more from Behind the Scenes

Well, more accurately, we're more behind the behind-the-scenes.  So much, in fact, that when we're doing our job, nobody (even the folks behind the scenes) know we exist.  But, digging down into the details of all that stuff is a bit technical and boring, so I'll show you some neat pictures instead:

 once again, my home away from home: the IBC

my console.  and yes, it is fun to press all the buttons.

Up until now I've ben focusing a lot on the visual side of things.  

Let's shift gears a bit and talk about audio.

I'm sure some folks out there remember the days of sound in glorious Mono, then along came Stereo (so Hi-Fi!).  We were happy with this for quite some time and life was good.  Many many years later we were graced by Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.  Life was very, very good.

Well, audiophiles, prepare to be blown away.  The fine folks at Japan's NHK have blessed the IBC with an ULRA-HD viewing room capable of astonishing, unthinkable & un-imaginable 

22.2 Surround Sound!!! 

Check it out:

(more like Profound Sound):

Click here to view in 360 degrees:

And if the mind-blowing sound wasn't enough, check out the 

145-inch Ultra HD TV!!!

to put it in perspective:

This viewing room is an amazing and very, very welcomed addition to the IBC.

I hope the folks at NHK will continue to astonish us with treats like this in future games.

gotta run, popcorn is getting cold.

-Sean

Hard at Work

Hello Friends!

During the past 11 days we've been working very hard to prepare for the upcoming games.  Before I get to all the fun Mascots, Venues and other Olympic-y type stuff, I figure I'd post some pictures of where I spend the majority of my time.

The International Broadcast Center (IBC), my home away from home, is nestled right next to the Hockey stadium in the main Olympic Park.  My function is to make sure all the video from all the venues arrives safely to the IBC via a fiber optic network.   The IBC is also home to all of the Rights Holding Broadcasters from all around the world (NBC, BBC, CTV, CCTV, NINE, ZDF, SkyIT, ESPN, etc).  While I'm here, I'll be working for Olympic Broadcasting Services.  OBS is what is known as the "Host Broadcaster" - meaning, they are the host and provide all of the main content to the RHBs who provide it to the rest of the World.

enough babble.  here we go!

Home Sweet IBC

GB's Finest 

Hustle and Bustle 24/7 as everyone scrambles to test every last component 

This is where all the Magic happens.  Test Patterns and Green Screens for now - I'll take some more when we have actual video to monitor aka "Games Time"

click here for an interactive panoramic!

 "Ready to Roll"

Remember, it's only The Olympics.  Only 4 Billion people would notice if you made a mistake.

Try not to worry about it :)

Stay tuned.  I'll be providing more and more updates in the upcoming days and weeks.  

Thanks again for coming to visit!

-Sean

Hopped the Pond

Hello, Friends!
I arrived in London a couple of days ago and the adventure has already begun. Once again, I am working every day at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) with my wonderful Olympic Family. It's been great to see all the familiar faces and meet the new ones with lots of handshakes but many more hugs :)

I haven't had the chance to do much exploring at this point as I've been focused primarily with learning the IBC setup, becoming orientated, and reuniting with friends and colleagues. I will, however, leave you with a lovely image I captured from the upper deck of the Media Bus on the way to work this morning.

I thank you once again for joining me on this exciting journey and I will update you with news and pictures as often as possible.

Cheers!

Sean

T-MINUS 30

T-Minus 30 Days!

Only one more month until I touch down in London and begin my next adventure.

Stay Tuned!

T-Minus 60 Days!

I'll be in London 60 days from now.  Please stay tuned for the next Olympic Adventure!

LONDON CALLING!

It's official:  I'll be heading to London to be a part of the 2012 Summer Olympics.  I'll be at the IBC mid-July and will be staying through the end of the games.  I'm very excited to bring you my experiences once again.  

Only 7 months to go!

Cheers,

Sean

"I love the pictures.. but, um.. WHAT is it again that you're actually DOING there???"

During the past 13 busy days, I've been working to bring the Olympics from Vancouver to your couch at home.  Since the actual process is long and complicated, I'll break it down in some relatively simple terms:

1. video of the Olympic action (sports, ceremonies, commentary) is shot at the City and Mountain venues and then sent to the IBC via a fiber optic network (the IBC stands for: International Broadcast Centre.  you know.. where I work.  remember?)
2. the video is then transmitted within the IBC to all the Rights-Holding Broadcasters, RHBs -(NBC, CTV, etc.)
3. the RHBs package all the video with commentary and commercials, etc and send it to the world via their own TV fiber networks or by satellite.
4. the local networks get it from the RHBs and distribute to your house.  viola!

My job is to maintain the heath and welfare of the fiber optic network mentioned in bullet point #1.  I work for Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) - the Host Broadcaster.

if you still are scratching your head... here's a picture:

(it all happens Automagically)

so, seeing as I've been here for nearly a month, I suppose it's fitting that I finally show you some pictures of where I'm spending the majority of my time.   The CDT.  CDT stands for Contribution, Distribution & Transmission (it's in the middle of the IBC.. I know, too many acronyms)...  anyone that actually wants me to explain any of this in further detail can see me after class.

Just as a refresher, here's a picture of the IBC:

(sloped building on the right )

here are some shots of the CDT:

I attempted to stitch together a panoramic view of all the screens using an automatic program.  the result:

pretty neat looking..  but here's the real one (click):

here is my team, the Broadcast Telecom Crew - Vancouver 2010:

yes, we're all geeks.  so what?  I'm a cool geek, at least.

So, that's about it for now.  Just as long as you're seeing a nice, crisp, clear picture - you'll know that I'm doing my job.  If not, please call your local cable provider :)

In conclusion, here are some pretty trees I found: