France TV Rolls Onto the Streets of London with AJA Ki Pro

posted:

28/08/2012

by

Evelyn Ode

France TV captured live broadcasts during the Olympics in London

Leading French Television network, France Télévisions, comprises more than five national channels, an ultramarine network, several production subsidiaries and more. Earlier this year, the team responsible for its morning magazine program, hosted by the illustrious English TV personality Louise Ekland, began coverage plans for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. They enlisted assistance from SIS LIVE – one of Europe’s largest Outside Broadcast and satellite uplink provider – to build the first live mobile TV studio capable of live tranmissions while on the move.

Initially the design team faced a number of challenges in building the mobile studio, especially because of the limited amount space on board. SIS LIVE Systems Integration Manager Yann Le Chanony said, “Packing an entire studio into one small double decker bus was no easy feat, so we had to carefully select each piece of equipment. We’ve worked with AJA gear in the past, and it has always been reliable. The Ki Pro, Hi5 and HA5 were perfect for our workflow from the start. They’re compact, lightweight, durable products that really help you deliver high quality content without breaking the bank.”

Over the course of 15 days, SIS LIVE built the studio and then provided a 10-person crew on-board to offer technical and operational assistance for each broadcast thereafter. The AJA Ki Pro and Panasonic AJ HPM110 were used to record and capture each broadcast, while AJA Hi5 delivered a feed to all of the bus monitors for the gallery, set, VIP room, makeup and more, and the AJA HA5 was leveraged with a title inserter for sequences.

The mobile studio also housed a Panasonic AV-HS450 video mixer, nine HD cameras, two Tcube double color correctors, a small Mackie VLZ pro 1642 desk and a Presonus dB8 eight-channel preamplifier for sound. Transmissions from the studio were carried over H.264 RF feeds and received by one of four fixed high-point receivers in London. The broadcasts were then sent to France TV Sport’s main Olympic facilities and broadcast locally on TV and on the web.

Le Chanony concluded, “We’ve been very happy with the overall performance of our AJA gear; The Ki Pro and Mini-Converters performed seamlessly - even throughout 17 days of extensive use. We never experienced a single problem, which is invaluable in live production.”

About SIS LIVE
SIS LIVE operates the largest satellite uplink and outside broadcast fleet in Europe and offers a comprehensive range of broadcast and satellite related products and services. SIS LIVE covers over 100,000 hours of live events worldwide each year and credits include the America’s Cup, Formula One, Wimbledon Championships, Glastonbury Festival and European Tour Golf.

About AJA Video Systems, Inc.
Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of high-quality and cost-effective digital video interface, conversion, acquisition and desktop solutions supporting the professional broadcast and post- production markets. With headquarters in Grass Valley, California, AJA maintains an extensive sales channel of dealers and systems integrators around the world.