A new Imagine Communications PlatinumIP3 router is now the central point of control for all BBC production activities. Dega also installed a full complement of infrastructure products from Imagine Communications, including 30 frames of converters and distribution amplifiers, plus test and measurement equipment. The networking and infrastructure components provide critical control and signal management capabilities.

John Cleaver, director of Dega Broadcast Systems, said they have linked the systems within the International Broadcast Center (IBC) with production studios at Copacabana. There are 45 feeds coming in from the host broadcaster and 30 unilateral feeds plus the studio; the output is to two broadcast networks and to 24 online and interactive streams, effectively a channel per sport. Dega and Imagine Communications collaborated on a similar project four years ago for the Olympic Games in London.

Once the games are finished in Rio, much of the equipment will be used for the companion international event for the Para-Olympic Games.

Given the complexity of the set-up, including track-swapping and dealing with multiple audio streams, as well as all the routing requirements, a Platinum IP3 router from was chosen because it allows for on-board processing and incorporates Platinum SX Pro multiviewers, making the overall installation more compact and cost-efficient than alternatives.