Background - The recently opened Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento, California, is the most technologically advanced sports and entertainment venue in the world. The arena - which replaced Sleep Train Arena, the 28 year home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings - hosts concerts, conventions, family shows, and other sporting and entertainment events. The arena is designed to showcase not only action on the court, but also provide fans, visitors, and even facility operators with the best experience possible wherever they are at in the facility. As part of that mission, the facility features 755 displays located throughout the concourse, concession stands, VIP clubs, suites, and lofts that offer fully customized, dynamic digital signage, live TV channels, and low-latency streaming during any event.

The Challenge - To become the world’s most advanced arena poses a lot of challenges, especially in the delivery of high-quality video content to the large number of screens throughout the arena. Golden 1 Center needed a reliable, comprehensive streaming and digital signage solution that provided broadcast-quality video with low-latency streaming and could deliver eye-catching video content to every screen while offering an advanced and engaging TV entertainment experience for the lounge, suites, and lofts that would rival any home entertainment experience.

While delivering broadcast quality video content to the large number of screens throughout the arena for the fans and visitors was one challenge, effortless management of the content and delivery was another. Their solution needed to allow Golden 1 Center admins the ability to easily manage content, create digital signage campaigns, and stream content to assigned screens. Along with the content and management needs, the right solution for Golden 1 Center not only had to address these state-of-the-art requirements but be a future-proof solution that could evolve and adapt to arising entertainment demands for maximum fan engagement.

The Solution - In Golden 1 Center’s search for a solution that could offer IPTV and digital signage without compromising on quality or performance, the organization determined VITEC’s broadcast-grade EZ TV IPTV and Digital Signage platform met all its requirements. EZ TV provides the arena guests with an unprecedented visual experience while enabling operators to easily manage all the displays from one platform and successfully integrates VITEC’s IPTV streaming solution with comprehensive digital signage capabilities. As a result, the platform empowers the organization with a cost-efficient end-to-end solution that allows administrators to create digital signs and menu boards, centrally manage IPTV and signage content for every screen from a single interface, and automate video streaming workflows and signage campaigns. Addressing the need for advanced engagement, the EZ TV solution enhances the visual experience, engaging fans with live video streams and other video content. Golden 1 Center’s solution is fully integrated with Appetize, the leading solution for food sales and inventory, and Legends Hospitality, a well-known food and client service provider for the world’s best sports venues. VITEC’s hardware-based IPTV and signage end-points, along with the company’s professional carrier-grade Blade System encoders, provide low-latency 1080i HD playback as well as precise synchronization from display to display. VITEC’s versatile end-points can be used for both digital signage and IPTV applications, eliminating the overhead of managing two different types of systems and the burden of training personnel on different hardware. VITEC’s end-points are also uniquely designed to handle repeated daily boot-ups and shut-downs between events as well as the harsh environmental factors such heat and moisture from food stands or areas exposed to outdoor weather conditions.

The Result - With the power of VITEC’s EZ TV platform, hardware-based IPTV and signage end-points, along with the company’s professional carrier-grade Blade System encoders, Golden 1 Center can utilize its IP infrastructure to provide fans and visitors with an eye-catching experience that blends high-quality, broadcast-grade video and dynamic digital signs with low-latency distribution and flawless synchronization between displays. On the concourse, visitors can walk around without missing any of the action happening inside the arena. Inside the suites and lofts, owners are treated to one of the best visual experiences available in sports. For Golden 1 Center administrators, EZ TV enables them to centrally manage and distribute up to 16 in-house feeds, 16 unique menu board channels, and 74 TV channels. Administrators can effortlessly create and schedule video-rich signage for any of the displays - from the suites and lofts, throughout the concourse and concessions - all with one comprehensive solution.

The Golden 1 Center is not done enhancing their guest experience yet. They have chosen to further upgrade their solution to include:

• EZ TV’s sophisticated and automated food menu board capabilities, which will allow the organization to easily create and update every menu board, based on inventory and demand

• Provide a customized iPad® app, powered by VITEC EZ TV’s Android and iOS SDK, for arena guests to access on-demand content and control TVs in premium seating areas

VITEC’s EZ TV IPTV & Digital Signage Platform for Golden 1 Center

• Comprehensive IPTV and digital signage capabilities from a single platform • Broadcast-quality, low-latency, synchronized HD streaming to displays

• Affordable and highly reliable, 100 percent hardware-based end-points

• Tier-1 IPTV provider experience with automatically synched EPG, low-latency viewing of game feeds

• No recurring expenses (OPEX) or annual licenses to pay