If you hadn’t already heard the Commonwealth Games 2022 is hosted in our very own city of Birmingham! The buzz around the city currently is one which you cannot really describe. It really is so great for our city to be put on the map and showcase what the Midlands has to offer on this global stage.
When we were approached by the New Zealand team to assist with all the technical AV aspects for their house during the Commonwealth Games, we knew it was a project that we would love supporting.
New Zealand House is where all team members, staff and families can relax and watch the games in comfort, when they are not competing or supporting live from the many locations across the city. This job required a lot of logistical and technical planning. From cable routes and power to multiple streams, there were many site visits and lots of late-night calls to speak with the team in New Zealand.
The set up began with a complex design of the switching system using a black magic matrix, multi view 4 and multi view 16, all programmed in companion and controlled from just two iPads. In the house there are 16 sources comprising of 8 x Apple TV’s, 2 x graphics, 2 x VT playbacks, 1 x Zoom, 2 x camera feeds and 1 x Sky feed.
Any screen in any area of any room including the LED can show any source including a quad view of sources. Each signal carries the individual audio to each screen. Meaning that any member in New Zealand House can choose what they watch whether this be a certain event from the Commonwealth Games or news from back home in New Zealand.
This all runs from a central control room, with a PA set up in all rooms for any announcements that need to be made or for music to be played. The iPads used for controlling the sources are also programmed to run power point content from the graphics machines to any or all the screens for any key messages or reminders.
All of this is powered by over 6km of cable that runs round the whole venue, over the roof, through windows, through purpose built branded truss frames all hidden away to make for an aesthetically pleasing and incredibly tidy set up.
The New Zealand team were thrilled by the set up delivered for the duration of the Commonwealth Games, we really loved supporting them with their wish list for New Zealand House and delivering a complex brief seamlessly.
We wish all the New Zealand team every success with this year’s games. #EarnTheFern
