MHz Delivers DSNG to AP Television News for World Cup 2010 Coverage
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The vehicle, part of the AP Television News DSNG fleet based in London, was originally designed and built by MHz as a standard-definition vehicle. The recent refurbishments have included the addition of a new VW Transporter chassis and the overhaul and upgrade of the RF equipment. Furthermore new production equipment was installed, at the heart of which is a completely new baseband infrastructure, a Harris Panacea router, a For-A HD vision mixer, a Soundcraft audio mixer. The signal is routed via an Ericsson encoder, Newtec modulator, Xicom high-power amplifier and uplinked via a SWE-DISH antenna — the latter is based on existing equipment that was completely stripped down, repainted before being rebuilt and reinstated on the roof of the new vehicle.
To meet the growing demands for 16x9 widescreen coverage, a Harris aspect ratio converter is also installed. Furthermore a Courtyard Electronics TSG test pattern generator, Hamlet waveform monitoring, 2 x 15" Oxygen DCT LCD monitors and a 3 x 5.7" monitor unit are also incorporated to ensure first-rate accurate signal monitoring. Sources to the system include a Gigawave wireless camera, an HD-compatible Telecast fibre optic system, a VTR and several analogue and digital feeds. The new truck has an on-board 8kVA Fischer Panda diesel generator providing a highly efficient mobile power source.
“Megahertz has a keen understanding of the operational needs of live news production given the wealth of experience it has gained from designing and building DSNG vehicles for news organisations around the world,” said Frances Jarvis, Managing Director of Megahertz. “We worked closely with AP Television News’s engineering team to define the technical specifications, operational design and configuration of this DSNG truck to meet the specific demands of their live news production needs.”
Jarvis continues, “In choosing to refurbish the RF system and replace the vehicle and production infrastructure, our client was able to minimise the overall downtime for their vehicles while ensuring a successful implementation that will drive genuine return on investment well into the future.”
MHz customers greatly benefit from the company having much of its capabilities in-house from engineering planning, project management, CAD design, wiring, coach building and cabinet making to product evaluation, commissioning, training, support and IT services — as this enables them to provide fast turnaround for customers with new or refurbishment projects.
MHz has been extremely successful in delivering refurbishment opportunities to customers with tighter budgets to upgrade their ageing truck infrastructure and studio facilities from SD to HD and is also conversant in the integration of full Dolby audio processing in both mobile and fixed production environments.
About Megahertz Broadcast Systems
Established in 1984, UK-based Megahertz Broadcast Systems is one of the world’s premier independent broadcasting systems integrators. Their experience covers every aspect of systems implementation from engineering planning, project management, design, product evaluation, commissioning, training, support and IT services. MHz has completed turnkey projects for some of the world’s leading broadcasters, telecommunication and digital media companies. It has constructed sophisticated fixed HD broadcast facilities as well as providing the “best of breed” Outside Broadcast Vehicles. Megahertz is a subsidiary of Canadian technology integration company, AZCAR Technologies Incorporated.