As part of a modernisation project at the 60,000-spectator Mercedes-Benz Arena, home of VfB Stuttgart, the club is now using a combination of IPTV and digital signage.
A solution was required to transmit the stadium’s internal live broadcast signals and external television programmes in HD and SD over 105 LCD flatscreens displays, which were installed as part of the revamp. In addition, the screens needed to show digital signage content such as advertising, information and sponsorship material.
The installation at VfB Stuttgart commenced with a partnership between Trinity Solutions and Teracue AG. An IPTV system was chosen to meet the stadium’s broadcast criteria. The input and network transmission of the television channels and stadium broadcast signals is supplied by an IPTV headend from Teracue; four DVB-to-IP gateways from the DMM-140 series are being used for live streaming of public and private television stations (DVB-C to IP network stream conversion).
In total 14 channels are continually available and can be played at any time on LCD screens, as a full screen or as a scaled video window next to other text, image or ticker content. The feed-in of the EnBW-FanTV signal produced in the stadium and the streaming of a further HD TV station is transmitted by Teracue’s H.264 encoder hardware ENC-300-HDSDI and ENC-300-DVI/HDMI.
The digital-composer by German company Trinity Solutions – provider of digital information systems – generates and distributes all of the digital signage content. The 105 LCD screens are connected to 55 signPlayer PCs via HDMI. Conventional Cat cables transmit all the data – with no additional requirements for video and optical fibre cabling – and this is safeguarded against malfunction by an additional link.
Integral to the installation was said to be the playback of HD live streams from Trinity Solutiosa, which allowed the digital signage system to double up as a pure television system; with local and central/peripheral remote control.
In combination with the digital signage system, individual VIP boxes at the ground can receive their own branding and own channels, and guests in the boxes can choose to access TV channels over the digital signage players by using a remote control. The digital signage content which is normally predefined by the signage system can be controlled and switched locally, so that the VIP guests can freely select and display TV and video streams.
On match-free days, the stadium areas and the screens are used for other events; training sessions, conferences and workshops, where a TV connection, live video presentation and digital signage is often required. The television and information system enables several different applications and scenarios, all centrally controllable from several workstations.
The connection of the inner-city VfB City-Shop to the IPTV and digital signage system is next on the club’s agenda.
