Buffalo Wild Wings Automates 80 Flat Screen TVs in Time for NBA Playoffs

Popular restaurant and sports bar revamps video distribution and control system with local integrator VST Productions and RTI.

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For a Buffalo Wild Wings in New Philadelphia, Ohio, live televised sports are critical.

With 80 flat panels across the 6,800-square-foot space, ownership was looking for a solution that would allow staff to operate the video system easily. Local integrator VST Productions turned to RTI to enable employees to simply tap a dedicated touchscreen to operate any individual or group of TVs in seconds.

Photos: The Tech Inside the Upgrade

“[Buffalo Wild Wings] clients get the game they want, when they want to watch it. The only drawback was that a system of this magnitude can create complications for staff,” says VST Productions owner Gary Purvis. “Management was concerned that the customer experience could be compromised … so we went straight to RTI.”

Powerful Navigation Menu

Fueled by RTI’s XP-8s control processor, the Buffalo Wild Wings obtained fully automated operation of the entire TV installation.

The second generation of RTI’s XP-8, the XP-8s provides even more processing and additional memory. Paired with the KX7—RTI’s 7-inch WVGA LCD in-wall touchpanel—Buffalo Wild Wings staff members are able to swipe through screens, select inputs, or tap individual TVs to deliver live sports to any or all of the restaurant’s flat screens.

With both wired and wireless Ethernet, the KX7 enables convenient access to two-way control of devices, digital video viewing, browsing and more.

Video is distributed using Just Add Power, whose Image Pull feature allows staff to see the current content being played on any of the bar’s displays directly from the KX7.

Programming Scores Big

Customized using RTI’s Integration Designer programming software, the KX7 allows staff to control the entire TV installation with no more than two button presses.

Since TVs and sources are often switched, the interface was also programmed with a single button reset to automatically reconfigure to the master setting. For Ohio State game days, the KX7 even has an “OSU” button that instantly switches every TV to the game.

“Using RTI’s KX7, this Buffalo Wild Wings location was able to train new employees on how to manage over a dozen sources and every television in the bar in only 10 minutes,” adds Caleb Purvis, VST Productions director of technology. “They’re so pleased, that we’ll be expanding the installation to include an additional control interface inside their management office to monitor the entire restaurant.”

See photos of the new Buffalo Wild Wings tech.

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