 |
|---|
MERLIS BELSHER PLACE – SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
LIVE VENUE CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
Digital Signage and Media Production
Merlis Belsher Place is an arena in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is part of the University of Saskatchewan, replacing their old Rutherford Arena. The new arena first opened in 2018 after a year and a half of construction. This facility contains two hockey rinks as well as two basketball courts, which are used for the University’s hockey and basketball teams respectively. Currently, the arena is home of the U of S Huskies men and women’s hockey teams and two teams in the Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association: the Saskatoon Contacts and the Saskatoon Stars.
THE CHALLENGE
Being a new arena, Merlis Belsher Place needed two entirely new audiovisual systems in order to give their fans a truly memorable experience. First, they wanted to implement a digital signage system throughout the arena to captivate the attention of their in-house guests. In addition to this system, they also required a sophisticated broadcast system that would record and stream their live sports events.
THE SOLUTION
Matrix designed, supplied, and installed every aspect of the two new systems for Merlis Belsher Place. The two systems—digital signage and broadcast—were both implemented at the same time. As part of the project, Matrix also provided training for the arena staff on the tricaster video production equipment.
The equipment installed in this project includes the following: eight Sony 4K HDR professional displays of varying size, a NewTek Live Sports 460 solution, four Sony HXRNX5U camcorders, four Manfrotto tripods, and a Hollyland 1000T intercom system.
The digital signage solution is made up of the eight aforementioned Sony displays, which consist of one 65” display, two 75” displays, and five 43” displays. To leave a lasting first impression on the guests, these monitors are concentrated in the entrance of the arena. The displays are mostly used to advertise the Huskies’ games as well as provide ticket price information to the fans.
​
Meanwhile, the broadcast system uses the rest of the equipment mentioned above. For professional-quality video, Matrix installed Sony camcorders and Manfrotto tripods to keep the video quality smooth throughout the entire game. The NewTek Live Sports 460 solution is comprised of a TriCaster 460 with four camera inputs and a 3Play 440 4-Camera replay system. This solution allows for seamless video switching between cameras as well as instant replays both for streaming within the arena and for remote watching for any at-home fans. To ensure constant communication among the broadcast team, we also provided a Hollyland intercom system. This guarantees that fans both in the stadium and at home don’t miss a second of the action.
