
Tech Focus: Intercoms, Part 1 - Dynamic Technology Adjusts to Whatever Comes Next Multiple approaches - wireless, IP, the cloud - are available but not without obstacles By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, March 29, 2023 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Over the past decade, intercom technology has evolved into a multilane highway. A couple of the channels were turned into express lanes by the COVID pandemic, with intercom users, including sports broadcasters, forced to seek alternatives. Some lanes have been slowed by other extenuating circumstances. And there are plenty of potholes to navigate.
Sports broadcasters are looking for everything, says Michael Brown, regional sales manager, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Central States, RTS, because they never know what they're walking into or what they'll need for a show or what might change when they're there.
The first new lane on that highway was the move to wireless connectivity, but that was hemmed in by the FCC's constriction of the 700 MHz and then the 600 MHz band - think of the highway sign that warns Road Narrows Ahead, No Shoulder. Then came lanes dedicated to audio over IP (AoIP) and, subsequently, to cloud-based virtualization.
Brown notes additional FCC restrictions atop the loss of spectrum, including limits on output power and antenna directionality, further complicating wireless intercom operations. Even so, it remains the primary mode for large-scale deployments. AoIP and virtual comms show promise as alternatives but have their own intrinsic limitations.
Cloud-based comms sound good, he says, but the first things the people on the trucks ask is, Whose cloud, whose server? And AoIP is limited to 100 meters - 328 ft. - before [the signal] needs to be boosted, which is not something every situation allows. That's why sports broadcasters want all of these options available to them.
In response, Brown notes, RTS has developed hybrid-type workarounds, such as its RTS Voice Over Network (RVON) TCP/IP-based VoIP product. The Odin frame is a multiformat analog-to-Dante audio frame, allowing existing analog users a migration path to interface with existing data networks, including Dante, thus extending the system's scale. Its ROAMEO system takes wireless to the 1.9 MHz DECT frequency range, addressing earlier spectrum loss.
Away From Hardware, Toward the Cloud Over the past two decades, the Telos Alliance has been shifting away from hardware-based matrixing and toward AoIP-based operation and then on to the cloud, according to Telos VP, Business Development, Martin Dyster. Its Telos Infinity Virtual Intercom Platform (VIP) fully featured cloud-based intercom system launched in 2021. Much of its evolution was sparked by the COVID pandemic, he notes, which accelerated what had been a trend toward remote broadcast production by budget-sensitive television networks.
Telos's Martin Dyster: If you have a cellphone, tablet, or computer, now you also have an intercom panel.
But, he adds, the pandemic had another effect: It created a component shortage, and we, like many other companies, couldn't build anything, pushing product development further in a virtual direction. As a result, if you have a cellphone, tablet, or computer, now you also have an intercom panel.
Of course, moving into a virtualized environment has its challenges. For instance, browser-based interfaces can be vulnerable to online interruptions, as anyone working on Zoom or Teams has learned. The potential applies to any foray into internet-based connectivity. Dyster acknowledges that concern, one shared by just about every other industry sector that extends its reach through employees' devices. Announced in February, Telos's Infinity VIP App extends operation of the Infinity system to iOS and Android mobile devices, mirroring Infinity's current HTML5 browser-based VIP panel offering.
On the one hand, browser-based operation continues the company's mission of putting a panel virtually (and literally) anywhere. But it also comes with such issues as maintaining compatibility with Apple's and Google's steady stream of OS updates for those devices, updates that can be quite buggy in their initial iterations.
On the other hand, the phone version, described by Telos as a companion application, isn't intended to replace Infinity's other versions but rather to extend its reach at a time when broadcast sports productions are experiencing and experimenting with novel - and often disruptive - workflows.
Another response to virtualization was Telos's announcement, in October, of a partnership agreement with Vizrt. The resulting Viz Now SaaS-type portal, hosted by Vizrt, is intended to simplify and automate more of the intercom operation in the cloud environment.
Right now, Dyster says, [intercoms in the IP environment] are in the midst of constant innovation and testing to meet customer needs and expectations.
Customers Are Asking The pandemic focused users on alternative remote-production techniques. As COVID receded, the need for more ways to manage comms on a show persists, but it's not one-size-fits-all.
Clear-Com's Kris Koch: IP connectivity adds tremendous flexibility in how teams communicate and adds valuable third-party integration as well.
Our customers are asking for more ways to connect their teams, which are spread across multiple venues and locations, says Kris Koch, business development director, broadcast, networks and media production, Clear-Com, and REMI workflows have continued to grow and mature after the pandemic.
He points out that the digital diaspora of operators during COVID put a new premium on flexible comms solutions: IP connectivity, he notes, adds tremendous flexibility in how teams communicate and adds valuabl
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
09/03/2026
Foos Gone Wild and Combate Global have teamed up to create a twist on combat sports competition, announcing the launch of a special amateur Mixed Martial Arts (...
09/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Harmonic will introduce significant enhancements to its video appliances and SaaS solutions, highlighted by a next-generation media server...
09/03/2026
ESPN's March 3 spring training matchup between Team USA and the San Francisc...
09/03/2026
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announces the launch of MVPW, a new global platfo...
09/03/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
09/03/2026
From Super Bowl compounds to Final Four setups, the Hofstra graduate helps coord...
09/03/2026
Stamford plays a key role, but a small team in Cortina and Milan powers local presence and mixed-zone coverage...
09/03/2026
The event brings together SVG's previous Cloud Production and Content Management Forums into a single, comprehensive day of programming...
09/03/2026
Updated Mar 9, 2026
Live surround sound has been a part of the plan for Roman a...
09/03/2026
Contains all six dual-ensemble libraries
VSL's Duality Strings series offers an intriguing alternative to your average string library, capturing two str...
09/03/2026
Outstanding Contribution To UK Music
Photo: Samuel Bradley
Ahead of their upcoming MPG Awards, the Music Producers Guild (MPG) have revealed the latest win...
09/03/2026
Two new high-quality DI boxes announced
Boasting some impressive technical specifications and versatile routing options, Strymon's latest active DI boxe...
09/03/2026
Latest MPE-capable Soundbox library released
The follow-up release for Sonora Cinematic's Pure Nylon has arrived, and becomes the latest addition to the...
09/03/2026
Popular wireless mic head design revived
Sennheiser have revealed that the MD 9235, a cardioid mic head designed to pair up with their handheld wireless sys...
09/03/2026
Captures two sought-after Dumble combo amps
The latest TONEX release captures a pair of sought-after Dumble amplifiers from IK Multimedia's private amp ...
09/03/2026
Flexible all-analogue insert matrix joins line-up
HUM Audio Devices don't tend to do things by halves - even the quickest of glances at the likes of the...
09/03/2026
Captures three sought-after pianos
Rhodes latest software release brings together a collection of three virtual pianos: a concert grand, an acoustic upright...
09/03/2026
Flagship compressor gets an upgrade
Techivation's flagship compressor plug-in has just been treated to a ground-up rebuild that kits it out with some po...
09/03/2026
Profiler OS 14.0 enters open beta
Kemper's amp-modelling systems already have a great reputation, but the latest update to their systems' underlying...
09/03/2026
Procedural stems smasher & recomposition engine
Blinksonic have recently launched a new Reaktor-based tool which they say takes a radical departure from yo...
09/03/2026
13 - 15 March 2026 at University of Warwick Conference Centre
The Institute of Professional Sound (IPS) have announced that The IPS Training Weekend 2026 wi...
09/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and NETGEAR collaborate for next generation Wi-Fi 8 access point...
09/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/03/2026
Broadpeak, a leader in streaming and monetization at scale, will showcase its latest innovations for broadcasters and streaming platforms at NAB Show 2026 (boot...
09/03/2026
UKTV has agreed a new partnership deal with Samsung that makes UKTV's free linear channels available to internet-only Samsung TV viewers in the UK for the f...
09/03/2026
Monday 9 March 2026
Sky reveals first look trailer and sets premiere date for S...
09/03/2026
Monday 9 March 2026
Sky Appoints Damian Saunders as Managing Director of Sky Business
Sky has today announced the appointment of Damian Saunders as Managing D...
09/03/2026
Back to All News
The Predator of Seville premieres on Netflix on 27 March
Entertainment
09 March 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the im...
09/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Debuts the Trailer for Love is Blind: Sweden Season 3
Entertainment
09 March 2026
GlobalSweden
Link copied to clipboard
That wait...
09/03/2026
Bill O'Reilly Announces New Weekly Podcast We'll Do It LIVE! We'll Do It LIVE!' A Bold, Fresh Presentation from Bill O'Reilly
New York...
09/03/2026
MOSOLF SE & Co. KG Relies on green.screen from Arvato Systems for Strategic Ener...
09/03/2026
A powerful new national initiative supporting people living with dementia launch...
09/03/2026
AI is everywhere and accelerating everything - becoming essential infrastructure...
09/03/2026
ABB Robotics and NVIDIA today announced a breakthrough partnership that brings i...
07/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/03/2026
TNT Sports and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have reached a mul...
06/03/2026
OffBall and TOGETHXR, two influential young media companies in sports, announce a strategic and operational partnership in a shared push to scale and create inn...
06/03/2026
InfoComm 2026, a destination for AV, IT, broadcast, and AI-driven systems, annou...
06/03/2026
LTN and MediaKind announce a strategic partnership to integrate MediaKind's ...
06/03/2026
X Games and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (GNOSF) announce that New Orleans, Louisiana, will host the first-ever X Games Championship event - the fi...
06/03/2026
As part of a busy start of the year at Chyron, the AXIS team developed a set of improvements for AXIS Maps. The features released empower users with more flexib...
06/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast ind...
06/03/2026
At NAB Show 2026, Net Insight introduces Nimbra Live Intelligence, which definin...
06/03/2026
SES announces that it has added new Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite capacity ...