The 2010 tournament, arguably the closest in the tournaments history, saw 24 of the Worlds' golfing elite battle each other, and the elements, over four exciting days. Fans around the globe and the live audience at Celtic Manor were glued to the fluctuating fortunes from foursomes to singles matches, culminating in a European team win in the final match on the 17th green.
CT has supplied every European Ryder Cup since 1985, but this was the first time the organisers have contracted the company to provide all of the on-course video facilities. This extended from the 16 screens and supplied feeds to 450 LCD displays in offices and hospitality suites to the generation and distribution of real-time graphics and scores, mixed with live camera action and other event critical data, all tailored to each screen via a 30km fibre optic cable network running through the course.
In the two weeks prior to the commencement of play, CT's crew of eight screen engineers installed 15 LED screens around the course, with a total screen area 569m². From compact 10m² to giant 120m² screens, CT selected the most appropriate equipment ranging from Lighthouse, Mitsubishi, Panasonic and Barco. Many of the screen structures were installed in difficult locations and access was restricted to small vehicles using buggy paths to each location. Each screen had a dual feed and local stills store allowing the individualised selection of live action or static picture source to avoid player distraction, also allowing switchers to be overridden via CT's course wide control network.
Keeping the 1,000 media abreast of the live action in the media centre was a key priority for organisers. CT designed a new look screen that relayed more information, quicker and with greater flexibility.The imposing 16m wide x 3m high projection screen was custom made. Behind the screen in a specially constructed blacked out area, 10 Barco FLMR20 projectors (in five pairs) were soft edge blended to provide a single image 5600 pixels wide.
This created an infinitely flexible display canvas onto which CT composited a mixture of real time scores, live TV images from Sky, NBC and the press conference room, news tickers and up to the minute event information. In a separate area of the media centre a two camera HD production unit provided live coverage of press conferences and interviews to the on-site media and the 'World feed'.
The backbone to the entire system was an extensive fibre network covering the entire 9km² site. This allowed CT to run an extensive IPTV system to over 400 individual receivers in a network extending throughout the hospitality pavilions, the Celtic Manor club house, hotel and public areas, with every display being individually controllable from the central technical area, allowing personalised channel selection and even local adjustments to volume when requested. The TV Network was also integrated into the Celtic Manor Resort and both on course Clubhouses, allowing Ryder Cup TV to be received in rooms and on all TV's in each venue.
Content was created and managed in purpose built production areas hidden away in the rear of the media centre. This was linked to CT's regular 'Tournament TV' production system located 1km away from the production compound, producing the Ryder Cup TV channel which fed all hospitality TV's a combination of results, news and live golf coverage.
The main media system controlled all on course and media centre feeds including four live graphics terminals integrating the results database and creating real time leader boards and match status information. A Spyder multimedia compositing system, with 40 network switches and 40 HD/SD video to fibre converters, routed signal to the media centre display or to the course wide fibre network, feeding the screens around the 9km².
CT London managing director Dave Crump comme
