Marking the completion of its transition to HD operation, Slovakian television network Televízia Markíza has commissioned a new HD OB van. The vehicle is based on Broadcast Solutions’ Alphaline A12 model and can operate with up to 16 cameras.
Alphaline is a variant of the Broadcast Solutions family of Streamline OB vans, with more than 40 units already working all over the world. Partnering with Slovakia system integrator Elektronika, the vehicle has been designed with the latest technical solutions to handle a wide variety of productions. It is also able to serve as disaster recovery solution. An additional novelty in Alphaline OB vans is the use of Riedel’s MediorNet system as a decentralised signal routing and communications backbone, achieving the flexibility required by the brief.
Key to its operation is a Lawo VSM (Virtual Studio Manager) system with integral Tally system, which oversees a Lawo mc256 xc audio console and Yamaha QL1 for second production and redundancy. The audio matrix is provided by a Lawo Nova 73 with recording to Ableton DAW software and Genelec 5.1 surround monitoring.
The OB is a future-proof production tool to be used on large in-house productions like Let’s Dance, as well as for chart shows and sports events.
‘The van was the missing link to complete our conversion to HD and is a major step to increase our viewers base, for instance with Let’s Dance,’ says Televízia Markíza General Director, Matthias Settele. ‘Further on, the OB gives us the flexibility to produce all different kinds of events, which makes the company more independent.
‘It serves two principal purposes, serving different sized productions (from large 16-camera to smaller productions) and working as a backup and disaster recovery solution for studios. The customer was looking for a flexible and versatile OB van rather than a massive flagship truck and the Alphaline A12 serves this purpose perfectly.’
The installation also makes use of Riedel’s MediorNet real-time media network, working in tandem with Riedel’s Artist digital matrix intercom solution to provide a decentralised and redundant communications and signal routing backbone. ‘MediorNet’s decentralised routing approach is perfect for live broadcasting,’ says Broadcast Solutions CTO, Rainer Kampe. ‘Not only does it reduce the single points of failure, but it also makes things simpler and more efficient by placing physical I/O closer to where it’s needed while also reducing copper.
The van’s MediorNet network comprises a MetroN core router, 16 MicroN high-density media distribution network devices, and four MediorNet Compact stage boxes. An Artist 128 intercom system with 14 keypanels provides flexible high-quality communications.
‘Alphaline A12 is the missing link in our production capabilities because it now allows us to shoot all of our live programs in full HD. With state-of-the-art systems such as MediorNet and Artist, the new van is a critical element in our ongoing mission to attract new viewers and maintain market share,’ Settele says. ‘The Riedel solutions deliver the perfect blend of high-quality output and reliability for even our most demanding live productions.’
‘Alphaline A12 is our first OB deployment of MediorNet, and we know we’ve made the right choice to deliver the bulletproof communications capabilities Televízia Markíza requires,’ adds Televízia Markíza Technical Director, Zdenko Ryšavý. ‘Televízia Markíza is now perfectly positioned for future growth at home and in the European OB market.’
