- MCC decided to invest in new screens, digital signage and control technology at the 28,000 capacity Lord's cricket Ground in London to provide guests with world-class services and facilities and ensure Lord's remains at the forefront of cricket grounds around the world. They selected AMX's market-leading Inspired Signage solution, featuring dynamic digital signage, as the new media distribution system for the 'Home of Cricket'. The solution drives three Lighthouse LED screens, with live scoring data integration, and extraordinary flexibility for control and management.
Lord's is the world-famous home of cricket. The historic Ground is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club – better known as MCC, and home to Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England & Wales Cricket Board and the European Cricket Council. Founded in 1787, MCC is the world's most famous and active cricket playing club, and the guardian of the Laws and the Spirit of Cricket.
SCORING SOLUTION
- One of MCC's key requirements was to integrate the solution with the 'Total Cricket Scorer' software (TCS) used at Lord's for recording scores for matches. AMX's team of professional services consultants worked in partnership with TCS to deliver a system that ensures live data integration with the cricket scorer software, whilst at the same time offering a totally flexible solution that delivers beyond the traditional functionality of what has been typical of cricket ground digital signage until now.
- Usually, the system is controlled by the marketing department for advertising and marketing communications. However, on a match day the scorer can take full control of the system and lock it down for the duration of play.
MATCH DAY CONTROL
- Match day control is a complex operation. AMX Inspired Signage used its Media Players in conjunction with a customised AMX control system driven by a web browser interface to make a very complex and powerful system easy to use. The flexibility of the Inspired Signage content structure made it possible to construct a decision tree for the content which simplified both the system programming and the user experience.
- The tight integration between the AMX NetLinx Integrated Controller NI-3100 master, the AMX AutoPatch Matrix Switcher and the Inspired Signage Media Players allows real-time decisions to be made. In an instant, the Outside Broadcast (OB) truck, used on Test and other major match days, can override the scorer's content if a particular piece of action warrants an immediate replay, then, at the press of a button, the scorer can take control again. By separating the levels of control the scorer can select which of the screens can be overridden by the OB director.
"AMX Inspired Signage used its Media Players in conjunction with a customised AMX control system driven by a web browser interface to make a very complex and powerful system easy to use."
TELEVISED MATCHES
- On Test and other major match days, the games are televised live and the Inspired Signage Players run at 50Hz, genlocked to the OB truck. This enables the broadcaster to run the camera shutter at 125Hz, as usual for sport. This is a real advantage as typically these solutions are only able to support the normal DVI output of 60Hz, meaning that the cameras have to run at 60Hz shutters, blurring the fast action on the pitch. There is a replay and highlights feed from the OB truck for use between balls and overs and the scorer can choose from eight incoming feeds and show a different feed on each screen, if desired. The screens are 17x9, incoming video is 4x3 and the remaining space on the screen is used for advertising banners.
The solution drives three Lighthouse LED screens, with live scoring data integration, and extraordinary flexibility for control and management.
SCREEN CONTROL
- AMX provided full LED screen control from the scorer's box to ensure optimal viewing in all light conditions. As light levels change, the scorer uses a web browser to control the screen brightness on each individual screen, all operated through the AMX NI-3100 Controller.
