Blackwire Provides Eastern Video Service With Support for Seamless AV-over-IP Integration
With keys to a 9300-square-foot commercial space in hand, owner Kyle Corneau sought to redefine the sports-bar experience. The soon-to-be Clubhouse on Main, located in Glastonbury, Connecticut, would feature more than the standard entertainment of arcade machines, billiard tables, and dartboards. By leveraging motion-tracking technology, the bar would open with 10 axe-throwing simulators across one wall, offering playstyles from traditional bullseyes to moving targets, and four floor-to-ceiling multisport simulators on the wall opposite, where enthusiasts can fully immerse in games of golf, soccer, dodgeball, and more.
Adding 37 smart TVs, two 2X2 video walls, 16 in-ceiling speakers, and four pendant mount subwoofers to this mix would require extensive AV-over-IP distribution. Corneau, with the help of Sunnstone Construction Services, brought in Eastern Video Service (EVS) to perform the installation and integration. With 30 years of experience behind them, the East Hartford-based AV equipment supplier set to work looking for the perfect system that would turn Clubhouse on Main into the main event.
Challenge
Familiar with Just Add Power installations, EVS decided to use the system again at the Clubhouse on Main, impressed by its recent deployment’s flexibility and extensive feature set. With numerous network devices running simultaneously, from switches to guest Wi-Fi and laptops to point-of-sale systems, ensuring optimal performance and minimal latency was crucial.
Considering the scale of the sports bar’s entertainment options, EVS sought to minimize the total equipment cost as much as possible. Not only would Nate Young, the installation project manager at EVS, need to look for a budget-friendly option that met all the objectives, but due to his team’s relatively recent experience with Just Add Power, he also wanted the option for quick-turn around and premium tech support whenever he needed.
Solution
Scouring the web for authorized Just Add Power distributors, Young discovered Blackwire Designs. What stood out to him about purchasing through Blackwire was the ability to save even more money with each product added to EVS’s order — a crucial component, especially on the scale of this project.
“One of the most significant aspects of purchasing through Blackwire is the cost savings they offer at different sales levels,” said Young. “That’s a savings we can pass onto our customers, making it a win-win for everybody.”
Young also appreciated how much technical assistance Blackwire can offer even before the products ship. Using Blackwire’s online AV-over-IP Configuration Tool, Young can submit project information directly to Blackwire, which the team use to pre-configure the system, update and test each device, ensure network settings are correct, create install documentation, and label equipment, all before shipping the product the same day. This provides integrators like EVS with a ready-to-deploy solution straight out of the box, saving them valuable hours of preparation so the installation process can commence.
“Our choice in ordering Just Add Power equipment through Blackwire came down to cost and availability,” said Young. “One other retailer I came across charged almost double per transmitter or receiver on the Just Add Power side. Luckily, I gave it another look and found Blackwire, saving everybody thousands and thousands of dollars.”
Result
The collaboration between EVS and Blackwire resulted in a highly successful and affordable installation at the Clubhouse on Main sports bar, which held its grand opening on November 20, 2023. Blackwire provided EVS with a turnkey, ready to deploy the Just Add Power system, including all the necessary transmitters and receivers, to facilitate the distribution of audio and video signals throughout the sports bar.
The AV system seamlessly integrated with an RTI control system, allowing the staff to easily navigate and control various audiovisual elements from an iPad or KA-8 touch panel. The Just Add Power AV-over-IP equipment provided lightning-fast switching between video sources, such as changing a video wall from four different sources into one big screen or a multisport simulator into a DirecTV display, thereby enhancing the overall viewing experience. Overall, Corneau was impressed with the ease of use and the ability to customize the system according to his preferences.
After roughly four months of work leading up to the grand opening, Young still visits Clubhouse on Main two to three times a week to discuss next steps with Corneau. One of these includes devoting 1,500 square feet of unused space to VR gaming, another element that’s sure to be a hit with patrons. Curious about exploring other technologies, Young and EVS plan to bring Blackwire along for the ride — on the rest of this project and more to come.
“I’ve barely scratched the surface with Blackwire,” said Young. “There are a lot of products on there that I haven’t even had a chance to look at, but I think up the road a little bit, we’ll be working together a lot. They’ve got a little bit of everything, so they’re going to be really helpful.”
