Telycam Explore 1-inch PTZ Camera Powers Broadcast Excellence at the 2025 World Wheelchair Curling Championship
Client: 2025 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship (WWhMDCC 2025)
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Event: A premier international para-sports competition featuring elite wheelchair curling teams from 12 nations.
The Curling Stadium Europe, designed with strict wheelchair accessibility standards, posed a unique dilemma: ground-mounted PTZ cameras obstructed pathways, while overhead rigs battled glare from the ice surface and arena lighting—critical challenges for unobtrusive, broadcast-grade coverage.
“We needed angles that honored the athletes’ space but didn’t compromise on broadcast quality,” recalled the event’s production lead. “One missed stone trajectory or blurred reaction shot could dull the drama.”
In the event, 2 Telycam Explore PTZ cameras were deployed across the venue, integrated into an NDI-based production workflow:
- 1-Inch Sensor Delivers 4K60 Broadcast Quality: Captured crisp details of stone trajectories and athlete expressions, even under shifting arena lighting. The larger sensor delivers broadcast quality and matching capability that shines in multi-camera workflow.
- 20X Optical Zoom: From wide rink panoramas to tight shots of stone handles, the Explore’s 20x zoom delivered razor-sharp close-ups without pixelation. “The 20x zoom let us dissect stone trajectories like never before. Combine that with the AI tracking, and we had Hollywood-level analysis without Hollywood-level budgets.” Lead Producer, WWhMDCC 2025.
- AI Fast-Paced Auto-Tracking: Combines real-time motion prediction and adaptive algorithms to lock onto athletes’ wheelchairs and stones with 98% accuracy, seamlessly adjusting to sudden speed changes while maintaining razor-sharp focus at full 20x zoom.
- Single-Cable Simplicity: Power and NDI® High Bandwidth Video Over PoE++. Eliminate clutter and costs with one cable delivering silent PoE++ power and near-lossless 4K video transmission—ideal for high-mounted installations up to 12 meters. Streamline setups, slash labor, and maintain pristine image quality, all without a jungle of wires.
- Low-Profile Mounting: Installed on compact rigs above accessible pathways. Overhead mounting preserved athlete pathways while capturing angles impossible for ground rigs, maintaining smooth and natural motion.
The deployment of the Telycam Explore 1-inch PTZ cameras at the World Wheelchair Championship 2025 demonstrated how advanced imaging technology can resolve long-standing challenges in live multi-camera productions. Its strategic installation and innovative features not only ensured exceptional image quality and smooth operation but also significantly enhanced the overall viewing experience for audiences worldwide.
