DIB Australia has been working with Tennis Australia for nearly 13 years on various projects but more recently on a brand new facility undertaken by Tennis Australia and Melbourne Olympic Parks.
Tennis Australia is charged with developing the game of tennis and individual tennis players within Australia as well as hosting a World Class event in the form of the Australian Open. They approached DIB Australia in May 2013 when they were beginning a project to fit out new facilities for the training and development of both junior and senior players at the National Tennis Centre (NTC).
Each area of the building came with its own unique challenges to overcome. The idea was to provide fully functional but discrete audio visual solutions that would support the development of current and future Australian tennis players.
In the meeting rooms; it was decided to opt for Command Systems 75” Full HD touchscreens on movable rack stands. These allowed for large full high-definition picture quality and with the ability to input onto the screen through “finger touch” on the displays themselves. Being portable allowed them the freedom to move the screen around within the meeting spaces to suit the size of the meeting and orientation of the room set up. DIB Australia provided cabling and installation of their existing video conferencing (VC) equipment which included the mounting of a camera on the stand and set up of the VC Codec in the secure rack. To provide sufficient sound in this portable set up, additional speakers were installed on either side of the touchscreen.
Command Systems 75″ Full HD touchscreen on movable rack stands in the Meeting Room.
In the classrooms; the decision was to use Epson Ultra Short Throw EB-1410Wi Interactive Projectors. These are highly versatile wall mounted teaching tools and can be used with a laptop or without one in Whiteboard Mode – giving instructors the option to work with multi-media or directly onto the whiteboard surface. Individual contributions mapped out using the pens supplied with the projectors can be saved directly onto a USB drive; so that they can be printed out or e-mailed to participants after a lesson.
Epson EB-1410Wi interactive projectors used in the classrooms.
In the gym it was important to have a high quality audio solution that supported training efforts. There are 7 x Soundtube HP890 speakers working in combination with 2 Lab Gruppen E8-2 amplifiers to give incredible quality of sound and complete coverage over a large area. Two ‘zones’ were set up for the ceiling hanging speakers with control panels mounted at either end of the gym so that audio could be higher in one area whilst lower in another.
7 x Soundtube HP890 speakers hang discreetly from ceiling in gymnasium.
AV rack for Gymnasium audio master controls.
Gymnasium audio control panel.
They also have a presentation area which makes full use of an ultra-short throw lens projector (the Epson EB-G6250W) that enables them to produce a large and crystal clear 120” image from a very short distance (approx. 2 metres). The driving factor in adopting this projector was a lack of ceiling space for mounting a more traditional projection solution. There’s an external control panel (the Extron MLC 62) that allows the user to push a single button and lower the local screen and warm up the projector at the same time. That means you can walk into the presentation room and be ready to present almost immediately – that’s great news for coaches and management who are always busy.
Epson EB-G6250W with ultra short throw lens and 120″ motorised screen in the presentation area.
Tennis Australia is particularly pleased with the presentation area. They feel that the simplicity and ease of use makes the space that bit more pleasant to use and within these exceptional facilities that’s no mean achievement.
There are many other projects taking place at the moment including an overhaul of their existing MATV systems to enable HD-SDI signal distribution to allow for high-definition TV to be distributed throughout the complex for use during the Australian Open. Current works also include the upgrade of their existing meeting rooms to enable the integration of their recently purchased video-conferencing equipment with the existing audio visual system.
DIB Australia has been fortunate enough to work alongside Luke Kuret, Tennis Australia’s Network Engineer and John O’Neil their Digital Assets Specialist to ensure a high-level of client satisfaction and a great end product that will support Australia’s finest tennis players and staff for years to come.
Centenary Room