Three weeks before the opening of the Summer Games in late July, customer service personnel from PESA were on site at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in London to support the setup and configuration of its routing switcher system, as well as provide training for technical operators. PESA support continued throughout the games.
PESA’s Cheetah fiber-optic router played a significant behind-the-scenes role in the distribution of live and pre-recorded video feeds for local distribution, as well as satellite feeds to the United States for re-broadcast. The router is based on an 864 x864 frame — which was instrumental in high-definition broadcast signals in previous years — populated with 816 x 800 coax and 48 x 64 fiber. The system includes PESA’s UCI-2000 controller card that allows it to be controlled via a Sony control interface.
In addition, the Korean Broadcast System installed a complete PESA system, also connected to the main IBC routing system, to support its coverage. The KBS system includes a Cheetah 288 x 576 video router coupled with a DRS audio router.
Designed to support 24/7 routing requirements, the Cheetah line of routing switchers offers a wide range of frames and card configurations. All Cheetah frames feature hot-swappable modules as well as redundant, load-sharing power supplies and superior air flow design for easier service and higher reliability. DRS is a full-featured, 24-bit, 96 kHz distributed routing system that uses high-speed multiplexing technology instead of a crosspoint matrix array for audio and time code signals.
