The installation process was a very smooth transition with VITEC. They were physically on-site, and they took the reins and worked with us on our system to help us get it implemented, troubleshooting issues and not leaving until it was up and running. It was methodically planned, and the execution was perfect. Once we had the VITEC system running and tested in certain areas, I couldn’t wait to install it everywhere to retire the old system fully.
— Colby Tucker, Sr.
Director of Operations
Oakland Arena
If we’d just bought a digital signage-only feature, that wouldn’t be a reliable plan moving forward. Having a service that can do both IPTV and signage is huge for us.
— Colby Tucker, Sr.
Director of Operations
Oakland Arena
VITEC powers up IPTV and digital signage solution at Oakland Arena
Oakland Arena, a historic venue in Northern California, needed to replace its outdated digital signage system from the early 2000s due to reliability issues. They chose VITEC's IPTV and Digital Signage solution, which was installed smoothly without disrupting ongoing events. The new system has improved reliability, reduced troubleshooting time, offers dynamic content updates, and provides enhanced experiences for guests with high-resolution content, TV guide features, and plans for future scalability.
Background
Oakland Arena is a historic multi-purpose indoor venue built in 1966 and is a Northern California leader in live entertainment, playing host to many events per year, from concerts to family shows to sporting events. The Arena hosted the NBA’s Golden State Warriors from 1971 to 2019, as well as other pro teams, including the NHL’s California Golden Seals from 1967 to 1976.
Oakland Arena has been updated through multiple renovations, including a $100 million project in 1996. To support demand, capacity increased to 19,200, while 72 luxury suites and three exclusive clubs were added to enhance guest experience
The Challenge
Oakland Arena required an IPTV and digital signage system for use at its events, primarily on concourses, as menu boards, and to display live feeds of sponsor and event messaging in its suites. The venue had previously used a legacy digital signage system installed in the early 2000s. However, the legacy system is no longer directly supported by the manufacturer, so the Arena team began to seek a replacement in 2022.
“It was an old, unreliable system,” says Colby Tucker, Sr. Director of Operations at Oakland Arena. “We would regularly have approximately a 10% downtime on our 600 or so screens, and we would have to troubleshoot issues with the screens for every event. Making any changes to the content would also be a major undertaking, requiring downtime on the screens to make a small change. It’s not a good experience for all the screens to go black for any amount of time during an event.”
The team began searching for a more reliable and adaptable solution befitting a modern venue. “I had heard good things about the VITEC system,” adds Tucker. “We learned about the competition in the market, and we leaned towards VITEC because it was trusted in our region, and I trusted its technology – it sounded very solid. The biggest thing that it could provide was a stable environment that was going to run when it needed to.”
The Solution
The Arena partnered with Rectitude 369 and they opted for a VITEC IPTV and Digital Signage system to be deployed throughout the facility, including EP4 end-points as a direct result of hearing positive feedback regarding VITEC’s technology and discussing specifics with VITEC.
The team chose to stream at 1080p to match the existing resolution of displays at the location.
With events still occurring, the installation was carefully phased to minimize disruption.
“The installation process was a very smooth transition with VITEC. They were physically on-site, and they took the reins and worked with us on our system to help us get it implemented, troubleshooting issues and not leaving until it was up and running. It was methodically planned, and the execution was perfect. Once we had the VITEC system running and tested in certain areas, I couldn’t wait to install it everywhere to retire the old system fully.”
The Result
With reliability a key requirement, the team has been delighted with the outcome. “It has saved me several hours per week because I’m not troubleshooting errors,” adds Tucker. “From our previous downtime of approximately 10%, we are running 100% of the time now. I know that things are going to start up and run.”
The additional flexibility of the system has also allowed the Arena to update content quickly as required. “The ability to change things ‘on the fly’ or create new assets very quickly has allowed us to offer more things to the tours that we host. Making adjustments immediately is a perk I did not have on the old system, but with VITEC, we can adjust content dynamically. Previously, we would have to bring down screens, make the change, and then bring them all back up to be able to change content. Now, I can change it for one screen, send those changes, and trust that it went live with almost no delay in the execution.”
With its IPTV functionality, the system now also allows TV channels to be fed to VIP suites, concourses, and backof-house areas. “We can offer a more premium experience than we had previously, with a reliable service, TV guide, and quality high-resolution content – I’m very happy with the performance and resolution on the screens for the content being provided.”
“Given the success, we’ve already started looking at other spaces to expand it and scale up the presence, including the box office windows, back-of-house dressing rooms, and utilizing more of the IPTV functionality in the suites. We’ll continue to grow as needed. We also have to plan beyond concerts to make sure that it will be able to meet the needs of future tenants (such as sports teams) and be able to expand and scale that. If we’d just bought a digital signage-only feature, that wouldn’t be a reliable plan moving forward. Having a service that can do both IPTV and signage is huge for us.”
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