MTV3 lights up Finnish mornings with Sola 6 and 1x1

In the news studio, the new LED daylight lights provide bright, soft HD-friendly light

Private broadcaster MTV3 News reaches approximately 80 per cent of the Finnish population with its channels. For people under the age of 55, it is the preferred news channel in Finland. As part of a move over to HD content, the broadcaster decided to convert their studio lighting to LED technology.

"We tested a number of other manufacturers' products and eventually decided in favour of Litepanels (a Vitec Group brand)," explains Visual Director Johannes Kantelinen. MTV3 chose the Sola 6 Fresnel LED lights and three models of the 1x1 LED production light: Mono Flood, Bi-Focus and Low-Profile Flood. Johannes Kantelinen had high expectations for the new lighting system and the final result was even better than expected.

A major part of this project was the modernization of the 100 m2 studio used for the beloved morning show "Huomenta Suomi" ("Good Morning Finland") in Hel-sinki. First broadcast in 1989, this show is now the oldest morning show in northern Europe and the team broadcasts live every day for four hours. Host Lauri Karhuvaara is absolutely delighted with the new studio lights: "I've been doing this job for 15 years. Now, every day is like Christmas for me! After three hours of broadcasting live, it used to get really warm in the studio. Doing interviews is now much more comfortable. Even the Finnish Prime Minister noticed the difference. Low heat generation and the soft light are the most important advantages for me."

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Perfect combination of Fresnel and LED technology: the Sola 6
Altogether, 24 Sola 6 LED Fresnel lights with 15.24 cm (6 inches) Fresnel lenses now provide HD-friendly lighting in the morning show studio and the 36 m2 news studio. Johannes Kantelinen reports: "The new lighting is brilliant and flattering for our news anchors. Even the studio furnishings now appear fresher on the screen." The proprietary Litepanels LEDs produce a bright and soft 5600°K daylight, the hallmark of Litepanels‘ products. In addition, the Sola 6 consumes only about a sixth of the energy of a conventional 650 watt tungsten spot. The light also focuses from 70 to 10 degrees and so provides the control and the single shadow characteristics that are such key elements of Fresnel lights. Like all Litepanels fixtures, the Sola 6 can be dimmed from 100 percent to 0 without producing a visible change in colour temperature. Both focusing and brightness can also be controlled via DMX, making them an ideal choice for a studio environment.

The studio of the beloved Finnish morning show on MTV3 during the live four-hour program

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A model for every situation: the 1x1
The classic Litepanels 1x1 fixture is available in a vareity of different models to suit every requirement. Lighting director Tero Rantanen chose 30 1x1 Standard Flood lights, 20 1x1 Bi-Focus lights and 15 1x1 Low-Profile lights, all producing 5600°K daylight. "The camera loves the colour temperature," he says. In addition, the economic and ecological benefits have been critical. "Our energy consumption has been significantly reduced. Overall, I am more than satisfied." Johannes Kantelinen adds: "A further advantage for us is that the new lighting is compatible with the infrared-technology of our screens. With the daylight, the monitors stay nice and bright. Our 85- and 67-inch touchscreens for the weather report and other graphics as well as the 57-inch LCD monitor for our live broadcasts in the news studio look great during broadcasting!"