NESN uses Telecast Viper to expand HD sports coverage

New England Sports Network (NESN) is expanding its fiber capability with new products from Telecast Fiber Systems that support transmission of all production signals between the network's new 44,000sq ft HD production center in Watertown, MA, with Boston studio facilities at Fenway Park and TD Banknorth Garden, and an uplink facility in Needham.

The Telecast Viper I, Viper II, and Adder modular fiber optic systems allow NESN to use 14 miles of leased dark fiber network from RCN to send all communications between its headquarters, sports venues and uplink facility. The network can also monitor signals and move audio and video feeds from Red Sox baseball and Boston Bruins hockey games to production facilities in Watertown.

With its Viper II systems, NESN is able to send three uncompressed HD feeds and a combination of analog and Ethernet feeds, as well as L-Band satellite return monitoring feeds, on redundant RCN fibers. This four-channel and eight-channel optical multiplexing (CWDM) capacity enables the network to use far fewer cross-town fibers for its transmissions, with room for additional channels or signals in the future.

Post-game shows and other programming from the linked venues can be controlled from the Watertown facility, with sources coming directly into the network's new control room. Because the HD signal remains uncompressed from capture through production and is compressed only at the satellite uplink, NESN is able to maintain pristine images of the area's most popular sports events.

For more information, visit www.telecast-fiber.com.