7thSense delivers for Radio City Rockettes
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The full system technology upgrade has transformed the world’s largest proscenium theatre and has enabled video content to be displayed on all eight of the venue’s proscenium arches. 7thSense has provided video systems for Radio City since 2011.
A total of 34 7thSense Infinity Media Servers output two channels each of single mode fibre 12G-SDI at 4096 x 2160 60fps 10-bit 4:2:2 resolution, into an Evertz EQX 12G fibre router and EMX multi-viewer system, offering A-B source redundancy with clean switching and monitoring before heading out to facility fibre distribution.
For the first time ever, digital projections extend from the stage to all eight of Radio City Music Hall’s ceiling arches, to help audiences feel immersed in the show. An expanded 36-channel bank of double-stacked Christie Boxer 4K30 projectors receive the server feeds for projection mapping, and four channels reach a brand new 8K x 4K LED wall with BOE tiles and VER Revolution M8 processors, spanning 94 x 43ft which provides a critical digital backdrop for the production.
“Being a company known for their niche in high resolution, high frame-rate, uncompressed frame-based video playback, 7thSense is accustomed to dealing with larger amounts of data than your average video playback system,” says Ken Showler, experience director at 7thSense Design and project lead.
“However, this being a 90-minute show which includes 14K x 14K uncompressed master deliverables for many scenes, at 500MB per frame and 60 frames per second - it demanded carefully planned, high speed, high capacity storage and transfer methods. We’re delivering 11.2 billion pixels per second to the projection system alone.
“Each 7thSense server endpoint in the system utilises SSD playback, a feature now synonymous with the 7thSense media server range. Dell EMC supported us with a newly available NAS solution for the centralised data ingest and backup system - a 10-node Isilon H600 cluster with 315TB of SAS 10000rpm storage. Each node has A-B redundant 40Gb fibre QSFP links to 40Gb Cisco Nexus A and B front-end network. Each of the 7thSense servers and two 7thSense control PCs have 40Gb fibre QSFP links to the Nexus switches for access to the NAS.”
Along with the integrated system design, 7thSense developed key new software features to bolster workflow.
“We’re proud to have been called upon by The Madison Square Garden Company to support such a prestigious, flagship project,” says Showler. “Working with a challenging timeline in a venue that was concurrently hosting concerts and events throughout the video installation meant that we all had to continuously adapt. So many creative and technically innovative people have been involved in this – it’s a true milestone for our company.”
The 7thSense Design media server and management system is permanent, yet reconfigurable, to allow for touring artists and productions to integrate alternative projection and audio hardware for full flexibility and venue rental opportunities.
Design studio Obscura Digital is behind the new creative elements that envelop the theatre. batwin + robin productions, a New York-based multimedia design studio, has re-created and enhanced existing video projection and LED content to utilise Radio City’s new projection system. 7thSense contracted Pro Sound & Video as partner in fit-out and installation of the equipment.
(Jim Evans)
