Calgary Sports & Entertainment team chose EVS’s LiveCeption to upgrade the production systems at Calgary’s Saddledome and deliver an entirely new gameday experience for fans.
Calgary Sports & Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) is the owner of five Calgary-based professional sports franchises and is the operator of the Scotiabank Saddledome arena. For a recent modernisation project of the Saddledome venue’s production systems, the organisation’s top goal was to deliver an entirely new gameday experience for fans.
But at the same time, CSEC is responsible for meeting the demands of a year-round venue – the arena is home to the Calgary Flames (National Hockey League), Calgary Wranglers (American Hockey League), Calgary Hitmen (Western Hockey League) and Calgary Roughnecks (National Lacrosse League). CSEC also operates the scoreboard for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League at the city’s McMahon Stadium.
Modernising Calgary Saddledome
To get the Saddledome project underway, CSEC partnered with systems integrator Applied Electronics. EVS’s LiveCeption system was chosen as the foundation of the Saddledome’s new production set-up. Within that system, the upgrade centres on EVS’s XT-VIA server, chosen for its speed, reliability and continuous loop recording ability, and high capacity of up to six channels of UHD and over 12 channels of HD.
XT-VIA integrates formats and protocols from HD to 8K, SDR to HDR and SDI to IP, and can perform 1080p to UHD-4K upscaling. A range of I/O configurations have been validated as well, in order to support custom workflows for users’ specific needs, from the same server. Due to SMPTE 2110, PTP and NMOS support, users have hybrid SDI/IP connectivity and full IP interoperability.
Eric Becker, Key Acct Manager at Applied Electronics said, “Deciding on EVS to replace CSEC’s replay system this year with the new XT VIA made sense – as a preferred vendor, the company comes with immense knowledge and understanding of the industry. When we're trying to find the best fit for customers, EVS is often the answer.” The Broadcast & Production staff at CSEC commented that EVS technical support can be counted on for quick response times and willingness to work through problems.
Replays and Highlights
Working with the XT-VIA server is the LSM-VIA replay and highlights system. It has an integrated touchscreen that can be set up with customisable layouts. Over its years of development, EVS has regularly tuned and updated the LSM-VIA for efficiency and storytelling capabilities, including fast, direct access to all content on the network. This makes it possible for CSEC to manage and visualize live content from cameras on any server. Its native IP connectivity and software-defined foundation will allow them to adapt the system to live production trends in the future as well.
Adding a layer of innovation, the LiveCeption system includes XtraMotion, EVS’s generative AI-driven replay effects engine. Delivered as a service, XtraMotion generates super slow-motion replays from standard camera feeds by interpolating and inserting intermediary frames. It also applies cinematic shallow depth of field effects, and removes motion blur. The resulting content is exciting and memorable for audiences.
The Operator’s Experience
Andy Leblond is an EVS Operator for the Calgary Flames, one of CSEC’s teams. “Our facility is continuously busy," he said. "Throughout the course of the year, we don't have an off season at all, going January to December every year with overlapping seasons for every sport. For me, as a new operator on the XT VIAs, I really appreciate the VIA upgrade. I love the system’s functionality and find it very easy to use.”
Regarding XtraMotion, Andy noted that both hockey and lacrosse are very fast-moving sports. “From the fans’ point of view, that ability to slow the action down makes a huge difference to the replay and to the fan experience. For instance, they are able to determine exactly when and where a puck hit and see it on a big screen.
“Furthermore, if you're working on teasers, builds or opens, the extra motion enhances the quality of whatever you are putting together. There are so many ways you can use XtraMotion as one of your production tools.” evs.com
