Blackmagic Design recently announced that TETSUJIN Inc., a Japanese company that runs Karaoke-no-Tetsujin, a chain of karaoke venues, uses Universal Videohub 72 and Smart Videohub 40×40 routers, as well as a huge number of Mini Converters and Micro Converters for centralized management and control of their karaoke media operations.
TETSUJIN is widely known for their karaoke chain, called Karaoke-no-Tetsujin, and a set of restaurants and web media business offerings. Karaoke-no-Tetsujin venues contain multiple private rooms for people to sing karaoke and are popular in Japan.
Karaoke manufacturers stream songs and videos every week, which are stored in karaoke machines at Karaoke-no-Tetsujin venues. TETSUJIN installs all karaoke machines at a system room in each venue, not at each room like a typical karaoke venue. Song requests from customers are handled by their central management system and each requested song with video is played from the system room and sent to the designated karaoke room.
To differentiate themselves from their competitors, TETSUJIN have developed a central management system for all of the chain’s karaoke equipment, POS systems and customer management system. To manage the huge amount of media, including video and audio handled by their central management system, the company chose to use Blackmagic Design’s Videohub routers, Mini Converter and Micro Converter products.
Video signals from karaoke machines at each venue are converted to SDI using Mini Converter HDIMI to SDI, which are then sent to various Videohub routers. Audio signal from the karaoke machines is also converted to SDI via Mini Converter Analog to SDI and sent to Videohubs as well. Requested songs from customers are then sent to each room from Videohubs controlled by the central management system. Also, Mini Converter SDI to HDMI is used at each room to connect SDI signal from the Videohubs to HDMI monitor.
TETSUJIN uses six Universal Videohub 72, three Smart Videohub 40×40 routers, more than 1000 Mini Converter HDMI to SDI Mini Converter SDI to HDMI and Micro Converter Analog to SDI installed at several locations and controlled automatically by a central management system at their headquarters.
TETSUJIN originally used an analogue matrix switcher for their first central management system, then updated to a software base system. This new upgrade is their third major system update and has allowed the staff at their venues to never have to deal with managing any media since it is all done centrally.
“I saw Videohub routers at InterBEE and decided to use them for their cost effectiveness. We could reduce the instalment cost for each karaoke store,” said Norio Nishiyama, Senior Engineer at software development department.
Hiroshi Kajiyama, IT/media business and software development manager, added: “Our previous system required more equipment so we wanted to simplify the system. The more equipment to use, the more risk for malfunction. It is also a benefit that we now have a more hardware based system rather than software based, as it is easier to find causes if something happens. With this new system update, we can send video without compression nor latency.”
TETSUJIN currently runs this new system in eight of their karaoke venues, with plans to expand to 19 venues.