Tech Focus: Intercoms, Part 1 - Pandemic Speeds Evolution Literally at-home workflows boost move to IP, wireless, cloud platforms By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Thursday, February 11, 2021 - 11:17 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
A year ago, the broadcast-sports business watched as wireless and IP-based intercoms - the former moving to new parts of the post-FCC-auction RF spectrum, the latter leveraging audio's migration to networked infrastructure - continued to make steady inroads into a production infrastructure that increasingly implemented REMI and at-home techniques. A year later, thanks to COVID, being literally at home to run a remote production has gone from novelty to norm, pulling intercoms with it.
Riedel Communications' Rick Seegull sees IP at the heart of the intercom future.
REMI got REMI-ed is how Rick Seegull, manager, system consulting, Riedel Communications, expresses it. IP-based and, more recently, app-based intercom solutions have moved from interim, temporary solutions to established elements in suddenly disrupted workflows at broadcast networks. Even as that has pulled back a bit since last year, as more people can be in the production center together now, he says, many of them are still working remotely, even from home. And that'll be the case for a while to come, so our remote offerings are based on keeping the workflow identical, whether in the control room or at home/remote.
Solutions To Meet REMI Needs Intercom-system developers are responding with a variety of solutions.
Riedel's existing Connect-IP AoIP interface is an example. The company's VCP-1312 allows use of a smartphone or tablet as a full intercom element in combination with any of Riedel's Artist digital-matrix intercom systems. The Virtual Control Panels provide the same signalization as regular Artist control panels: the 12 keys available on two layers can be configured like any other panel key via Artist Director control and configuration software.
The VCP is available for iOS and Android mobile platforms, a route that has become well-traveled for intercoms in general since the onset of the pandemic. That does have intrinsic limitations, though not necessarily of the technical sort.
A [smart]phone will always be a phone first and an app second, Seegull explains. If a call comes in while it's being used as an app, it can disrupt a production, at least as a distraction or even interfere with it by changing the screen.
To avoid that, Riedel is promoting its recently introduced RSP-1216HL SmartPanel, an all-new 1RU model in the company's 1200 Series of intelligent intercom and control panels for real-time video, audio, data, and communications networks. RSP-1216HL is a compact version of the app-based RSP-1232HL SmartPanel user interface, both of which can be configured for remote/at-home use either over VoIP or AES67/syntonous mode, depending on available bandwidth. And a new frame - the Artist 1024, with up to 1,024 ports in a 2RU space - was added to Riedel's Artist ecosystem to address IP workflows and high port density.
IP is at the heart of both solutions, and it's the path to intercom's future, Seegull says, citing advances in IP workflows around SMPTE 2110-30 and -31.
The pandemic has revealed a deeper need for wireless communications between production personnel, whether working from home or onsite, according to Gary Rosen, VP, global sales, Pliant Technologies, which markets the CoachCom and MicroCom series of wireless intercom systems.
There were fewer productions earlier in the year and more people working remotely with less onsite technical staff, which increased the need for reliable, high-quality, easy-to-use intercom, he says, adding that it also increased the need for communications in general. Before, you might have been able to [talk directly] to a nearby colleague; now, suddenly, you had to stay distanced, even in the same room.
The pandemic may have accelerated the need for intercoms, but Moore's Law has remained inexorably in effect, as it had for decades before. For instance, the XR and M versions of Pliant's 900-MHz MicroCom, a full-duplex wireless intercom system, can accommodate from five to 10 users at between $400 and $800 per user and are aimed at the burgeoning secondary-professional, college, and high school sports-production markets, says Rosen.
The same cost dynamic has helped effectuate Pliant's newest product, the CB2, a scaled-down version of its flagship CrewCom platform: it offers many of the same features for up to 12 users but at a lower price point for midrange applications.
CB2 was part of our product plan from the inception of CrewCom, says Rosen. With the CB2, we're now able to offer a scaled-down version of CrewCom at a more affordable price. That puts it in reach of more budget-conscious users that need the quality of CrewCom but have more modest needs.
He notes that Pliant isn't looking at smartphone connectivity for intercoms. That comes with significant restrictions, such as added latency and degraded RF performance in loud environments, he says, adding that there is a dearth of demand for that type of solution among his customers, who have also shared concern about the use of personal-device endpoints for intercoms.
Our customers like the fact that we have a closed-end, managed system, he says.
He sees more flexibility for wireless in the 2.4 GHz and 900 MHz ranges, combined with CrewCom's conference-type networking system, which he contends provides more flexibility than conventional matrixes or partylines but offers connectivity to both.
The 2.4 GHz [range] can be engineered to be very robust [in] most environments, he says. Unlike analog RF, you can actually share spectrum [reliably] even with a good amount of other wire
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
Tech Focus: Intercoms, Part 1 - Pandemic Speeds Evolution Literally at-home workflows boost move to IP, wireless, cloud platforms By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
