In the world of competitive climbing, every second—and every angle—counts. For Sport Climbing Victoria (SCV), the 2025 Vic State Boulder Titles marked a turning point in how the organization approaches live event coverage, with a major upgrade to their broadcast setup made possible by BirdDog cameras and control tools.
Founded in 2015, SCV is the official governing body for sport climbing in the state of Victoria, Australia. While the team has been running state-level competitions for nearly a decade, it wasn’t until 2023 that they began broadcasting events. This year, they took things even further.
A Production Challenge at Altitude
The Boulder Titles presented unique production challenges—chief among them, covering multiple fields of play across a single event.
“One final had to be placed in a different part of the gym,” explained Jimmy Xu, SCV’s Media Production and PTZ Operator. “We had less than half an hour between changing from one field of play to another. That meant we couldn’t fully re-rig—BirdDog’s flexibility saved us.”
Jimmy was part of a dedicated production crew, alongside Broadcast Director Ben Christensen, Tech Producer Josh Alegre, and several camera ops, commentators, and tech staff.
With a tight schedule, equipment constraints, and a few unexpected tech failures—including a software crash and a shorted audio mixer—the team needed a broadcast solution that could adapt quickly, maintain high image quality, and withstand the unpredictable. That’s where BirdDog came in.
PTZ Power in a Crowded Gym
SCV deployed a combination of BirdDog X1, X4, and X5 PTZ cameras, along with the latest BirdDog KBD control panel, all mounted overhead via a scissor lift and powered through PoE.
“The BirdDog PTZs were perfect,” said Jimmy. “The PoE setup allowed us to rig easily without a huge mess of cables, and repositioning cameras mid-event didn’t require re-lifting in an already crowded space.”
Josh Alegre, the event’s Tech Producer, echoed that sentiment:
“Compared to our previous setup using fixed DSLRs with limited control, this was a night and day improvement. We could adapt to changing conditions without compromising performance or safety.”
The BirdDog PTZs were paired with BirdDog Play devices to interface with SCV’s existing hardware switcher, while still leveraging NDI for both CCTV and backup streaming. That hybrid flexibility turned out to be crucial.
Saving the Show with a KBD
On day one, disaster struck when the main broadcast computer crashed just as the finals began. But thanks to BirdDog’s ecosystem, the crew avoided 15 minutes of dead air and kept the show going.
“KBD turned into a real broadcast lifesaver,” said Josh. “Using it as an NDI source, I could feed a single video input into OBS and switch cameras without needing to route each source individually. That flexibility saved the show.”
Jimmy added,
“I was shocked when I realized I could use the KBD like that. It meant I could effortlessly control the cameras without bringing in extra gear.”
Audience Impact and Takeaways
The event was also a breakthrough for SCV’s CCTV coverage. For the first time, they were able to deliver qualifying round feeds reliably, something that had proven elusive in previous years.
“In climbing comps, qualifying rounds often lack space for spectators,” Jimmy explained. “With this setup, parents could finally watch their kids climb. That’s a huge win.”
As of July 1st, the Boulder Titles stream had already hit 2.9K views on YouTube, just shy of last year’s total after only a few weeks online, a sign that elevated production value is translating into better audience engagement.
Looking Ahead
Both Jimmy and Josh plan to continue using BirdDog in future SCV events and even in personal projects.
“100%, we’ll use BirdDog again,” said Jimmy. “Josh has been talking about it non-stop to his friends in AV.”
Josh concluded:
“Interfacing with the BirdDog X Series was a completely different experience. It was intuitive, fast, and thoughtfully designed.”
For SCV, it’s clear: the only thing climbing faster than their athletes is their production quality, and BirdDog is at the heart of the ascent.
Learn more about Sport Climbing Victoria here.
