Aleksandrinsky Theater, Russia’s oldest theater founded in August 30, 1756, recently deployed Axis Communications network cameras, video surveillance control boards and joysticks to create an interactive system to combine several stage floors into a united production space, and offer live streaming of performances to viewers. The system was implemented by system integrator Baltic Media Company.
Aleksandrinsky Theater, Russia's oldest theater founded in August 30, 1756, recently deployed Axis Communications network cameras, video surveillance control boards and joysticks to create an interactive system to combine several stage floors into a united production space, and offer live streaming of performances to viewers. The system was implemented by system integrator Baltic Media Company.
The new Alexandrinsky Theatre opened in May 2013 and represents a complex of three buildings: the stage floor, a media center and a school for the training of technical staff including directors, playwrights and technical specialists. According to modern demands, the new complex includes an Internet theater stage floor equipped with video recording, audio recording and broadcasting facilities. The theater has both a control room and a TV studio equipped with satellite antennas for the purpose of technical support for the projects; all combined works function as a center for modern scenic technologies.
The theater entrusted the installer with an important task – to create a unique visual system accomplishing two purposes at once. The first purpose was creation of an interactive system combining several stage floors into a united production space. The second purpose was live steaming of performances to viewers. Based on the above tasks, it was obvious that the system being created should provide delay-free video image transmission in real-time mode, be easy to handle and enable flexible and operational configuration of transmission parameters.
Technically, communication between stage floors remote from each other can be realized with the help of multistream broadcasting. For this purpose, each stage floor is equipped with a controlled video camera system and monitors focused on viewers and actors. Live streaming of theatrical productions and creation of new forms of scene action are based on use of IP technology of video transmission since this is the most appropriate medium for organization of flexible interactive transmission processes.
The customer opted for PTZ dome and fixed domes, video surveillance control boards, as well as joysticks. The basic arguments for selection of equipment for the theater administration were high image quality and the possibility of multistream broadcasting. The choice was also influenced by simplicity of interface, the possibility of remote variation in view angle as well as operational comfort while working with PTZ cameras. The interactive vision-based system has been available to Russian viewers since May 2013.