M&T Bank Stadium Going HD

In order to significantly improve fans' in-game experience at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens and the Maryland Stadium Authority are going high-definition in 2010. 

As part of a new state-of-the-art upgrade, crews have been working diligently at M&T to completely overhaul the two SmartVision boards sitting on the light rail and Russell St. sides of the stadium.

To do that, each panel of the old LED boards, which measured 1x4 inches, had to be painstakingly removed with the help of a tall crane and replaced with a 12x12-inch HD module.

When the Daktronics boards are finished, fans will feel like they are watching their flat-screens at home – just at a size of 24 feet high and 100 feet wide.

"The Ravens' goal is to provide the best home-game experience in football and our video boards are a significant element in our presentation," said Ravens president Dick Cass. "Adding the high resolution displays from Daktronics will be spectacular. We're excited to see the difference on our screens, and we believe they will greatly enhance Ravens game day for our fans."

With clear viewing from any angle and the ability to display 4.4 trillion shades of color, the video boards will keep the Ravens on the forefront of NFL stadium experiences.

When M&T first rose up at Camden Yards in 1998 the SmartVision boards represented revolutionary technology and were two of
the largest displays in the league.

But that might have been part of their downfall. 

Maintenance of the boards proved to be difficult, as the manufacturer had issues  restocking parts when a portion of the board would malfunction.

"We were having to cannibalize from one end of the board – in particularly in the west end – to start to fill in for repairs in the middle," said Vince Steier, technical manager for the MSA.  "We were getting to that point where parts were becoming an issue. We feel that we were able to really hide any issues from the fans very well, and keep that from being noticeable. But, it was still an issue. 

"The Ravens are a very proactive organization, they don't mess around – and we wanted to get this done before it becomes noticeable to the fans."   

There will also be a significant energy savings.  With the old boards, it took 27 tons of HVAC to cool each space behind the display.

Now, simple vents are placed into the walls to allow air flow through the area, providing the natural coolant.

"We had them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round," Steier explained.   "We had to maintain a certain level of humidity and control of the unit in there all the time. The new boards just have to have four fans running just when the boards are on.  That's 54 tons total that we'll be able to gain energy savings back."

Baltimore-area fans may recognize a similar product at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where the O's upgraded to HD two years ago.  But, Ravens fans will be able to see the full range of their new display sooner. 

The Orioles did not build an HD control room to run the screens until their second year of operation.

The Ravens are in the process of building their new control room – dubbed Daktronics "Show Control" system – in time for a planned international soccer match on July 21. 

Even sooner, the Army/Navy and Maryland/Johns Hopkins lacrosse battles on the April 17 Day of Rivals will find the boards HD operational while stadium staff utilize an HD-equipped television truck.

When the project is finished, everyone involved believes M&T Bank Stadium will remain as a professional sports leader.

"We did visit other stadiums – Citi Field where the Mets play, Yankee Stadium – where they have this product, and liked what we saw," Steier explained.  "The field that most impressed us was Citi Field. They had some different millimeter resolution from the manufacturer, Daktronics, but we just really liked this product.  

"It's going to be a great addition to the stadium and to the game production well into the future."

Check out some construction footage of the HD boards in this video.