Live event production solutions specialist CP Communications has announced it will serve as the official A/V rental and sales partner for Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) in the United States.

As part of the collaboration, CP Communications’ subsidiary Red House Streaming (RHS) has introduced MRMC robotic cameras into Studio C, its new, cinematic-focused production studio in St Petersburg, Fla. Studio C is now one of only two studios in Florida and among a select few in the entire country to house this state-of-the-art robotic camera technology.

The addition of MRMC’s robotic systems elevates the capabilities of RHS studios, offering cinematic camera motion, precision control and creative flexibility for productions ranging from broadcast news and corporate events to creative projects, concerts and original programming.

“With MRMC’s robotic camera systems, we’re not just adding new equipment, we’re transforming what’s possible for our clients,” said Kurt Heitmann, CEO of CP Communications. “This technology allows us to bring cinematic storytelling, consistency and efficiency into our productions, all while maintaining the flexibility and cost-effectiveness that clients demand.”

MRMC’s robotic solutions are trusted by leading broadcasters, filmmakers, and content creators around the world for their unparalleled precision, reliability, and innovation.

More information is available on the CP Communications, Red House Streaming and MRMC websites.

NEW YORK—CP Communications and its Red House Streaming subsidiary marked their 11th year of covering the TCS New York City Marathon last month by adding new technology to fill in coverage gaps. For this year’s five-borough, 26.2-mile race on Nov. 3, these included a broader implementation of private LTE spectrum, streamlined REMI site systems and integration with Starlink that enabled IP-based aerial acquisition.

These content acquisition and networking innovations from RHS allowed CP technicians to expand the event’s streaming footprint to 48 outbound feeds originating from HD-21, CP’s flagship 53-foot expando production truck. Those feeds were sent to multiple broadcast and streaming platforms, including WABC-TV New York City, ESPN2, the New York City Marathon App, and event organizer New York Road Runners’ social-media platforms.

“Over the years, we have gradually taken control of production elements where we can make a difference,” CP Communications Technical Manager Frank Rafka said. “This year, we took full responsibility for the TSC New York City Marathon App consumer experience, producing and streaming nine live feeds. That’s a big change from last year where we handed off select camera feeds to a third party. We added two VMix systems to HD-21 and assigned a dedicated operator to each for live mixing and switching of all nine feeds. We also added a dedicated encoding channel to our on-board Haivision Makito X4 video systems for low-latency transmission, which ensured real-time delivery to the app.”

As in past years, the RHS team deployed REMI (remote integration model) production systems to three locations, slimming down the technologies to simplify setup and operation, the company said. Haivision Pro460 5G mobile video systems were among the encoding and decoding technologies used to contribute live feeds to HD-21 from the three REMI sites, leveraging both public mobile networks and special Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum. RHS also deployed Pro460 systems to seven on-course motos, including dual-stream Smartcars with Sony cameras and microphones to capture live POV feeds and commentary from on-course talent.

The CBRS spectrum proved especially useful for intercom communications, particularly at the starting and finish lines, where public mobile spectrum can quickly reach capacity. “We assigned a Green-GO digital intercom system to the CBRS spectrum, which provides a private LTE cellular network for mission-critical needs with networking and communications,” said Aaron Segarra, vice president of sales at CP Communications and Red House Streaming. “That ensured clear spectrum for intercom at the start and finish lines where you have large crowds of spectators sharing their own pictures and live video feeds.”

The Green-GO intercom network included 18 belt packs at the starting line and 12 at the finish line along with six iPhones at each site, with connectivity to a cloud server from Pente Networks to manage all technologies assigned to CBRS spectrum. The communications strategy included a city-wide Unity radio system for field technicians, moto drivers, bike spotters and press vehicles, and an RTS ADAM matrix with RVON connectivity between HD-21 and the three REMI sites.

CP Communications also partnered for the first time with Helicopters Inc. to provide a camera-equipped helo for aerial race coverage. CP and RHS technicians designed a platform in collaboration with Heli Inc. to mount a Starlink satellite antenna and use that service for connectivity and Haivision for encoding.

“That was a huge accomplishment in our quest for uninterrupted connectivity,” Rafka said. “We recently started using Starlink to embellish existing cellular coverage for sporting events as there are always spots with coverage caps, and others where we can’t establish a reliable internet drop or run a cable across the street. For the marathon, we equipped Starlink connectivity to a helicopter for the first time. We still had a traditional RF microwave link on the helicopter for backup, but we used Haivision encoders as our primary encoding links. For the first time, we provided uninterrupted coverage of the entire race from all locations via IP with sateliite-based Starlink connectivity.”

The marathon—now in its 54th year—is produced by FILM 45 on behalf of the New York Road Runners.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—CP Communications and its Red House Streaming subsidiary have extended their strategic partnership with Haivision to offer North American customers access to the company’s live video contribution technology.

The Haivision portfolio of contribution products is now available for rent through CP Communications. They include the Haivision Pro, Air and rack mobile transmitters and Makito encoders and decoders, the company said.

Rental packages that include the Haivision equipment, cloud access and global connectivity services are available. They are backed by 24/7 support, it said.

Earlier in 2023, CP Communications and Red House Streaming (RHS) made a major purchase of Haivision Makito real-time video networking encoders and decoders, giving its customers access to the latest premium Secure, Reliable Transport-enabled (SRT-enabled) encoders and decoders, it said. 

The Makito purchase was a strategic move to diversify the CP Communications and RHS offerings to meet specific customer requirements based on each event and application, the company said.

“CP Communications specializes in providing high-quality, cost-effective live event production solutions to entertainment, corporate, and sports producers,” said Aaron Segarra, vice president of sales at CP Communications. “Across our diverse range of clients and in an even wider range of environments, it’s clear that Haivision solutions perform under pressure. Our clients have come to rely on and often specifically request Haivision solutions for their secure, reliable and low latency video transport over unpredictable networks.”

More information is available on the CP Communications and RHS websites.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—CP Communication’s Red House Streaming has launched Flight, a new video production flypack for multi-camera location shoots. Designed for easy setup and quick deployment, Flight offers a professional HD production option for live broadcast or streaming of small-to-medium sized location shoots.

The rack-based Flight system supports four Sony HDC-2570 3-CCD HD cameras with Canon 20x lenses on a base level, for live production of corporate events, concerts, music festivals, and Tier 2/3 sports, the company explained. 

The video infrastructure brings together a complete workflow for content creators that is extendable to Spark HD, a 16-foot production trailer with a hybrid HD-SDI and IP production workflow plus a professional live streaming control room. Flight’s content acquisition capabilities can also scale for eight-camera shoots whether used with Spark HD or as a standalone REMI video production flypack.

The all-IP audio workflow simplifies routing and distribution for up to 40 channels of Dante audio, with direct connectivity to a 32-channel Calrec Brio audio console, Unity radios, and an RTS ADAM matrix intercom with OMNEO and RVON connectivity. When used with Spark HD or a separate transmission rack, Flight’s edge routing capabilities encodes video to IP with SRT transport capabilities for low-latency content delivery. The complete video production flypack workflow also includes a 72x72 Ross Video NK router (with an NK-IPS network bridge), Evertz DreamCatcher replay servers, and choice of a Ross Video Carbonite or Blackmagic ATEM Constellation production switcher, the company said. 

“Not every project calls for a production truck or trailer. Flight will take you wherever you want to go for less money and on short notice,” said Kurt Heitmann, CEO, CP Communications and Red House Streaming. “We have pre-built Flight systems in house and ready to go, and we can quickly accommodate available gear options that plug into its architecture before shipping.”

Flight’s pre-built wheeled racks can be adjusted quickly to add equipment and capabilities, depending on production needs. 

One example is the content creator who wants a more diverse video acquisition strategy for live event capture. “Flight can accommodate PTZs, POVs and RF cameras in the same flypack to provide the director with a broader array of camera angles and shot selections,” said Heitmann. 

For standard four-camera flypacks, Flight includes a portable video control console with four Sony RCP-1500 control panels, monitors and other equipment for easy access and control in the field.

“The bottom line is we are problem solvers, and that includes the ability to quick-ship solutions to support short-notice productions or fill gaps in a production workflow that has already been deployed for a shoot,” added Aaron Segarra, vice president of sales, CP Communications. “Flight is an ideal solution for the on-site production needs of our local clients in Florida, and is built to interoperate with the live streaming production workflow at our Red House Streaming Production Center in St. Petersburg. However, Flight’s powerful and professional infrastructure is also built with the national production community in mind, and we are excited to share it with broadcasters and live streaming event producers across the country.” 

For rental availability and more information on Flight, contact sales@redhousestreaming.com. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—With the recent production of "VooDoo Chef Underground", Red House Streaming continues to expand the production of original programming for its RHStv Connecting Tampa Bay streaming channel.

The competitive cooking series features nationally recognized culinary educator, chef and hospitality industry influencer Erik Youngs. The program was produced on-location by Red House Streaming at Erwin Technical College where Youngs, a food industry celebrity known as VooDoo Chef, serves as the lead Culinary Arts Instructor. The competition, which brings eight high school teams with sixteen students in total together to compete for a full college tuition scholarship, is exclusively available to stream on demand at RHStv.com.

CP Communications owns both Red House Streaming and RHStv.

Filmed in mid-April, Red House Streaming established a multi-camera production workflow to capture cooking teams working side-by-side as they battled to create “Tampa’s Best Burger”. 

The RHS production team hung GoPro Hero 11s above each of the two cooking stations for aerial angles, and provided full overviews of the chefs in action using Sony PXW-Z280 4K HDR handheld camcorders.

Separately, RHS technicians attached a Sony Alpha 1 4K camera to a DJI Ronin RS3 video stabilizer to follow Youngs as he encouraged his students, with several microphones to capture isolated audio tracks of Youngs, his students, and the sounds of burgers sizzling on the grill.

Red House Streaming also handled all post-production work, including video editing and voice-overs. 

“We have three Adobe Premier Pro editing suites at the Red House Streaming Production Center, two of which are Windows-based and one which is Mac-based, along with a separate voiceover room,” said Kurt Heitmann, CEO of CP Communications and Red House Streaming. “All suites are networked together via a near-editing storage solution to establish an efficient workflow between our editors. With these post-production capabilities, we could offer Erik a full end-to-end suite of production services to bring his vision to life. We are also proud to have the exclusive OTT streaming rights to this series on RHStv.”

The first episode, “VooDoo Underground Challenge Round One,” is now available in RHStv’s VOD library and will be followed by additional episodes as the competition whittles down to the final two. Red House Streaming will also produce short segments for their “Collections” page, and all content will be available on RHStv’s and VooDoo Chef’s social feeds. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—CP Communications and its subsidiary Red House Streaming have announced that they’ve gradually evolved their St. Petersburg, Florida headquarters into a specialized broadcast and IP production center and that they've rebranded it as Red House Streaming Production Center.

As part of that effort, the company has now deployed a varied network infrastructure of 1Gb and 10Gb pipes that interface with its two homegrown RHS studios and new RHS-36 truck, allowing the company to seamlessly manage live content coming from and going to any location globally – without leaving the property, and without leaving the IP domain if desired. 

These advances, along with the ability for clients to bring their own production trucks to interface directly with the IP network infrastructure, have inspired CP and RHS to formally rebrand the facility as Red House Streaming Production Center. 

The facility has already hosted several REMI productions, including the Bermuda Track and Field Championships and two ACC Golf Championship events.

“We differ from conventional production centers because we offer a true all-IP production ecosystem,” said Kurt Heitmann, CEO, CP Communications and Red House Streaming. “We offer multiple levels of professional production using traditional studio or control room workflows. Regardless of which production service is used, we acquire in IP, we produce in IP, and we distribute in IP. We can keep it all in IP with our vMix workflows, or also decode content for a traditional SDI workflow onboard RHS-36. We can then encode it back to IP for distribution.”

Heitmann added that the Red House Streaming Production Center uses Internet Protocol compression standards in ways that allow clients to capture, edit, process and deliver programming in their preferred formats. 

“We work in compressed environments, instead of moving uncompressed content around the facility on network cable,” said Heitmann. “Working in compressed environments is what gives our clients the freedom to manage content to and from anywhere globally over IP in a variety of formats, including RTMP, RTSP, SRT and NDI.”

The first 2022 REMI production project from Red House Streaming Production Center was the Bermuda Track and Field Championships for Carr-Hughes Productions (CHP) that aired on NBC Sports. 

This project utilized CHP’s High Rock mobile truck. Red House Streaming engineered a layer 2 network that transported eight video signals with 32 channels of audio, RVON communications, control data for cameras, return video and scoring data to and from Bermuda. 

“Basically, we extended the truck and production center networks to Bermuda,” said Heitmann. “The NBC announcers were in RHS Studio A and the international commentator was in RHS Studio B, and it was as if they were onsite.”

CP’s RHS-36 mobile unit was later brought in for the ACC Women’s Golf Championship, which took place in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. CP and RHS acquired eight bonded cellular signals from the Reserve Golf Club and natively placed them into the traditional control room workflow onboard RHS-36 back at Red House Streaming Production Center. 

The content was managed and processed on board RHS-36 in a traditional SDI video workflow, which includes a Ross Video Carbonite switcher, Ross Xpression graphics, Evertz Dreamcatcher replay systems and Yamaha audio mixing, before being distributed over IP to the web. A similar project for the Men’s ACC Golf Championship event live from Panama City, Florida followed one week later.

“The ACC Women’s and Men’s Golf Tournaments were the proving ground, as there were six hours of live transmission with eight cameras including an RHS CamSTREAM, a drone and six traditional cameras - all coming into RHS-36 over bonded cellular,” said Heitmann. 

While RHS-36 offers a more traditional control room environment, RHS Studios A and B offer true studio workflow environments for clients that truly want to keep it all in IP. “We are using our vMix studio switching workflows in the two RHS studios, which keep everything in native IP,” he said.

Heitmann added that the company’s new FastReturn system brings another important differentiating layer to the company’s REMI production arsenal. 

FastReturn can ingest any H.264 baseline profile RTMP stream, supporting HD resolution and 128kbit stereo audio with bit rates up to 10 MBps with less than 400ms of latency, and then place live-acquired content from the cloud directly into Red House Streaming Production Center’s IP network. CP and RHS technicians architected the IP network infrastructure for optimized redundancy and failover, and added an enterprise broadband pipe to support future 4K, 8K and similar high-bandwidth productions. 

“We have 1Gb backup pipes for transmission, engineering and other production arms that assure uninterrupted service, and we have a full NOC for monitoring and quality assurance as well as to manage remote talent,” said Heitmann. “It’s all about providing the most flexible and reliable solutions for today’s varied REMI productions, and we can handle it all from Red House Streaming Production Center.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—CP Communications subsidiary Red House Streaming designed and deployed a wide-area Layer 2 network across multiple event locations for the SXSW Conference and Festival, March 11-20, in Austin, Texas, the company said today.

This year’s SXSW, the first to feature a hybrid of in-person and remote participants, relied on the network to support the crew onsite responsible for delivering sessions, panels and music and comedy performances to audiences around the world.

With festival locations around the city, the SXSW relied on CP Communications and Red House Streaming to support events at 10 venues, including the Austin Convention Center where many of the largest sessions and Radio Day Stage music events were held and Brush Square Park, an outdoor venue where the International Day Stage music showcases took place.

Red House Streaming connected SXSW’s master control center, located in the Austin Marriott Downtown, with the 10 remote venues and a roaming camera crew that covered other venues around Austin. RHS’ family of IP and bonded cellular technologies were used to manage all Dante audio signals and intercom communications over the network, CP Communications said.

The expansive wide-area network and supporting technology infrastructure required a three-man crew from CP Communications and Red House Streaming. Besides building out and crewing the master control center, RHS technicians supported the remote camera crews on location, provided field support and maintenance services for all connected remote venues and managed a large communications infrastructure across all sites. The master control center also doubled as a network operations center for live signal monitoring and troubleshooting, it said.

“The technology infrastructure put into place for this year’s events proved exceptionally reliable,” said Marshall Dungan, technical director and senior producer for SXSW Conference and Festivals. “Their video and audio equipment worked very well between master control and our many remote sites, which is not an easy endeavor given the complexity of the network. The reliability of the bonded cellular video encoding equipment proved invaluable when we had to switch from the primary feed.”

More information is available on the Red House Streaming and CP Communications websites. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—CP Communications today announced several personnel moves, including the promotion of Lowell Beckner to vice president of Red House Streaming and general manager of CP Communications St. Petersburg (CPSP).

The company has also promoted Jason Proskurin to technical director for RHS and sales administrator of CP Communications. 

Joining the company are Beth Weber as senior producer for RHS and Tabitha Coleman as controller for CP.

Aaron Segarra has been named vice president of sales and marketing, overseeing all marketing and sales efforts for CP and the RHS brand. He will work from CP’s New York office.

“As an organization, we are continually pushing forward the boundaries of broadcast and live event production. We successfully launched our subsidiary, Red House Streaming, during the pandemic, and we are now positioned as the go-to for production in the Tampa Bay market,” said CP CEO Kurt Heitmann. “That success is made possible by our hard-working and dedicated staff. These promotions and new hires reflect that effort and the company’s continued growth.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—CP Communications has cut the ribbon on the Red House Streaming Studios, a pair of 600-square-foot professional studios and network operations center (NOC) that will serve as the company’s base for in-house production business. Red House Streaming is a CP Communications brand that focuses on IP, cloud and bonded cellular technology.

RHS Studios are located at CP Communications’ headquarters in St. Petersburg. The studio will be the central production hub for CP broadcast and AV clients, while the NOC will consist of RHS technicians and enable remote management of production and content delivery.

The RHS Studios can also be booked for clients to self-produce projects. As much as 5,000 square feet of additional open space is available for larger shoots, CP Communications says. The space is also expected to be used for two-way customer demos for products.

Clients will have access to Red House Streaming, CP Communication and third-party products for use in the studios. The space can also create a virtual set with a green screen, according to Kurt Heitmann, CEO of CP Communications. “This is a full-service, turnkey streaming and recording studio,” Heitmann said.

For more information, visit www.cpcomms.com.  

LAS VEGAS—The first line of products to be unveiled as part of its Red House Streaming brand, CP Communications will launch its STREAM content acquisition packages during this year’s NAB Show. The three packages cover single-camera shoots to multi-camera productions.

Making up the STREAM trio are the CamSTREAM, MultiCam STREAM and Production STREAM. CamSTREAM is a single- or dual-camera acquisition system with streaming support over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and bonded cellular service.

MultiCam STREAM is a scalable multi-camera acquisition camera system for live-streamed and at-home productions, with the ability to support up to four cameras, 32 audio channels and data in its base configuration. All camera feeds are simultaneously ingested into the system and can be decoded and delivered as individual SDI feeds or a multiplexed single stream.

The Production STREAM is a multi-camera flypack acquisition system for on-site and remote productions with larger I/O signal requirements. The system integrates Simplylive video switching and Dante-enabled audio mixing. It also has the ability to support tally and four-wire intercom.

CP Communications will demonstrate the STREAM packages capabilities at its booth, C3307, during the NAB Show.

To register for the NAB Show, visit www.nabshow.com.

NEW YORK—CP Communications, a provider of live event production technology and services, has appointed Jerry Gepner as Chief Operating Officer. Reporting to CEO Kurt Heitmann, Gepner will be tasked with driving strategic and business development efforts to expand the company's market beyond its core broadcast focus.

CP Communications has long been a provider of RF content acquisition for live production, having provided services and solutions for the World Series, Super Bowl and the U.S. Open, the annual open championship of golf, to name a few.

CP Communications is increasing its focus on IP, cloud solutions and bonded cellular technologies for content acquisition and streaming via its Red House Streaming solutions. Gepner will oversee the continued development of the Red House Streaming solutions offering, including the addition of new services and technologies that serve a broader array of platforms and customers.

“The broadcast and production industry’s acceleration towards an IP infrastructure has opened new business models and opportunities for content producers and distributors, as well as suppliers and service providers,” said Gepner. “CP Communications has provided content acquisition services for broadcasters at the premier level for three decades, and is well-positioned to spread its expertise into adjacent markets. My background in senior management, finance, technology, and services, including a strong awareness of marketplace dynamics, offers the tools we need to collaboratively grow the CP Communications business with our employees, customers and partners.”

Gepner brings over three decades of experience to his position, including several years as executive vice president Field Operations and Engineering for FOX Sports, and CEO of The Vitec Group’s Services Division. He most recently served as CEO of Tekserve and T2 Computing, which were acquired by Axispoint, Inc. in 2017.

Gepner is also co-founder of Sportvision, a Silicon Valley company that was acquired by SMT in 2016. Sportvision created innovations that include First & Ten, the virtual first down line used in American football, Racef/x, the GPS-based auto tracking and data systems for NASCAR, and the Emmy-winning K-Zone for baseball broadcasts. He is also a five-time Emmy Award winner for technical excellence in sports production.

“Jerry’s impressive track record demonstrates the rare ability to transform niche businesses, opening them to a broader marketplace, leveraging new technologies, business strategies, and organizational structures to build something new and exciting,” said Heitmann. “We’re pleased to welcome him to CP Communications in this important role as he helps to lead the company into its next era of growth and profitability.”

NEW YORK—CP Communications and its Red House Streaming business delivered end-to-end acquisition services for the TCS New York City Marathon Nov. 4, relying on a full complement of IP and bonded cellular technology for the first time to provide coverage from all five boroughs of the 26.2-mile race.

Four Smart cars, four motorcycles and other special motorized platforms, such as two POV wheelchairs, were equipped with cameras and Mobile Viewpoint bonded cellular systems, according to CP Communications. Their signals were routed to the company’s flagship HD-21 RF truck, where they were received, processed and passed on to NEP ESU broadcast trucks at the finish line. Those trucks provided the world feed uplink as well as local and national feeds.

In all, CP Communications carried bidirectional video and audio from 11 cameras and 240 intercom ports over its bonded cellular network, said Kurt Heitmann, company CEO. The Mobile Viewpoint solution provided the robust compression needed to optimize bandwidth and maintain video quality.

In preparing for the marathon, CP Communications took into consideration areas of the race course where cellular coverage would be challenging, particularly spots where large numbers of spectators could overwhelm cell circuits, he said. Those places included areas around the starting line and along the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge heading into Brooklyn — spots that required special attention to maintain video and audio signals.

“The core of our operation comprised three main sites: at the starting line in Bay Ridge, near the Millennium Hotel in Manhattan and at the finish line. In addition we had three highly robust unilateral IP streaming sites in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan,” said Heitmann.

The company relied on nearly 600 unique IP addresses from Brooklyn through the Bronx. It also deployed a MIMO mesh network across the Verrazano Bridge to feed internet to the Smart cars as well as intercom and other services, said Heitmann.

“We added COFDM traditional microwave receivers to get the coverage we needed off of the bridge, due to the limited cellular coverage, and deployed COFDM near the finish line for the same reason. That safeguarded our operation for the first and last mile of the race, in the event that limited cellular coverage caused the signals to drop,” he said.

However, the strength of the network architecture allowed CP Communications “to stay purely IP through to the finish line” once the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was crossed, said Heitmann.

“This was a first for the New York City Marathon, and a big step up from our past coverage strategies,” said Heitmann.

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