At NAB 2016 in April, CoachComm launched professional-products division Pliant Technologies as part of its effort to differentiate its production-intercom portfolio with its well-known coaching-comms products. Pliant's first product, CrewCom, is a highly scalable, distributed-architecture platform that aims to reimagine the way live-production teams think about intercom operations. According to Pliant, CrewCom's distributed architecture, which operates on Pliant's proprietary CrewNet network, permits a high density of users with an easily manageable infrastructure and lower cost per user than is typically found in large-scale wireless installations.
Global Sales Manager Gary Rosen at Pliant Technologies' booth at IBC 2016
CrewNet coordinates and transports all system timing, audio, signaling, and controls and is capable of operating over standard Cat 5e (or greater) and/or single-mode-fiber lines.
CrewCom features a highly intuitive software-based user interface for setup, dubbed CrewWare, which provides comprehensive offline configuration, online control, and real-time monitoring of all system components.
CrewCom wireless products are available in the 2.4 GHz and 900 MHz spectrum in the U.S. (solely 900 MHz in Europe due to regulations). Any combination of these frequency ranges may be used simultaneously on the same CrewCom system, which enables the system to easily adapt to RF challenges onsite.
SVG sat down with Global Sales Manager Gary Rosen to discuss how the Pliant Technologies brand has resonated in the industry, what the launch of CrewCom means for the business, and how he expects it to affect live sports production.
What was the thinking behind CoachComm's launch of the Pliant Technologies brand?
This is the first showing as Pliant and the first time unveiling the CrewCom line, which has been pretty exciting. CoachComm is already the leader in the sports market in terms of coaching [intercoms]. But, in the overall sports space and for broadcast, production, concerts, and industrial markets like nuclear power and hospitals, we needed a brand without the coach name. Pliant has the same people behind it, same engineering, same manufacturing, but the Pliant brand is really all about giving focus to the professional market.
What are you hoping to accomplish with the new brand and new line of CrewCom systems?
We already do a tremendous amount of studio production - everything from Good Morning America to Turner Studios to NBC's Sports headquarters in Stamford, [CT,] which has 14 of our systems. And many OB-van companies are using our Tempest product worldwide. In that space, we're fairly well known. Worldwide, we've got more than 30,000 Tempest beltpacks between the sports and professional markets.
But we've been selling [Tempest] for eight years, and technology is always evolving, so we looked at what people are asking us for and where else we can go with our product.
How did you go about developing an entirely new product line with CrewCom?
We started out with a blank piece of paper and said what if we didn't worry about the established products and what if we could give people the most current technology possible. I joke that, in the beginning, the Earth cooled, and then there was partyline [intercom systems]. Partyline is older than all of us, and it's wonderful: it's cheap, easy to deploy, and doesn't require a lot of technical knowledge. But it's extremely limited in functionality. It does only one job and does it well, and our Tempest product is a great partyline-style device. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have a matrix system, which is extremely flexible, very expensive, with depletable resources and needs a very competent operator. But it gives you almost all you could ask for.
We looked at those options and decided that there was an underserviced market somewhere in between. So let's [develop] something based on the today's modern technology.
How does the CrewCom system work?
The first thing we did was throw away the concept of channels and two-wire or four-wire and developed a system that's based on conferencing. A conference is simply an audio stream that consists of whatever elements you've assigned to it: one person or many people can become a conference. We have 1,024 conferences in the CrewCom system; you can set up virtually whatever talk path you need.
To distribute this, we developed CrewNet, which is a proprietary network with a distributed architecture. Anyplace the network exists, you have all the resources of the network at your disposal. The control unit is a 19-in., 1RU rack, and its job is to handle basic I/O and to create the network. The network comes out of the control unit and can be distributed over fiber or over copper through hubs to multiple points. Anyplace we run that network, you have it available.
In a normal [production operation], everyone has full access at all times [to the intercom system], but you don't really need that for every single person on your crew. If you have 20 lighting people on this show, they're almost always listening and rarely [talking]. Through software, we've changed this into what's called High Density Mode. One device can have 32 people on it sharing resources on the same four conferences. You don't have to give every single person every conference, but there's four to share. If you need your producer and director or a handful of people to have [talkback capability], you can give access rights to each person [on an individual basis]. That way, we don't overwhelm the system and [can] use resources as effectively as possible.
We have 2.4 GHz and 900 GHz in the States, and those can be used simultaneously. It handles all [RF coordination] internally. So we changed the way the intercom works;
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
At NAB 2016 in April, CoachComm launched professional-products division Pliant Technologies as part of its effort to differentiate its production-intercom portfolio with its well-known coaching-comms products. Pliant's first product, CrewCom, is a highly scalable, distributed-architecture platform that aims to reimagine the way live-production teams think about intercom operations. According to Pliant, CrewCom's distributed architecture, which operates on Pliant's proprietary CrewNet network, permits a high density of users with an easily manageable infrastructure and lower cost per user than is typically found in large-scale wireless installations. 
