NFL Officials to Use Harris Corporation High Definition Systems to View Instant Replays
April 16 2007 - 12:43PM
PR Newswire (US)
Harris to upgrade 31 stadiums and Pro Football Hall of Fame to HD
LAS VEGAS, April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- National Football
League (NFL) referees for the first time will be able to review
instant replays with the sharpest images possible thanks to high
definition (HD) technology from Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an
international communications and information technology company.
The NFL has placed an order with Harris for the purchase of
hardware, software and services that will enable the league to
upgrade its officiating instant replay system to HD at its 31
stadiums nationwide. The instant replay systems are used to help
make determinations that are challenged by coaches and booth
reviews. The order includes 33 Harris(R) NEXIO(TM) HD servers as
the primary servers with another 33 providing redundancy, an HD
version of FORCE software (Football Officiating Replay Challenge
Expeditor), routing and distribution gear. The new NEXIO(TM) HD
server systems will replace the current analog instant replay
system, which have been in use since 1999. The existing systems
have been based on the Leitch VR-300 server, now considered older
technology. One of these systems will be sent to the Football Hall
of Fame in Canton, Ohio for display purposes. The original system
was developed by Leitch Technology Corporation, a company since
acquired by Harris Corporation. The new NEXIO(TM)-based HD instant
replay system will be deployed and ready for use at the opening
preseason game on August 5th at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers on NFL
Network. "The NFL wanted to move its instant replay systems to
next-generation HD server technology to maintain a continued,
high-level of reliability for future broadcasts," said Rich Zabel,
vice president of sales for the Eastern region, Harris
Corporation's Broadcast Communications Division. "We are pleased to
upgrade our systems to reflect innovations in technology," said
Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating. "The new HD
systems will provide our officials with state-of-the-art equipment
to further enhance their ability to make proper calls." "Since
today's NFL games are being broadcast in HDTV, it was critical to
have this official replay system also support all the major HDTV
broadcast formats," added Jeff Howard, the NFL's senior executive
of engineering and broadcast technologies." These Harris products
are a part of an NFL initiative to provide HD upgrades to the
infrastructures of the 31 NFL stadiums nationwide. At each stadium,
the new HD instant replay system will be installed in the replay
booth, which are manned by replay official, a video technician, a
video operator and a communicator. The two remaining HD instant
replay systems will be used by the NFL to train officials at its
annual officiating clinic, slated for July in Dallas, and at other
training sessions. "Our customers are transitioning to HD on a
global scale, and we see them embracing the reliability of our
NEXIO(TM) HD server technology as they do," said Tim Thorsteinson,
president of Harris Corporation's Broadcast Communications
Division. "NEXIO(TM) is a reliable technology -- with thousands of
channels currently operating at broadcast facilities worldwide. The
NFL has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Harris, and
Harris met the NFL's specific needs by working with the NFL on the
FORCE development that customizes the control application for
Instant Replay." About Harris Corporation Harris is an
international communications and information technology company
serving government and commercial markets in more than 150
countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has
annual revenue of about $4 billion and more than 14,000 employees -
including more than 6,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is
dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications(TM)
products, systems, and services for global markets, including
government communications, RF communications, broadcast
communications, and wireless transmission network solutions.
Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at
http://www.harris.com/ DATASOURCE: Harris Corporation CONTACT:
Laura Whitaker, Vice President, Communications of Harris Broadcast
Communications Division, +1-408-782-1201, ; or Robin Hoffman of
Pipeline Communications, +1-973-746-6970, Web site:
http://www.harris.com/
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