ANO Sports Broadcasting Selects AXON to Supply Glue for Nine OBVans

The fleet will be used as part of a massive new broadcast infrastructure project being built to enable millions of viewers in Russia to watch the XXII Winter Games and the XI Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi in 2014, as well as the XXVII World Summer University Games in Kazan in 2013.

AXON modular processors will be used in a broad range of applications with the OB vehicles, including the up-conversion, down-conversion and cross conversion of 3G signals. AXON modules will support the distribution of video and audio signals throughout the vehicles as well as the embedding and de-embedding of audio signals. Also, AXON miniaturized technology will control the synchronizing, legalizing and keying operations within the fleet. Finally, AXON’s SynView will form the standard multi-viewing platform on the vehicles.

AXON responds to customer need with new product development
In response to customer needs on this demanding project, AXON has developed two new Synapse modules for this project. The first sees an adaption to the company’s GQW220 3Gb/s, HD, SD-SDI to QWXGA converter to provide advanced 4:3 masking capabilities. Meanwhile, the GDL200 is an entirely new dual standard legalizer for digital signals with full framesync capabilities.

Panorama selected AXON because of its proven ability to meet customer needs by extending its Synapse modular AV processing range, which already represents the market leader with a large installed user base within OB fleets in Europe. The attraction to AXON was further increased by the company’s opening of a local office in Russia this year, which will enable AXON to provide top quality technical and operational support to Panorama as it progresses through what is both an exciting and demanding project.

Another key factor was AXON’s proven track record to provide high quality, robust and reliable technology for OB application. These vehicles will be used within a live sports production environment so there is an absolute need for efficient and reliable production resources. Not only does AXON provide this across 3Gb/s, HD and SD platforms, but the functionality of Synapse modules is so advanced that less processing modules are required in each vehicle, reducing rack-space, power and cooling requirements within the vehicles. Furthermore, Synapse’s internal bus structure reduces the need for external cabling and further easing the technical demands on each vehicle.

“We are very proud to be associated with this ground breaking project and look forward to working closely with the team at Panorama,” commented Harry Kanters, Director of Sales & Marketing at AXON. “The international sports market attracts massive audiences and we are extremely pleased that our reputation as a leader in the provision of modular AV processing technology to HD and 3Gb/s OB vehicles has been further enhanced through this important contract.”

ANO Sports Broadcasting (Panorama)
ANO Sports Broadcasting (Panorama) was founded as an autonomous non-commercial organization by OJSC Channel One, FGUP VGTRK, OJSC NTV-PLUS and the RIA Novosti news agency on December 24, 2009. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister is the head of the Supervisory Board. Its mission is to establish and operate a multi-purpose mobile broadcasting complex in order to provide television, radio, online and photographic coverage of Olympic events in the city of Sochi. ANO Sports Broadcasting (Panorama) will train a local crew of creative and technical production specialists by the time the latest generation Outside Broadcast (OB) trucks and support vehicles arrive at each venue site, and select and train more than 1,500 specialists from all over Russia for a variety of crew positions.