An audience 100 million strong tuned in to the 2020 North American football championship broadcast held in February 2020 on a range of platforms and device types. For the first time ever, a live broadcast of the event was made available in both UltraHD- and HD-High Dynamic Range (HDR), though a majority of the acquisition was in 1080p and most audiences viewed the game in HD-SDR. To help facilitate simultaneous live production across HD-HDR and HD-SDR formats, Bexel, an NEP Broadcast Services Company, a leading global provider of outsourced broadcast solutions and production equipment rentals, was brought in. The company arrived on site armed with more than 70 AJA FS-HDR converters and frame synchronizers to handle more than 200 conversions between multiple sources spanning live camera feeds, graphics, commercial content, historical footage and more.
Embracing a Single Master HDR workflow, Bexel set up the FS-HDRs to transform and combine a range of external SDR sources into one master 1080p HDR feed. While specialty footage captured in UltraHD was down-converted to 1080p in the CCU, the FS-HDR supported simultaneous conversion of the master 1080p HDR feed to HD-SDR for distribution to displays without HDR capabilities. Throughout the various HD-SDR to HD-HDR, HD-HDR to HD-SDR, and 720p HD to 1080p HD-SDR transforms required, the FS-HDRs ensured the image integrity of each source while reducing overall production complexity.
“FS-HDR bridges the gap between modern SDR and HDR live production workflows,” shared Johnny Pastor, Vice President, Technical Services, Bexel. “The flexibility it provides for the price point is truly unmatched and has made it our go-to for events like this. For all that it does, it’s also super compact; we can easily integrate it into our flypacks without driving up the weight, so we can save on shipping costs.”
Tom Dickinson, Vice President Technology, Bexel, added, “Producing a live HDR broadcast while working in an SDR external environment can be challenging to say the least, as you’re working with multiple different sources and have to be sure that quality is not compromised as signals are converted and moved throughout the chain. Our FS-HDRs make it easier to go between both worlds to meet the demands of SDR integrity, while also enticing audiences with an impressive HDR feed, and in the case of other client products UltraHD-HDR feeds.”
As Bexel continues to service high profile clients around the world, it expects AJA to remain a staple in its workflow, especially as the transitions from SDR to HDR and HD to UltraHD advance. Pastor concluded, “We looked at a number of HDR converters, but FS-HDR ultimately stood out and we’ve been impressed by its solid performance in the field. We also really enjoy working with the AJA team, who have been instrumental in bringing new features to the device that help us better support our clients as HDR continues to evolve.”
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
