KITCHENER, ONTARIO —Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, owner of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC of MLS and the AHL’s Toronto Marlies has deployed three Dejero Live+ 20/20 transmitters to capture and transmit supplemental video content for home and away games of the teams.
The Live+ 20/20 is a rugged, portable system that enables MLSE’s electronic newsgathering crews to transmit high-quality live or recorded HD video without a satellite or microwave link.
The broadcast division of MLSE produces the majority of Raptors, Maple Leafs, Toronto FC and Marlies games for major Canadian and U.S. networks, and also broadcasts games on its three cable channels: Leafs TV, NBA TV Canada, and GOL TV Canada. Prior to adopting the transmitters, MLSE had limited resources for capturing ancillary content because the ENG crews had no live transmission capabilities and would either use FTP to send the recorded video back to MLSE’s Toronto broadcasting center or ship the material back on tape.
“In addition to our live coverage of games and press conferences, we’re now able to record up to four hours of HD video every day from the scene of the action, whether it’s a sports arena or a practice facility, and do it much more cost-effectively than traditional means such as satellite uplinking,” said Aaron LaFontaine, director, business development, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.
MLSE has deployed ENG camera crews, each armed with a Live+ 20/20 Transmitter, to travel with the game production staff for the Maple Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC. Charged with covering team activities on a 24/7 basis, the ENG crews generate video content for the MLSE website and mobile platforms as well as broadcast partners. Content ranges from game day practice shows and pre- and post-game analysis to interviews with coaches and players as well as features on fans. Using the Live+ 20/20 transmitter's store and forward feature, the crews can record the video and transmit it back to the main broadcasting center, where the Dejero Live+ broadcast server receives the content and outputs it for posting on the website or for use in scheduled programming.
MLSE is also expanding its use of the Live+ 20/20 Transmitters for live coverage; in one example, the ENG crew used the system to stream a pre-season Raptors game live from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the MLSE website.
