The Daktronics Experience

Usually when the lights go out at a sporting event, it’s a bad thing. But at the University of Georgia, it’s a critical part of the show. Justin and Matt sit down with Video Board Event Producer Anna Pence to hear more about their production, especially at Sanford Stadium for football games. Anna also shares details of how she triggers venue lighting, video boards and music from Daktronics Show Control.

Links:

• UGA Highlight Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44SGFsXIeU8&t=1s
• UGA Lighting Blog Post - https://blog.daktronics.com/2019/12/06/a-light-show-on-campus-at-the-university-of-georgia-a-qa-with-event-producer-anna-pence/
• UGA Project Photos - https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?pn=WP-16353&cid=UGAAGA

To talk more about our Show Control system for live events, Justin and Matt welcome Mark Eisenstadt back to the podcast for the third time. Mark shares the basic overview of the system including the main building blocks, what they provide for our Studio Product Family and for our new Live Product Family, and how they work together.

• Daktronics Show Control website: daktronics.com/show
• Fuzzy man video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB_43zaXFH4
• AJT Systems podcast: http://podcast.daktronics.com/e/15-building-broadcast-features-with-ajt-systems/
• Professional Services Contact: professional.services@daktronics.com

There are many layers to the services offered by Daktronics, so Justin and Matt sit down with Sarah Rose, Vice President of Global Services, to get a higher level of understanding of those services and the variety of customers we work with. Sarah also shares her journey through her years at Daktronics and some interesting stories along the way.

• Daktronics Services and Support: daktronics.com/support
• Daktronics Professional Services: daktronics.com/professionalservices
• Daktronics Creative Services: daktronics.com/creativeservices
• Daktronics Technical & Software Training: daktronics.com/training

Justin and Matt are joined by Katie Dannemiller, Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, to talk about her experience with video displays in Minor League Baseball. She tells her story of joining the Grasshoppers and their journey to partnering with Daktronics for a new video display. She also talks about making that purchasing decision and the importance of service and support that comes with it.

• Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/Pages/Greensboro-Grasshoppers-Grab-New-LED-Display.aspx
• Greensboro Grasshoppers Case Study: https://p.widencdn.net/yrjroi/CASE-STUDY_Greensboro-Grasshoppers 
• LED video display longevity document: https://p.widencdn.net/dzogxz/GRAPHIC_Longevity-MiLB?download=true 

Many in the video world are looking at advancements in technology including 4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR) capable displays. Justin and Matt talk with Lane Munson, Daktronics video products manager, to dig into the difference between those two video options, how they can be achieved and more.

• What is HDR? https://blog.daktronics.com/2017/07/26/what-is-hdr/
• The color spectrum as discussed by Lane:
  

Centerhung video display systems are the visual jewel for arena event productions. But how do they get there and what holds them in place? Justin and Matt visit with Justin Kaufman, Engineering Manager at Daktronics, to hear all about hoists, centerhung displays and the importance of engineering for their safety.

• A sample of Daktronics centerhung projects: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos#k=centerhung
• Arena Ciudad de Mexico: https://www.daktronics.com/Company/NewsReleases/Pages/ArenaCiudaddeMexico.aspx
• Xcel Energy Center: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?pn=WP-18847&cid=131524

Bringing data into a live event production helps tell a more detailed story about what is happening right in front of the viewer’s eyes. That is why we visited with Bill Hadsell, Daktronics product manager, to talk about the capabilities of Data Studio within Daktronics control systems. He tells us about the basketball offering, how it connects to your control system and how teams can start using it to tell their story.

• Contact for Data Studio: sales@daktronics.com or professionalservices@daktronics.com
• Data Studio Video: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/video-gallery/DataStudioNBA1
• Show Control: www.daktronics.com/showcontrol
• “Easability” definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/easability

*DISCLAIMER* No discounts are currently available for this product. The mention of a discount is in a joking manner within this episode.

Being an event producer on campus in Brookings, South Dakota, is slightly different since Daktronics is located only about a mile away. Event Producer Eric Ray joins Justin and Matt to talk about this experience as well as his career journey, other big experiences he’s been a part of and more behind-the-scenes information from producing live events.

Links:

• Professional services page: www.daktronics.com/professionalservices
• SDState project highlight page: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?cid=SDS001#pn=WP-19647

Justin and Matt are joined once again by Shannon Mutchelknaus, engineering manager of Daktronics Laboratory Services Group, as well as Nick Casstevens, Daktronics lab technician, to go in-depth about EMI – Electromagnetic Interference. What does it mean and what should you know about how it affects LED displays? Also, learn what Daktronics does to test for it so you know you’re in compliance.

• Laboratory Services webpage - www.daktronics.com/reliability 
• FCC Compliance blog post - https://blog.daktronics.com/2017/05/12/understanding-the-importance-of-federal-communications-commission-fcc-compliance-in-digital-signage/ 

While billboards are nothing new, digital billboards are becoming more accepted and used in our society. As such, Justin and Matt had a conversation with Chad Harris, Owner of Las Vegas Billboards, about his experiences in the OOH industry including how he got started, how he’s using his inventory of digital billboards and a few interesting stories from working in Las Vegas.

Links:

• Las Vegas Billboards website: lasvegasbillboards.com/
• Drone footage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/video-gallery/Las-Vegas-Billboards
• Daktronics digital billboards: daktronics.com/ooh