Sports Bar Experience in a League of its Own

Striders Turf Clublounge, San Diego, California
Sports Bar
Experience in a
League of its Own
Alongside the high quality casual dining,
craft beers and classic cocktails, its wall-towall sports that’s on the menu at Striders in
San Diego, California, that shot this premiere
sports bar, eatery and horse race betting
venue into the major leagues.
Park, Keeneland and many other premier
locations.
Opened in 2015 by Sportech Venues
California, Striders is a Las Vegas-styled “Turf
Clublounge” that offers patrons a truly unique
hospitality experience by combining firstclass dining and sports entertainment with
the only place in downtown San Diego where
customers can legally wager on horse racing
as permitted by the California Horse Racing
Board, with live betting across famous Del
Mar, Santa Anita, Los Alamitos, Gulfstream
“We see Striders appealing to four types of
people: those who like being at the horse
races and placing a bet so enjoy the buzz
of the track the venue offers; locals who
want a great neighborhood bar; sports fans
who want to watch the game in a lively
atmosphere with quality audio and visuals;
and visitors to the nearby convention center
as we are the closest place for food and
drink.”
Lance Ku, Field Service Manager for Sportech
California, explained the concept behind the
project:
“…it was a true onemanufacturer solution
from distribution,
switching and
control...” -Lance Ku
The two-level, 8200sqft venue encompasses
a restaurant, bar, high-end lounge, including
casual dining with booth seating, open kitchen
with chef’s tables, signature ‘horseshoe
cocktail bar’ and two outdoor patios on the
first floor. The second floor is home to the
360-degree bar ‘Turf Clublounge’, where
guests can wager on horse races from
premium booth seating and twin panoramic
balconies available by reservation for groups
or private parties.
Aside from the array of delectable dishes and
ice-cold brews, it is the quality of AV that is
the cornerstone of any modern sports bar to
provide a viewing experience and atmosphere
that keeps clientele coming back for more.
However, as Striders is no ordinary sports
bar, the AV had to be a cut above to make it
one of the best venues sports fans will ever
set foot in. The result was a scalable system
of 30 centrally-located sources fed to 150
high definition screens and video walls over
both floors, with the hybrid distribution of
WyreStorm NetworkHD 200-Series AV over
IP and HDBaseT extenders and its Enado
AV Control solution proving instrumental to
success of the project, as Lance Ku continues:
“As we intended to open a high-end Vegasstyle sports bar, lounge, restaurant and
gambling venue, we knew it was essential
to find a partner that could offer the
level of technology befitting the quality
of establishment we wanted to create.
After meeting with WyreStorm it quickly
became clear that not only did the standard
of technology offered by WyreStorm’s
NetworkHD and Enado products exactly meet
the requirements of this project, but also
the fact that it was a true one-manufacturer
solution from distribution, switching and
control as well as the planning, design and
actual installation was incredibly important.
WyreStorm was there every step of the way
with advice, in-depth product knowledge,
training and support that went above and
beyond all our expectations. We couldn’t
have asked for a better partner.”
The venue itself is divided into six
separate AV zones over two levels,
with the 150 HD screens incorporating
landscape and portrait orientation,
including double sided screens on
custom mounts, mosaic displays and
interactive touchscreens. A dazzling
variety of screen sizes were installed
from 29in in bathrooms and 32in, 42in,
47in, 49in, 55in, 64in throughout the
venue and a pair of giant 84in screens
at the entrance to the second floor
bar area. All screens and locations
were selected to take full advantage
of the space available for total viewing
coverage within a fully scalable system
that also supports future screen
additions as required.
Each screen can display content
from any of the 30 centrally-located
sources at any time with CEC, RS-232
and switching commands distributed
via Cat5e/Cat6 between rack-based
NetworkHD encoders and a central
controller to individual NetworkHD
decoders behind every screen.
The lower level is devoted to casual
dining, craft beers and cocktails with
a large dining room, booth seating, and
an open kitchen line with Chef’s tables.
The ground floor is also home the
“Horseshoe Cocktail Bar” and
a pair of outdoor patios with a 2x5
video wall of 47in screens and a 2x3
video wall using 55in screens providing
dedicated areas of focus among the
multitude of individual screens.
The upper level is given over to the
main betting area with premium booth
seating, the “Winner’s Circle” 360
degree Clubhouse bar and Parade Ring
East and West panoramic balconies and
features Striders’ largest 3x5 video wall
comprising of fifteen (15) 47in screens.
The second floor also contains the four individual racks used to
house system components. Two centrally located racks contain all
sources devices, including Dish cable and DirectTV boxes, AppleTV,
WD media player and Samsung Blu-ray player and a bank of 20
mini preview LCD monitors to enable Striders’ staff to keep track of
content being transmitted.
NetworkHD ™ 100 Series
Encoder & Decoder
NetworkHD ™ 200-Series
Encoder and Decoders
A second pair of central racks is proudly displayed in the bar area
in full view of customers and houses Cisco networking equipment
and the Ashley amplifier used to distribute the high quality audio to
the QSC speakers over both floors so important to creating the live
atmosphere demanded by sports fans.
This central rack is also home to WyreStorm NetworkHD and Enado
components, with NetworkHD comprising of 200-Series encoders
and system controller installed within 5U rack mounts to provide a
clean installation for up 12 NetworkHD components allowing for all
required devices to be installed securely in a single rack location.
“The scalability of
NetworkHD was one of
the key selling points...”
-Lance Ku
The NetworkHD 200-Series system itself is
a highly scalable multi-format AV Over IP AV
solution using H.264 compression technology
for high quality low-bandwidth AV distribution
and matrix switching over a network using
standard category cable.
The installation was further simplified by using
six Cisco SG500 52-port PoE switches to
remotely power the PoE capable NetworkHD
encoders and decoders.
Due to flexibility required by Sportech, the
scalability of the system, combined with
its ease of expansion via plug and play
connectivity and Bonjour auto-discovery of
devices were all deciding factors for Lance
Ku in specifying NetworkHD for the Striders
project.
“The scalability of NetworkHD was one of the
key selling points as we have upwards of 30
inputs and 150 outputs at this current time
and we really liked not being locked down
by a standard 8x8 matrix or 16x32 when
tomorrow we might want to add 10 more
outputs and next week 5 more inputs etc. So
we love that the NetworkHD system allows us
to do this on the fly.”
In terms of system capabilities, NetworkHD
support of resolutions up to 1920x1200@60Hz
with virtually instantaneous source switching,
CEC commands to all connected screens,
bi-directional RS-232 and 4x4 video wall
functionality over LAN also hit the target
and provided the unique customer and staff
experience demanded by Sportech.
The flexibility of the NetworkHD system
supports any number of video wall layouts
within the maximum 16 screen 4x4
configuration capacity and, in the case of
Striders, the system enabled a variety of video
wall sizes and customizable scene variations
within them to be created.
Both individual and combined screens were
used to create engaging, customizable video
wall displays, such as the largest 3x5 video
wall in the second floor horse race betting
area. This video wall was designed to display
a variety of different multi-screen wall and
individual screen configurations with each
pre-set configuration stored in the rackmounted NetworkHD controller and able to
be recalled instantly from anywhere in the
venue using triggers set in the Enado control
system. All of which tied in to the central
concept of providing unsurpassed sports
entertainment and hospitality experience that
could essentially be individualized for each
customer, as Lance Ku notes:
“The AV system was designed to be a
technology statement of total viewing
flexibility to allow a viewer to request any
game for viewing at their location, either
on an individual screen or video wall, with
any staff member able to switch content
from anywhere at any time. NetworkHD and
Enado enabled us to realize this concept
perfectly with a powerful, yet cost effective
solution that gives our customers exactly the
AV experience we envisioned when we began
the project.”
Of course, power is nothing without control
and once source and display devices were
connected through NetworkHD it was simply
a matter of naming them and programming
device information into WyreStorm Enado to
control the entire system from anywhere in
the venue on any web-enabled device such as
tablet, smartphone, laptop or computer at the
touch of a button.
“...exactly the AV experience
we envisioned when we
began the project.”
-Lance Ku
ENA-001-010
A hardware and innovative software AV control
solution designed to provide fast, reliable,
affordable and easy-to-use AV device control
for WyreStorm installations, the hardware part
of the Enado equation featured a centrally
managed web server containing the Enado
v4 software housed with NetworkHD in the
second level bar area of the venue.
Enado’s support of features such as BYOD
(Bring Your Own Device) ensured future
additions or upgrades of devices by Sportech
could be done with the bare minimum of effort
and page specific QR codes enabled Striders
staff to jump to any page just by scanning a
QR code, which was ideal in the creation of
zone or display-specific device buttons.
As flexibility and scalability were such key
considerations for Sportetch in the distribution
of AV within Striders, the same needed to
be true of its control and Enado delivered
on that promise with a highly customizable
and infinitely expandable control solution.
The Enado software features a web-based
WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get)
interface set up that is intuitive and template
driven so took the pain out of configuration for
installers and made controlling such a large
number of sources and displays a breeze for
Striders staff.
Furthermore, the ability to launch other iOS
and Android apps within Enado gave Sportech
the added convenience and ease of control
within a single software, rather than needing to
exit one application to open another, making
for a far simpler, smoother and more efficient
control experience for Striders’ staff, as Lance
Ku notes:
“The ease of control of the system is quite
incredible as basically everything can be
run from a single iPad. The ability to say “I
want this to go there “ by just touching two
buttons on a screen, being able to show
someone that and have them understand
how something so complex can be so simple
makes it equally enjoyable for us to train our
staff as it is for our staff to be trained and
operate the system themselves. Of course,
those enjoying the game have no real idea
how the system works, and nor should they.
Our customers just know it works, works
quickly, works every time and gives them
precisely the kind of night out they want.”
“Our customers just know it works,
works quickly, works every time and
gives them precisely the kind of
night out they want.”
-Lance Ku
Lower & Upper Level screen layout
KEY
NHD-200-TX Encoders
(Sources)
Cisco SG500-52-MP
(Network Switches)
NHD-200-RX Decoder s
(Displays)
NHD-210-RX Video Wall Decoders
(Displays)
VideoWall Configurations
Equipment List
The Strider’s video walls provide the wow factor that
elevates an already great installation to a truly excellent one
for jaw-dropping visuals that are effortlessly controlled by
staff.
30 x NHD-200-TX
For marquee events such as the Superbowl or final game of
the World Series, all screens can be used across the whole
wall to show the game in all its glory. Alternatively, multiple
games can be shown side by side for simultaneously
scheduled events, like College football on Saturday
afternoon, to give all fans the chance to cheer their team on.
By combining the power of the NetworkHD 200-Series AV
Over IP system with the simplicity of the Enado control
solution, at the push of a button, staff are able to change
the layout of displays between any combination of preset
configurations to make sure the crowd get the most out of
their Strider’s experience.
3x5 Video Wall
Full Screen Video Wall
3x3 Video Wall and
6 Individual Screens
130 x NHD-200-RX
29 x NHD-210-RX
1
x NHD-000-CTL
1
x ENA-010-100
1
x Ashley Amplifier NE8250.70
6
x Cisco SG500-52MP 52-port PoE Network Switch
9
x DirectTV Box
10 x Dish Cable Box
1
x WD Media player
1
x Apple TV
1
x Samsung Blu-ray
2 2x2 Video Wall and
7 Individual Screens
3x3 Video Wall
Full Screen Video Wall
2x2 Video Wall
Individual Screens
Screen sizes
2x5 Video Wall
Full Screen Video Wall
2 2x2 Video Walls and
2 individual screens
29in / 32in / 42in / 49in / 47in VID /
55in VID / 65in / 84in
2x2 Video Wall and
6 Individual Screens
QSC and JBL Speakers
(Ceiling mount, surface mount,
outdoor surface mount, self powered
sub-woofer)
Crimson and Custom Wall mounts
About the Client
Sportech PLC is a sports entertainment company and one of the world's leading pool betting organizations,
focusing on highly regulated markets worldwide and with a rich history within the football and racing
industries in both the UK and US. The company processes over $13 billion (£8.5 billion) in bets annually,
with a presence in over 30 countries and licensed to operate in over half of the US States. Sportech is
headquartered in London and employs over 1000 people globally.
Striders Turf Clublounge was opened in 2015 in a joint venture between Sportech PLC and US hospitality and
retail provider, SSG.
WyreStorm is a leading provider of AV solutions for commercial and residential markets around the world
with a mission to exceed dealer and client expectations and enhance end-user AV experience.
WyreStorm award-winning HD and UHD 4K audio/video distribution and control products include a
comprehensive range of HDMI, AV over IP and HDBaseT extenders, switchers, splitters, converters, test
equipment, and the Enado™ AV control system.
At WyreStorm, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers, understanding the problems they face and
developing solutions with the most effective technology available. With offices in the U.S., U.K. and Asia and
distribution partners around the world, we are committed to serving our customers wherever they may be.
From efficient networked video distribution, crystal clear 4K transmission, H-Fi-quality sound and next
generation user/installer-friendly control, WyreStorm products create full solutions perfectly tailored to
applications and illustrate why now, more than ever, the technology really does matter in the success of a
project.
More Information
Sportech PLC
101 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1QU, UK
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 020 7268 2400
Web: www.sportech.net
WyreStorm US Office
Tech Valley Park
23 Wood Road
Round Lake, NY 12151
Tel: 518-289-1293
Striders Turf Clublounge
100 Harbor Drive, Suite 101, San Diego CA, 92101, US
Tel: 619-363-7166
Web: www.striders.com
Contact: Lance Ku, Field Service Manager, Sportech
California
Tel: +1 (310) 200-9666
Email: [email protected]
WyreStorm EMEA Office
22 Ergo Business Park
Kelvin Road
Swindon
SN3 3JW
Tel: +44 (0) 1793 230 343
www.wyrestorm.com