Atlanta, GA (May 03, 2010) – In looking at their growth and expansion plans, Charles Town Races & Slots initiated an upgrade to their wholesale broadcast environment so that they are now one of only four horse race tracks that broadcast in high definition video. To accommodate larger racing events and more media coverage, Charles Town was seeking a server solution that would give them the functionality that they needed today, and the flexibility to move forward as their future plans unfolded.
Erich Zimny, Director of Racing Operations, Charles Town Races & Slots said, “With the move to HD, we knew that we needed a system that provided seamless up and down conversion capabilities. We looked at three other systems, spoke to several independent resources about our needs, and selected the Video Technics solution for its current functionality and flexibility.”
Since the day before Thanksgiving 2009, Charles Town has been using two Apella™ HDS servers, providing a total of 4 ingest and 8 playout high definition channels. The Apella servers, in conjunction with the VT Time Delay™ software application, record multiple video feeds from different angles around the track. If required, the judges have the ability to isolate content from any camera recorded during the race, rewind the feed, and play it back frame by frame, in slow motion, or smoothly at another user defined speed. They use DNF Controls’ Flex Control Network® system to facilitate convenient remote control playback of any particular channel, or all channels ganged together using VDCP protocol. After the race is complete, operators use the low resolution proxy editing software (VT Proxy Editor™) to search metadata and review the content, and create complete replay packages with overlaid statistics and other character generated facts.
Andy Tuggle, Vice President of Sales for Video Technics said, “This is a much more advanced workflow compared to the tape based solution previously used at the facility. The Apella solution provides them the ability to create metadata templates that allow the users to quickly filter the database of races and easily manage the media for future replays.”
Apella HDS is a multi-channel and multi-format media server that supports a mixed database of DV and MPEG-2 files. Specifically engineered to perform reliably in a wide variety of applications, this feature-packed Apella media server provides up to four ingest channels and four playout channels. The compact 3RU chassis features front-loading hot-swappable drive bays that comes standard with 8TB raw internal storage with several RAID protection configurations. Virtually unlimited channel I/O can be implemented simply by networking Apella servers together. Extensive native codec technology, DVCPRO HD, and MPEG-2 up to 300Mb/s, and support for mixed AVI, MOV, and MXF file types, allows media files in the VT database – regardless of SD/HD standard, compression format, or file type – to be played back-to-back from a single output channel.
VT TimeDelay™ software provides an intuitive interface to effectively manage multiple Apella HD/SD video server channels for record and playback delay from seconds to hours. Key applications include broadcast program time shifting, live event multi-channel isolated recording, and slow motion instant replay. By controlling the Apella video server capture and playback channels, captured feeds can be played out with a user-specified time delay or playback on demand. The application can have unlimited channel groups (each group consists of a record channel and/or playback channel grouped together).
Zimny concluded, “Video Technics was great; sure we had the little things that are expected on all new installations, but they sent the right people to take care of things quickly.”
About Video Technics, Inc.
Video Technics, Inc., a pioneer in revolutionary systems development, supplies the global broadcast industry with innovative, feature-rich workflow solutions built around the company’s IT-based media servers. Video Technics’ Apella™ and NewsFlow™ products streamline the entire production process, and feature inherent proxy editing, embedded ingest/playout tools, and digital asset management. For more information visit: www.videotechnics.com.
About Charles Town Races & Slots
Charles Town Races & Slots is an incredibly varied, friendly, total entertainment experience, practically in your own backyard! It starts with over 5,000 slots. Besides having the hottest new games, an increasing number of our slots are high-tech, easy to use, Smart Play/ Smart Pay coinless machines as well, so you can lose the buckets. Live thoroughbred racing year round. A chance to bet on Simulcast races from the best tracks across the country. The opportunity to enter to win cars, cruises, cash, even a brand new house, in our spectacular promotions. When you're not gaming, there's a delicious variety of dining options. Live entertainment. Shopping. You name it. Already, one of the area's fasting-growing destinations, we continue to expand in order to offer an even better experience. The centerpiece of our current expansion is the Inn at Charles Town, which is now open! The Inn at Charles Town offers first class amenities including wireless internet, 42-inch Plasma HD televisions, complimentary hot Quick-Start Breakfast and shuttle service to the race track and slot floor. Stay and Play! www.ctownraces.com
