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Syracuse University Athletics to Install Daktronics Video Boards in the Carrier Dome
1/10/2003 11:07:57 AM | Men's Basketball, General
"The installation of video boards in the Carrier Dome is the culmination of a three-year process," said SU Director of Athletics Jake Crouthamel. "Every aspect was evaluated, including funding, structural issues unique to the Carrier Dome, and consideration for every type of event hosted in the Carrier Dome. We know our fans have wanted video boards for some time. This is a significant investment and we had to do our homework to complete the project in the best possible manner."
The SU Athletics Department is funding this capital improvement with the plan that the video boards will bring a greater entertainment value for fans and that they will provide enhanced revenues from additional sponsorship opportunities. The cost of the project is in excess of $1 million dollars, in addition to significant annual operating costs.
SU selected Daktronics as the vendor for the video boards after extensive research. Daktronics has installed video boards in more than 750 stadiums and arenas across the country. The two video boards will be permanently affixed in the northwest and southeast corners of the Carrier Dome. Due to maintenance and the multi-purpose nature of the Dome, Daktronics recommended, and the University selected, permanent boards. Several locations for the video boards were examined, including a portable board behind the bleachers used for basketball. It was determined that due to the number of changeovers during late November through early March, continued set-up and take-down would place undue stress on a portable board.
The two video boards will feature Daktronics' Prostar VideoPlus LED (light emitting diode) video display technology. The Prostar VideoPlus LED video system can display live video, instant replay, graphics, animation, player statistics, and out-of-town scores in trillions of shades of color. Daktronics uses the highest quality red, green and blue LEDs in their video displays, which provide outstanding image clarity, true color reproduction and exceptional brightness.
The two Carrier Dome video displays will each feature an LED pixel matrix of 192 LED pixels tall by 320 LED pixels wide. Combining together one red, one green and one blue LED creates an LED picture element, called a pixel. Each LED pixel will be spaced 23mm from each other, center to center. The Dome’s video boards will have the capability to display up to 4.3 trillion shades of color. The video resolution of the 23mm LED matrix is ideal for the Carrier Dome when taking into account the audience’s viewing distances and viewing angles. The video display will be operated by utilizing Daktronics’ patented "Venus Series" PC based control system.
In addition to the two video boards, television monitors linked to the video boards will be installed in the 100 and 200 sections of the endzones for fans seated below the overhangs.
A control room in the Carrier Dome press box will be created and oufitted with the Daktronics Venus Series PC based video control equipment and other state-of-the-art video production equipment in order to produce the content for the video boards, including in-house shots and television broadcasts for the video boards.
Fans attending SU's men's basketball games against Boston College and Missouri will have an opportunity to preview a Daktronics video board in the Dome. A temporary board located behind the portable bleachers will be operational for both games for demonstration purposes. Four Carrier Dome gates (A,B,C and E) will open at 4:45 p.m. for the SU men's basketball alumni game on Saturday. For SU's game against Missouri, gates will open at 6:00 p.m.
"Our investment today will provide immediate return for our fans and for the community," Crouthamel said. "The video boards are another step in our continuous effort to improve the entertainment value of events in the Carrier Dome and maintain a great environment for intercollegiate athletics."
