HUDSON, N.H.—Game Creek Video is a privately owned company that works with the world’s largest television networks, production companies, and news organization to provide comprehensive mobile production solutions. Our mission is to provide customers with the best technical, logistical and production support, along with state-of-the-art HD technology. We have a presence at virtually every major televised sports and political event in the country.
Our customers demand and expect the best technology on all our production trucks and we always do our best to offer just that.
Jason Taubman Working with our longtime partner Fox Sports in 2006, we developed one of the very first multi-truck high-definition mobile production units—branded FX HD—to be used for Fox Sports’ live sporting events. There are now five 53-foot expanding-side production units for Fox Sports, equipped with facilities for audio, video, replay, transmission, production, graphics, tape release/sub-switchers, and include edit rooms, producer work areas and HD viewing rooms.
NO MORE PATCH PANELS AND THROW-DOWNS
After several years of service, we decided to upgrade the trucks to improve productivity for our EVS operators with the goal of managing graphics and servers for individual workstations. The “system” we’d been using consisted of individual throw-down boxes with patching between them as needed. We knew that there had to be a better way.
After evaluating a number of IP-based KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) switching systems we determined that IHSE USA’s Draco tera compact KVM switcher series hit the “sweet spot” in terms of price and performance. in this area
What really attracted us to IHSE USA was their ability to handle lower resolutions for legacy video and the ability to handle RS- 422 machine control along with keyboard and mouse devices. We wanted a system that would provide quick access to servers in the tape room from any other room on the truck and it also had to handle VGA resolutions down to 640 x4 80.
ADDITIONAL BENEFIT
Another big plus that came with the IHSE USA’s Draco tera compact 32-port matrix switching we selected was that the 474 series extenders used with the system could be easily configured to support DVI-I (VGA and DVI), USB and RS-422 signals through the on-screen display and tera tools software. After the IHSE USA compact matrix was installed, it became much easier for users to work from any keyboard in the truck.
We took delivery of the KVM equipment for the FX HD truck immediately after this year’s NAB Show so we could have time to install and configure the system before rolling it out for a NASCAR race Fox Sports covered in late April.
We were so happy with the IHSE system installed in FX HD that we ordered another compact 48 matrix switch for our Riverhawk trucks. Later this year, we plan to roll out our new Spirit 53- foot A/B units for ESPN which will include IHSE USA’s enterprise KVM with fiber grid line interconnects.
Jason Taubman is vice president of new technology and design for Game Creek Video and has been with the company since 1999. He may be contacted atinfo@gamecreekvideo.com.
For additional information, contact IHSE USA at 866-721-0744 or visitwww.ihseusa.com.
