China Central Television (CCTV) has upgraded its Clear-Com digital intercom system and replaced third-party legacy systems. The upgrade enables the broadcaster to rely less on traditional copper cable-based architecture while expanding the reach and capabilities of its current wired and wireless systems.
The upgrade brings together 15 Eclipse HX Omega frames, 20 Eclipse HX PiCo frames, more than 200 V-series intercom panels and 10 sets of FreeSpeak II wireless beltpack systems into a network with four existing Eclipse frames, 146 V-Series panels and 25 FreeSpeak II beltpacks.
The evolution of CCTV’s communication system from traditional partyline and digital 4-wire intercoms, mainly in-studio, to a distributed system with a variety of IP elements follows Clear-Com’s development path closely since the initial deployment six years ago.
Xue Zhixing, deputy chief of Broadcast Center General Control Department for CCTV, said: “TV production increasingly requires precise coordination between many groups of people in a variety of locations. The addition of LQ Series interfaces to our system a few years ago gave us the ability to link remote and overseas intercom and audio systems over LAN, WAN or IP networks, but it was time to increase our communications reach yet again.”