ANC SPORTS & LOS ANGELES DODGERS DEBUT VIDEO SCREENS FEATURING HIGHEST PIXEL DENSITY IN MLB
Dodger Stadium First to Feature Large 10mm Surface Mount LED Displays in Baseball
More than 30 years after Dodger Stadium unveiled one of the first full color video screens in sports in 1980, ANC Sports and the Los Angeles Dodgers unveiled two displays featuring the highest pixel densities in Major League Baseball.
ANC spearheaded the engineering, installation and integration of 10mm surface mount video screens in both right and left field of Dodger Stadium. The displays feature physical pixels which are closer together than any other large display in MLB. The new hexagonal shaped displays measure 77.69 feet wide with varying degrees of height. In the center, the video screens are approximately 38 feet high, while the ends of the screens measure approximately 24 feet high.
"It was no small feat," Stan Kasten, Dodgers president and chief executive officer told MLB.com. "We have, I think, enhanced the experience for fans on every level of this park. We have made it more fun for kids. We have brought some history into the ballpark."
ANC’s senior management oversaw the manufacturing and final factory testing before shipping the display system to Los Angeles. All the modules arrived on schedule; however, the project faced a compressed timeline for deployment as part of a $100 million stadium overhaul.
The extensive upgrades at the stadium slowed the video system integration process as running electric to the screens needed to be put on hold until other renovations were finalized. Without power, ANC was unable to fully deploy and test the displays, which feature a unique hexagonal shape with an active viewing area of approximately 2488 square feet.
Since ANC's VisionSOFT™ platform does not need to scale content, the screens feature true 1:1 resolution across more than 2.3 million pixels. Displaying larger than high-definition visuals creates some of the clearest content in all of sports across Dodger Stadium's six sided scoreboards. However, moving such large files requires additional testing and fail-safe procedures which ANC had limited time to implement once the power was turned on.
“Having worked 18 hour days throughout the weeks prior to opening day, we felt it would best serve the Dodgers and fans to bring in additional staff to ensure the system was fully operational for the ceremonies,” said Malik Khan, ANC’s vice president of projects and integration.
Staff such as ANC’s senior statistical specialists flew to Los Angeles to be onsite. Utilizing ANC’s proprietary MLB scoring system, Dodger Stadium has the capability of featuring the most in-depth statistical analysis in sports. However, power was required for both ANC and the team to get a true feeling of how each statistical layout and visual effect would appear on the video screens. Since the statistical team was onsite, ANC was able to develop new stat layouts which fit the display and ballpark aesthetics right up until game time.
While the onsite staff worked to complete the integration of the video system at the ballpark, ANC's creative staff continued to develop new content to highlight the renovations. ANC was not only tasked with creating captivating animations, but also with developing interactive games and unique production elements.
“Our content for the Dodgers is part of a live production, not a traditional sporting event,” said Jennifer Lopez, ANC’s vice president of creative services. “Rather than having the boards mirroring one another, we developed content for the displays to play off each other with motion graphics on one display and live video on the other.”
Part of the process included editing pre-recorded video into animations so the content would share the same theme across both displays. Similarly, ANC’s creative team developed elements for the Opening Day Ceremony timed to a live performance by the Blue Man Group.
“ANC’s technologies, integration capabilities and game day services will help to keep our fans entertained and informed, while providing them a most memorable experience at every game at Dodger Stadium,” said Lon Rosen, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the Dodgers. “Integrating high-definition video screens into the original hexagonal scoreboard shape will not only provide some of the most impressive visuals in sports, but also retain our classic ballpark feel.”
The new scoreboard structures also feature a 10mm LED strip measuring approximately 6’ high by 69’ wide beneath each video screen. Complementing the scoreboards, ANC integrated two outfield video wall displays, each measuring approximately 6 feet high by 61 feet wide and an LED ribbon system along the club fascia that runs for 1,121 feet.
Through a multi-year partnership with the Dodgers, ANC will continue to provide creative services, game day operation and display system maintenance to the ballpark. Additionally, ANC provides the Dodgers with a home plate and field level rotational system, including banner printing, installation and operation.
“We are looking forward to working with the Dodgers, one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, to provide one of the best fan experiences in baseball,” said Jerry Cifarelli, president and chief executive officer of ANC Sports.
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