April 12, 2010, Calgary, Alberta — When SAIT hosted the CCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship last month, the School of Information and Communications Technologies was making history behind the scenes with new video equipment dedicated to live event production.

A crew of Television students from the Radio, Television and Broadcast News program, with help from Film and Video Production students, provided up to nine hours daily of live streaming video coverage of the games on the internet. Radio and Broadcast News students did the play-by-play and colour commentary. Live streaming was hosted by Sports Canada TV and was available worldwide from their website.

Whether watching from the stands or on the web, spectators couldn’t help but notice the new giant Daktronics large-format LED display monitor on the gym wall. At 14.9 feet wide and 9.6 feet high, the sign produces a picture measuring 213 inches diagonally. An identical sign has been installed in the SAIT arena.

In preparation for the basketball championship, two students in New Media Production and Design were assigned one-month practicums to learn the new signage system. Leading up to the event, they designed hundreds of graphics and animations and during the games they operated the sign live.

The displays use the same super-bright LED technology as the screens featured at the 2010 Olympics. “They are designed to be used outdoors in full sunlight. Indoors, they are overpowering at full brightness, so we operate them with intensity reduced to 35 per cent,” says Dick Bourne, Academic Chair of Film and Video Production.

SAIT’s new video equipment package features the innovative Newtek Tricaster, which integrates the functionality of a mobile broadcasting truck’s control room into a box the size of a microwave oven. A second equally-compact system – Newtek’s 3Play – allows instant slow-motion replays from any of three cameras. The equipment suite also includes video cameras, tripods, wireless intercoms, microphones and the other bits and pieces that round out a multi-camera video system.

SAIT Polytechnic is one of Canada’s most exciting destinations for post-secondary education, offering more than 100 career programs that position people for success in technology, trades and business. A leader in innovation, SAIT also collaborates with industry on applied research and delivers corporate training worldwide. SAIT is a member of Polytechnics Canada and one of Alberta’s Top 50 Employers for 2011.

Please note facts and information may change in older archived materials.

If you require assistance with this or any other press release contact SAIT Corporate Communications.