NAB Show Perspectives: Production control room upgrades are always on the agenda

No doubt the 2025 NAB Show will be full of talk about control rooms. Control rooms are always a major part of the broadcasting or sports production conversation.

As always, NAB will feature demonstrations from vendors of myriad control room technologies and solutions, including switching, automation, production, and IP operations. As a systems integrator, BeckTV is right in the middle of that scene.

At NAB, we’ll be talking to attendees about everything involved in building a control room — budget and scheduling, engineering and equipment specification, procurement, fabrication, and finally, our specialty, integration.

We expect to have discussions about space planning, design, engineering, purchasing, and integration services for projects that run the gamut in terms of budget, size, and technology — from sports stadiums and large network builds to the smallest call letter stations, and from classic baseband video systems to sophisticated SMPTE ST 2110 deployments.

For many broadcasters these days, it’s about installing the latest technologies, such as SMPTE ST 2110 and AES67, to deliver the quality that audiences demand. They will be looking for integration partners with vast experience in implementing innovative technology for nearly every type of control room installation, including broadcast and network television stations, cable and satellite facilities, network operations centers, sports and mobile trucks, professional and university stadium venues, and houses of worship.

Broadcasters will also be looking for proof of that experience so they can make informed decisions. For BeckTV’s part, several prominent sports venues, broadcast stations, and outside broadcast (OB) companies have trusted us with their infrastructure upgrades and/or new builds.

We’ve already got consultations with sports production engineers on the agenda. To meet the expectations of modern viewers while efficiently managing the complexities of live sports production, we’ll be giving advice on how best to implement advanced video processing, switching, monitoring, control, and replay capabilities, coupled with fiber connectivity, scalability, easy network integration, and much more. BeckTV’s cases in point: We designed and built the most advanced 4K HDR 2110 deployments in sports, and we’re responsible for the only 8K replay systems installed in NFL venues. We’ll talk with sports production engineers about how we can bring our experience to bear in their own facilities. Among our many sports projects:

• Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers
• M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens
• Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers
• UFC Apex
• Citi Field, home of the New York Mets
• Lower.com Field, home of the Columbus Crew
• Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts
• University of Notre Dame

Likewise, we’re looking forward to visits with news broadcasters, who rely on systems integrators for expertise in complex broadcast technology and IT, efficient project management, solutions customization, value engineering and vendor relationships, training and support, and more. BeckTV has designed and built more professional broadcast facilities for more customers than any other systems integrator. We’ve worked with major station groups, including:

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• Hearst
• Tegna
• Gray Television
• Griffin Media
• WETA, the flagship public media station in Washington, D.C.

We’re also expecting several meetings with OB truck operators, who need all the same things as sports and news broadcasters, but in a much smaller area. They’re looking for integrators who can not only design complex systems that are flexible and scalable but who can allocate resources efficiently to maximize space and function. We’re known for masterminding OB trucks, and recently we’ve worked on the flagship truck for Ross Production Services and a truck for IMS Productions, which helps bring IndyCar and other entertainment events to a global audience. In our meetings, OB truck companies will learn all about BeckTV’s OB truck services, including:

• Project management.
• Conceptualizing and finalizing design and documentation of all major broadcast systems, including every individual wire to be installed in the truck.
• Prewiring and labeling all cables at our facility for delivery to the project site.
• Completely integrating all equipment after receiving an empty truck — running the wires, racking the gear, doing all the power and cabling, and performing comprehensive testing to ensure the final system operates as planned.
• An on-site project engineer and a technician for event support during the truck’s first show.

Matt Weiss, BeckTVMatt joined BeckTV in August of 2018. With more than 30 years of experience in the broadcast television and A/V industry, having held a wide range of management and technical positions. His responsibilities include program and business development, project management, new technology investigation and implementation in addition to system design and execution, scheduling, vendor relations, and workforce management.