Case Studies: Es Con Field Hokkaido

― Mr. Takafumi Morino, Executive Officer and General Manager
Entertainment Management Division,
Business Supervisory Headquarters
Fighters Sports & Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Challenges

• A highly advanced video production system that links with various systems was sought to deliver all-encompassing entertainment at the world's most advanced baseball stadium.

Solution

• The KAIROS IT/IP platform was adopted as the core of a comprehensive production system for exceptional content synchronizing video, lighting and sound.

Background

Revolutionary Baseball Stadium

Es Con Field Hokkaido opened its doors in March 2023 as a state-of-the-art ballpark equipped with two of the world's largest screens integrated with the KAIROS video production system to enthrall fans with stunning video, lighting and sound. Built in Japan for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball team, the movable-dome stadium's concourse encircles the interior to offer views of the field from anywhere. This is also the world's first ballpark where people can view games from an on-site hotel or even from hot springs and saunas!

System Overview

Highly Advanced Entertainment System

To take full advantage of massive 86-meter wide screens, content had to be created that was not limited to 16:9. The choice was obvious: Panasonic's KAIROS IT/IP platform was adopted to enable video with diverse aspect ratios and resolutions to be intuitively layered. What's more, approx. 600 digital-signage displays were installed in the ballpark for immersive real-time viewing experiences throughout the stadium. The systems are integrated via a central management system (S-CMS)*, together with lighting and sound, for highly efficient operation.

* Available only in Japan

Benefits

Dynamic Production Thanks to KAIROS' Amazing Flexibility

KAIROS is a revolutionary live switcher that utilizes CPUs and GPUs for video processing to achieve a multilayered approach that places no restrictions on MEs or keys. In addition, KAIROS handles video with diverse aspect ratios for both input and output that are impossible to achieve with conventional live switchers.

According to Mr. Takafumi Morino, head of entertainment management for the ballclub's parent company: “We wanted something new that people could experience only at our ballpark/stadium, so we set scalability and flexibility as the themes for our entertainment system. We knew that we had to constantly deliver new experiences involving the best and newest technology. The idea was for fans not only to enjoy the team's success, but also to be thrilled by memorable entertainment experiences throughout each game, and every time they come back. When I first saw KAIROS, I was truly impressed by its flexibility and design concept of unrestricted aspect ratio. In addition, I sensed that it had the potential to keep pace with the expected evolution of Es Con Field. In the past, complicated switchers could only be operated by technicians, but KAIROS is an amazingly intuitive system that entertainment producers can operate without restraint to achieve artistic expressiveness.”

Seamless Integration with Proprietary Systems

Mr. Shoji Kumamoto, representative director of SITE4D Inc., said, "Together with Fighters Sports & Entertainment, we developed a proprietary system as the core of our real-time video production, integrating a sports coder, CG equipment and more, which we named ‘Metaball’. We also created a macro system to automatically activate KAIROS from Metaball via the KAIROS control protocol. Our goal is to provide live spectator experiences throughout Es Con Field. For example, if there is a home run or big play, the large screens and approx. 600 digital-signage displays simultaneously switch to the action. Of course, such action is unpredictable, so our CG team follows the game from a window in the control room, rather than via monitor, and then uses the KAIROS control protocol to send, for example, a 'home run' command from Metaball, after which KAIROS instantly displays the scene throughout the stadium. In the case of a conventional switcher, multiple people would have to operate the system simultaneously to capture and project the action. But thanks to KAIROS' high-level system integration, we can achieve real-time production with a single operator."

Low-latency Connection with Hundreds of Digital-signage Displays

A CATV solution based on head-end technology controls approx. 600 digital-signage displays to display game and video entertainment together with light and sound, plus ads and other information. Multi-channel distribution is possible with less than a half-second delay. Live video is delivered to all digital-signage displays in the concourse, restaurants, hot tubs, etc., almost instantaneously when the crowd cheers.

Mr. Morino said, “Sitting in the seats to watch a game is one thing, but since Es Con Field is designed for enjoying games from practically anywhere, we installed approx. 600 digital-signage displays throughout the ballpark. Low-latency delivery was critical, so we adopted Panasonic's digital signage system to display content with less than a half-second delay. The result is that everyone can share the experience together, at practically the exact same moment.”

Integrated Management for Extra Efficient Operation

Approx. 600 digital-signage displays can be simultaneously turned on and off with ease via the integrated management system (S-CMS)* using a touch panel in the control room. The system also tracks the status of all digital-signage displays and sends alerts in the event of any problem. The S-CMS is linked to KAIROS as well as large-screen, lighting and sound systems for smoothly integrated production. According to Mr. Morino, "Linkage to all systems via the S-CMS has greatly streamlined our operations and reduced our staffing needs. But we are always striving to create new ballpark experiences, so rather than worry about cutting staffer, we focus on utilizing our comprehensive system to take on new challenges."

* Available only in Japan