This summer, the East Side school replaced its aging scoreboards with electronic LED video scoreboad panels that have become a multimedia canvas for sporting events, Mass and student activities.
| DIGITAL SIGNS PUT NEW SPIN ON SPORTS |
| Bishop Hartley’s video scoreboards are storytelling canvas |
| |
| Published Tuesday, October 3, 2006 |
by Charlie Roduta, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Megan Krebs never thought she would see her name in lights at
Bishop
Hartley
High School. But
at every home game this season, the senior volleyball player’s name,
face, position, height and other information will be displayed on new
hightech LED video scoreboards in the school gym.
"It’s
brought something new and exciting in the volleyball matches," Krebs
said. "It’s not something you can see at the volleyball match in
another high school. It can bring people to our matches just to see our
screens."
This summer, the
East Side school replaced its aging scoreboards with electronic panels
that have become a multimedia canvas for sporting events, Mass and
student activities.
The
computer-operated LED video scoreboards, which cost Bishop Hartley about $27,000,
feature state-of-the-art technology that has allowed officials to flash
videos of student athletes during intermission, rally volleyball fans
after good plays and show traffic reports on nearby roads after games.
Schools
have used similar displays in gyms, offices and cafeterias to display
game scores, classes and upcoming events. But trade experts say Bishop
Hartley might be among the first high schools in the country to use the
technology, known as digital signage, in such a way.
"There’s
not any special piece of this system that didn’t exist a year ago,"
said Ken Collura, director of technology for the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Columbus. "It’s putting it all together in this way that has not
been done before."
Bishop
Hartley’s displays, posted at each corner of the gym, rely on
projectors. Programmers have created software to develop the content.
"We haven’t heard of anything like this," said Betsy Jaffe, spokeswoman for
Virginia based InfoComm International, a worldwide trade organization for audiovisual and information communication industries.
Over
time, more schools might invest in the technology, Jaffe said, in part
because educators would not have to replace it as often.
"As technology gets around, the price will go down," Jaffe said. "It might be more affordable for schools."
Bishop Hartley was the first school to develop the LED video scoreboards with Crosswinds Consulting, based in
Dublin , so it paid less than the $30,000 to $50,000 that developers
say they could cost other schools, officials said. The school hasn’t
made money selling advertising on the scoreboard yet, but officials say
they plan to.
After six weeks with the technology, Bishop Hartley is still discovering what it can do.
There’s
talk of video feeds from advertisers, music videos during dances and a
segment showcasing student clubs during timeouts at games. The LED video scoreboards
also can show instant replays, Collura said.
The
Ohio High School Athletic Association has rules for the use of
electronic scoreboards during football games, but not for indoor sports
such as basketball, Assistant Commissioner Bob Goldring said. But the
same guidelines would apply, he said.
Schools with video boards cannot show replays of controversial situations or use sound during a game, he said.
Beyond
sports, Bishop Hartley plans to use the screens during graduation in
the spring to show students as they receive their diploma and display
information on their plans after high school.
The LED video scoreboards impressed
Central
Crossing
High School ’s coach when the volleyball team traveled from
Grove City to play at Bishop Hartley recently. "It was a little bit stunning," said Amy Emmelhainz. "The kids got a kick out it."
It
would be great to see something similar at Central Crossing, Emmelhainz
said, but it would require additional money and manpower that the
South-Western school district might not have.
