Visitors to the world-renowned seven-day Galway Races Summer Festival, as well as racing fixtures into the autumn, are benefiting from live sporting action streamed throughout the main, extensive betting areas of the recently refurbished racecourse following the installation of a MediaStar IPTV solution.
The MediaStar system was specified and installed last year to coincide with the opening of the racetrack’s new Wilson Lynch Building, a replacement for the old Tote Betting Hall. Almost 90 display screens service a Ladbrokes betting shop, a new Champagne Bar, and other hospitality areas overlooking the popular course, entertaining up to 1400 visitors per day.
Outside broadcasting trucks feed live signals from multiple sources including Sky Sports Racing, terrestrial TV broadcasts and key betting channels through MediaStar 778 and 785 Encoders, which are a powerful and ultra-reliable solution for all the racecourse’s needs, and offer input flexibility so it is ideal for use in live events. These enable content to be distributed throughout the building.
Michael Moloney, General Manager at Galway Racecourse, said: “We didn’t have a system like this prior to MediaStar Systems, and it has worked very well for us. We have seen not only a significant turnover in betting, but in champagne sales as well.”
The MediaStar solution enables visitors to track every kind of sports fixture and the betting odds from within the building, from closed circuit racing at Galway through to football, motor racing and greyhound racing in other parts of Ireland. Ladbrokes own betting stations are displayed, as are independent Totes.
In addition, MediaStar Systems has installed the MediaStar 780-SL digital media decoder, which provides support for digital signage, and is used primarily to help the racecourse keep visitors informed on non-race days and deliver eye-catching content and information for conferences and events.
“The digital signage solution and the IPTV system are controlled by our own team using the MediaStar Media Manager System Control Software, and we pre-set it to ensure it delivers what our visitors are looking for. They are here for a long time, particularly on race days, and we want to deliver content, live action and information smoothly and in an entertaining way. It works very well.” Michael Moloney said.
The MediaStar range provides TV/AV and multimedia distribution and digital signage products primarily for medium to large enterprises, which require future-proof, stable and proven solutions for live TV, corporate communications, multicasts, audio, training and digital signage.