For most people, they take fiber optics for granted. In today’s electronic video world, fiber optics have become the norm. While it was slow to take off, it has become the mainstay for all video. This is paramount in the sports stadiums where every dollar invested has to have a high ROI (return on investment). Fan expectations are at their highest level, with electronic scoreboards at front and center of the show or game experience. The advent of video into the arena has made fiber optics a must have for quality, clarity, resolution and, in the long run, fun.

Twenty five to thirty years ago, a fiber optics run was fairly cheap. What few don’t realize is that the expense involved wasn’t in the fiber optic cable, but in the end converters themselves. This was one of the reasons that fiber optics took so long to replace standard copper wiring. So, for the longest time, stadiums had the same old electronic scoreboards with very few choices in a higher technology upgrade.

Time moves on, and in the world of technology it seems to have ramped up exponentially in the last ten years. The advent of the internet has created a demand for greater band width and the era of fiber optics has burst upon us as we move forward to the worlds of High Def and 3D. The electronic scoreboard of today’s stadium has morphed into a model that must accommodate video, audio, replays, slow motion, wireless capabilities and internet feeds. The addition of the social media requirements combined with SmartPhone apps has made the electronic scoreboard a method of communication that has to appeal to all of the senses.

The former control room for an electronic scoreboard has also changed. The greater abilities of the scoreboard requires greater control. Mobile and automated cameras, promotions, ads and sponsorships are all computerized with technicians at the helm. The sound and view that we take for granted is a finely tuned performance designed to offer the thrills and excitement that is expected by every fan.

Stadiums across the world have been switching out their old systems for new electronic scoreboards to keep up with the pace. A cost effective comparison has been made to show that $1 million of copper can be saved with an investment of a fiber optics run of $100,000. The initial cost can also pay for itself with the additional sponsorships that will follow along with high tech availability.

The beauty of fiber optics is that it can handle so many communications on a simultaneous basis, which makes it the perfect tool for today’s stadium demands. Software controls, lighting advertising, displays, videos, real time views and streaming net communications are all sent over the same line. While the era of the electronic scoreboard as just a display is over, the demands for the best quality will continue and fiber optics is not only up for the challenge, but gives us a technology to increase the performance.

Source:
http://www.telecast-fiber.com/fiber-optic-video-news-perspective/?Tag=sports%20video%20group