AEQ Provided The Commentary System For The 2018 European Championships

AEQ has provided nearly 80 OLYMPIA3 commentary positions, to be installed at the 16 different venues, including Berlin Olympic Stadium as the headquarters of the athletics competitions.

The entire AEQ OLYMPIA 3 system works over IP networks using DANTE – AES 67 protocol for the transmission of multichannel audio, what makes dynamic signal routing much easier. The system was supported totally by remote control from one or several distributed PCs.

The OLYMPIA 3 is the latest standalone Commentary Unit (CU) released by AEQ.  The CU offers connectivity by AoIP with 8 channels via DanteTM protocol a scalable architecture: simple routing to DanteTM IP devices; integrated in IP intercom system, or connected to IP Commentary System Matrix.

In addition, AEQ also supplied 14 units of the AEQ NETBOX 4. These interfaces have been used in locations and workplaces as a substitute of the OLYMPIA 3. In these positions it was not required the entire functionality of the CU, but there was a need to insert and extract audio to/from the main DANTE – AES67 IP network.

NETBOX 4 is an IP audio interface which provides high quality microphone inputs and headphone outputs. As an IP device, it may be placed anywhere across the Dante protocol based IP network. The NETBOX 4 range also provides the same inputs and outputs in balanced analog line format, as well as 4 general-purpose inputs and outputs (GPIO) which can be used as signaling interfaces to be transported between different devices in the IP network.

20 VENUS 3 audiocodecs have also been provided for external communications, allowing for the connection of the audio produced in the OLYMPIA 3 Cus, with the remote destinations at the home countries of each radio & TV producer’s participating in the event. AEQ VENUS 3 offers a great advantage, as it features integrated Dante connectivity, so in most cases the audio signal path can be 100% IP-based from the place it is generated to the destination it is distributed to, without any intermediate conversions.

VENUS 3 is a dual, full-duplex stereo IP audiocodec with local analog, digital and AoIP Dante TM connectivity. It is remotely controlled by means of a multi-user and multi-device software application. It provides “carrier-grade” features such as redundant power supplies -optionally accepting 48V DC-, dual LAN port and dual RS232 auxiliary data link. It also offers OPUS coding algorithms, GPIO and complies with the EBU N/ACIP standard.

For internal communications, AEQ has provided the event’s Host Broadcaster with a complete CROSSNET intercom system for internal coordination. Of course, just like the commentary units, the NETBOX 4 interfaces and the audiocodecs, this CROSSNET intercom system is IP native and operates with high-quality multichannel audio in DANTE - AES67 format.

CrossNET is a high-performance intercom matrix with IP connectivity, transporting broadcast quality audio. It also features high quality, balanced analog inputs and outputs able to transmit compressed, telephonic bandwidth audio. It can be scaled from 40 to 168 ports.

Being a world-class sports event, the largest broadcasters in the world have been present there, according to the organization’s webpage:

BBC in the United Kingdom, ARD/ZDF in Germany, France Télévisions in France, RAI in Italy, TVE in Spain, VRT (Belgium), HRT (Croatia), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland), RTÉ (Ireland), NOS (Nether-lands), NRK (Norway), TVP (Poland), SRG SSR (Switzerland) and SVT (Sweden) and many others.

Coverage for faraway destinations such as China, Japan and USA has been provided as well.

Given the importance of this event and the actors involved, as well as its massive audience, AEQ has sent a team of high qualified technical professionals to support the deployment and propper  operation of the system, leaded by engineers Luis Hernandez and Sergio Sánchez.