The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which oversees the operation of Giants Stadium and the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ, has purchased several CamPac 2 wireless camera transmitters and Newscaster DR diversity receivers from Nucomm to enable camera operators to capture and send images from inside its sports complex, where line-of-sight restrictions are extremely problematic.
With the new equipment, Rich Carlino, director of multimedia productions at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, said operators can now provide viewers with a reliable, clear signal from nearly limitless camera positions. This includes previously locker room shots, concourse camera views directly beneath the receiver site and from anywhere in the crowd seating area.
Carlino and his team chose the Nucomm CamPac 2 wireless camera transmitters, along with the Newscaster DR diversity receiver, after testing it during a New Jersey Nets basketball game earlier this year.
Available in unlicensed 5.8GHz or licensed 6.4GHz or 6.8-7.1GHz bands, the CamPac 2/Newscaster DR2 wireless camera system addresses 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 (6-16MHz) and a high-efficiency MPEG-2 encoder that can be configured for either HD or SD operation, either of which delivers ultra-low-latency, high-quality images.
While CamPac 2’s encoder can be optionally upgraded to MPEG-4/H.264, its standard MPEG-2 encoder and variable bandwidth modulator allows high data rates in the 20Mb-50Mb range using robust QPSK, 16-QAM or 64-QAM modulation. To ensure compatibility with any DVB-T standard system, its 6/7/8MHz 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 the company’s existing Newscaster DR product, with new features including “intelligent” block downconverters that communicate with the DR2 receiver to control various operating modes. By block downconverting the received high-frequency signals to UHF band signals in the 150-850MHz range, the DR2 can now remotely extend its antennas to 1000ft, 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 1.99GHz to 7.1GHz, depending on customer requirements.
