using other wireless systems," says Carlino. "We'd cross our fingers in hopes that the shot would stabilize and that it wouldn't break up or freeze. I am happy to say with our new Nucomm equipment, those days are gone."
The CamPac 2 wireless camera system is compact and simple to use yet sophisticated enough to handle a wide range of applications including ENG, portable camera mounting for sports production, helicopter and UAV links as well as portable, mobile video and data links.
"The CamPac 2 system was designed to give camera operators plenty of options in regards to what they are able to achieve during a broadcast," says Stephen Shpock, president of The Vitec Group's RF Extreme. "Having the ability to take really unique shots is what the viewer enjoys and the CamPac 2 system allows viewers to gain better coverage because they get perspective from different angles, whether it be behind the goal post, on top of the stadium, outside the locker room or from the players' view while on the field, court or ice."
Available in either unlicensed 5.8 GHz or licensed 6.4 GHz or 6.8 to 7.1 GHz bands, the CamPac 2 / Newscaster DR2 wireless camera system can fulfill any licensed or unlicensed band requirements, all within the same unit. The CamPac 2 can be mounted to any professional camera via Anton/Bauer or IDX type battery mounting plates. It is also equipped with a variable bandwidth COFDM modulator (6MHz to 16MHz) and a high-efficiency MPEG2 encoder that can be configured for either HD or SD operation, either of which deliver ultra-low latency, high quality images.
While CamPac 2's encoder can be optionally upgraded to MPEG4/H.264, it's standard MPEG2 encoder and variable bandwidth modulator allows high data rates in the 20 Mbs to 50 Mbs range using robust QPSK, 16QAM or 64QAM modulation. To ensure compatibility with any DVB-T standard system, its 6/7/8 MHz bandwidth modes are DVB-T compliant. In addition, the CamPac 2 accepts all of the current HD or SD video formats in all popular frame rates, including 1080/24FPS.
The Newscaster DR 2 diversity receiver is an updated model of its industry leading predecessor, the Newscaster DR and offers new features including "intelligent" block down converters, which actually communicate to the DR2 receiver, to control various operating modes. By utilizing the ability to block down convert the received high frequency signals to UHF band signals in the 150 to 850 MHz range, the DR2 now has the ability to remotely extend its antennas to 1000 feet (Using Belden 1694A cable), complete with DC power from the receiver, as well as other versatile modes of operation.
By having the option to choose from two different PA modules for the CamPac 2 or two different versions of BDCs for the Newscaster DR2, these units can transmit and receive a wide range of frequency bands from 1.99 GHz to 7.1 GHz, depending on customer requirements, making these units truly world class products.
"We are very happy that the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has been able to enhance the viewers experience with their use of the Nucomm CamPac 2 system, adds Shpock."
