Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup Updates the Bavarian Parliament’s Plenary Hall

Jan 12, 2006 8:00 AM

Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup installed video and audio signal distribution, the intercom system, the equipment of the two in-house TV studios, a user-friendly centralized media control system, and all projectors, beamers, and presentation devices to bring Bavaria's parliamentary plenary hall into the 21st century. Photo: Archive of Bayerischer Landtag.

After a 15-month construction period, the new plenary hall of the Bavarian parliament was inaugurated in the middle of December 2005. The refurbishing activities focused on construction and technological transformations, with a more up-to-date interior architecture involving a transparent light ceiling, and the latest in media technology. The Bavarian construction department chose Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup for the entire media system.

This major order comprised of the building’s video and audio signal distribution, the intercom system, the equipment of the two in-house TV studios, a user-friendly centralized media control system, and all projectors, beamers, and presentation devices that go with it. The system was planned and submitted for tender by the engineering consulting agency ENT of Burghausen, Germany.

The Mediagroup acted as manufacturer, programmer of the overall system, and as system integrator of the various multimedia aspects, intercom, control, and presentation systems. This installation showcases almost the entire Mediagroup product range: The basis of the audio signal distribution builds a Nexus network consisting of one big and three smaller Nexus-based devices in a star configuration. A future-ready Delec Oratis intercom system, built to accommodate twice the number of stations needed today, handles all communication. A C.A.S. 500 media control system fitted with built-to-order 17in. touchscreen remote controls easily operates all of the components. And last but not least, the paging and signal distribution system based on C.A.S. 300 and Peak Audio’s Cobranet, which was already installed in 2004, rounds off the whole system.

Impressive though the deployed gear may look, its integration is even more spectacular. One example is the unique interfacing between the conference system and the C.A.S. 500 media control system. Or the two in-house TV studios one of which was optimized for broadcasts on the internal TV channel. It is also used by the Bavarian broadcaster BR and for live Internet streaming. The other studio is designed for video footage to be projected onto the plenary hall’s giant video walls. Both studios are based on a serial digital concept and connected to four TV cameras with SDI outputs. The client requested that all system components allow for future extension towards other areas inside the “Maximilaneum” building.

“This project has allowed us to demonstrate quite a few of our capabilities on the system integration and manufacturing fronts,” comments Wolfgang Salzbrenner, one of Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup’s managing directors.