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Fiber in Action

OTB Corporation installs a point-to-point fiber optic transmission system

NOTE: This story includes references to our Pure Digital, One Fiber which has been superceded by our Flex systen. New installations should use the Pure Digital Fiberlink Flex system instead.

Jim Barber, Manager of the Radio/Television department at Capital District Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation, talks about installing a Pure Digital One Fiber point-to-point fiber optic transmission system at the beautiful, historic Saratoga Racecourse, in Saratoga, NY.

The Capital District Regional Off-Track Betting Corp (CDROTBC), formed in 1975, is a public benefit corporation ruled by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. We provide legalized wagering on horse racing and lottery products with all profits distributed to local governments & the racing industry. Over a span of 26 years, the corporation has flourished - expanding to over 54 branches located throughout New York State from the Canadian border, to the Catskills, east to the Massachusetts & Vermont borders & west to Madison & Cortland Counties.

In 1984 our Radio/TV department was the first OTB to broadcast horse racing information to its branches and to the public through local Cable companies. The administration's foresight produced a phone-a-bet profit center over 50% greater than any of the other regional OTBs and paved the way for other OTBs who began to copy our techniques. Today, other OTBs depend on Capital OTB for programming during the annual Saratoga Meet.

The Radio/TV department of CDROTBC is a 24/7 broadcast operation supplying data and television information to cable companies and individual betting facilities throughout the Capital OTB region. Live, recorded and local production broadcasts originate from our headquarter studios in Schenectady, NY. The extensive use of microwave, telephone, fiber, MDS and other broadcast techniques are used to deliver this information.

Because the Horse Racing business is as changeable as the weather, no two days are alike. Coordination of different track information, live broadcasts and satellite transmissions for dissemination are all encompassing and we require a versatile system that can handle multiple functions.

For this particular application, we needed a system to link the broadcast facilities on one side of the Saratoga Racecourse with a studio for live interview programming and taped playback on the other. From the Saratoga studio, all programming is finally sent to the main studios in Schenectady, including the morning racing shows during the annual, August NYRA racing season.

Initially, our engineering contractor recommended the Pure Digital One Fiber™ point-to-point fiber optic transmission system to us. Installation was delayed because state approval was needed prior to purchasing the fiber link, so in the interim, we installed an infrared transmission system as a temporary solution. After about a year or so, we received our approval and installed the Pure Digital One Fiber system. Although we initially considered Pure Digital One Fiber because it was a good choice economically, an even greater advantage is that it provides expandability into more and newer technologies.

One of the most unique features of a Pure Digital One Fiber system is the custom-configuration. Unlike traditional AM and FM systems that are engineered for one specific purpose, the Pure Digital One Fiber system is designed to be customized for the user’s specific application needs. Depending on the types of signals that are being sent, whether they are transmitted in one or two directions and the type of fiber that is being used, Communications Specialties’ will design a customized unit for each individual order. This was a very appealing feature, because we were able to build a system that supplies video/audio/data in one single box, without having to pay for unnecessary options. And, if we need additional functionality in the future, our system can be easily upgraded to accommodate our requirements.

We installed our Pure Digital One Fiber system last year at the Saratoga Racecourse. The actual installation was very straightforward and took no time at all. We found it surprisingly simple to integrate the system into our existing one and to train our staff in its operation. The system has provided us with a worry-free device to accomplish our mission at the Radio/Television department. With so many not-so-worry-free devices, using Pure Digital One Fiber has given us piece of mind.

Because the system uses all-digital processing and transmission, we don’t ever have to worry about crosstalk or drifting and there is no perceptible distortion. We also liked that each unit is self-contained. One simple box connects to a single fiber optic cable and supports all our transmission requirements. One feature that we think would make this incredibly flexible system even more convenient would be the addition of small front mounted test jacks for baseband audio/video.

This was not the first product that we have purchased from Communications Specialties, and it most likely won’t be the last. We expect to expand some services using the multi-fiber that was installed and will most likely order other configurations of the Pure Digital One Fiber system to support these additional needs. The system has worked so well with this initial installation that our engineering contractor will certainly recommend it again.

Jim Barber Manager of the Radio/TV Department, has been with Capital District Regional Off-Track Betting Corp for more than 25 years and recently received a business degree from SUNY Empire State College. He can be reached at 518-344-5204.

 
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