February 22, 2015 – New York, NY - LeBron James will always be LeBron James, and Kevin Durant will always be Kevin Durant, but for the past 20 years the NBA All-Star Game would not have been the same spectacular televised experience without the innovative equipment, fiber infrastructure, and technical support provided by Bexel. Having supported some of the most watched sports broadcasts in history, Bexel is equipped with the technology and solutions needed to capture compelling content for a worldwide audience.

"As Turner Sports involvement with the NBA All-Star festivities has grown over the years, so has Bexel's role as the primary facilities provider," said Lee B. Estroff, vice president of Account Development for Bexel. "The All-Star Weekend seems to get bigger every year, and it has been a great relationship. It's the league's showcase event, and Bexel is entrusted each year with supplying all the necessary resources to deliver maximum coverage using the most innovative broadcast systems available. Working with TNT, NBA TV and NBA Entertainment, we provide the latest technology coupled with the strongest engineering support in the industry."

This year's NBA All-Star Weekend, held from February 13th to 15th, included the Saturday night Slam Dunk and Three-Point Contests at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the Sunday All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, all originated by TNT. Each facility required a full TV production installation, which was made even more challenging by the record-setting snowfall that hit New York City.The Madison Square Garden television compound was the larger of the two, serviced by BBS #1, Bexel's 53-foot expandable edit truck featuring numerous non-linear edit bays working around-the-clock, along with full-time engineering support for TNT. At Barclays Center, Bexel deployed BBS #2, a 28-foot multi-purpose edit and fiber support trailer outfitted with three edit bays and supported by expert technical engineering. For both Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center, Bexel provided four Grass Valley LDX 86 XtremeSpeed cameras coupled with K2 Dyno Replay Systems, and two Sony HDC-3300R "Split Block" camera systems to capture unique slow-motion replay shots from "above the backboard" via 8 channel EVS XT3s.

In addition, Bexel's engineering team managed and supported the multi-level fiber infrastructure in each venue for video distribution throughout the compounds. An incredibly robust 20-channel "shared" IPTV system was deployed at both sites and provided connectivity via existing dark fiber. 10 of the channels were used by DirecTV to service feeds for networks including CNN, TBS, ESPN and TNT, while the other 10 channels were reserved for shared truck feeds, enabling producers to view video footage captured between both venues. This was especially beneficial for the Turner and NBA production crews, who were able to view all rehearsals without having to leave their on-site production offices.At this year's NBA All-Star Game, Turner Sports employed a new dimension in virtual graphics. Bexel helped raise production elements to a new level with the Ncam camera tracking system from Ncam Technologies Ltd. At Madison Square Garden, an Ncam-enabled Steadicam provided real-time data in collaboration with its tracking server.

"When used in conjunction with the ORAD graphical user interface, the Ncam system provided an augmented-reality 3D effect that was layered within images captured by the Steadicam directly on the court," Estroff noted. "Bexel is currently the exclusive distributor for Ncam in the U.S., and we're very excited for the future of this relationship."

Bexel supplies RF Player Microphone Systems to Turner Sports year-round, and at the 2015 All-Star Game, Bexel was the official provider of QT5100 PlayerMics, manufactured by Quantum5X (Q5X). The Player Microphone Systems feature a unique, rubberized, low-profile transmitter housed in a neoprene pouch, which is sewn into a specially designed pocket in a player's jersey. A wire is run from the transmitter up to the collar of the jersey, where a Countryman B6 lavalier microphone is clipped.

"We are very proud of our arrangement with the NBA and Q5X to be the sole provider of RF Player Mics,"Estroff commented. "As the exclusive distributor, we supplied the NBA with numerous Player Microphone packages for the All-Star Weekend, each containing Quantum5X transmitters, one receiver, and a small handheld remote control. At any time, two transmitters can be in use with the others standing by as back-up if needed."

Turner Sports also wanted to bring fans watching at home closer to the game this year and put them virtually on the sidelines with the coaches. To serve that goal, Bexel provided a Sennheiser lavaliere microphone and a Zaxcom TRX900 digital wireless transmitter, a collaborative system that Bexel and Zaxcom designed together. In addition, all the reporter and courtside commentator desks were lit with Litepanels LED fixtures.Between the two compounds, Bexel had a team of 18 people on site, ranging from engineers and edit technicians to operations specialists. "Having been involved with this event for the past two decades, we have an advantage allowing us to anticipate our clients" requirements for the weekend, but as production needs evolve, our broadcast services and equipment packages are modified to meet their needs."Turner Sports coverage ofŒ NBA All-Star Weekend 2015Œ delivered significant audience totals, with more than 27.5 million viewers tuning in to watch live programming. "The NBA All-Star Game is an annual showcase for Turner Sports, so Bexel carefully tailors the production infrastructure to exceed the requirements of this marquee event," Estroff concluded. "With our extensive history of supporting large-scale sporting competitions, our clients depend on Bexel to help bring the most exciting sports action to an ever growing audience."[sc name="news-footer"]