20th November 2007

HD2 Production Area
HD2 Sound Area

Televideo were pleased to launch their new outside broadcast vehicle, HD2, last week. Having been under construction for several months, the unit’s first outside broadcast, at Liverpool Reserves FC’s home game against Blackburn went without a glitch, much to the delight of the crew, many of whom had been involved with the truck’s development from the outset.

HD2 is the first of a new breed of HD outside broadcast vehicles. By using second generation, multi-format vision processing and multi-view flat screen display technology, on super high resolution plasma displays, Televideo have managed to pack phenomenal power and versatility into a compact unit. HD2, within the company nicknamed “the tardis”, is fast becoming the favoured choice with many of our clients. By using HD2 for their productions and outside broadcasts, customers can enjoy the benefits of a highly advanced technical specification, costing benefits such as lower power consumption and better fuel efficiency, as well as having the added advantage of being able to access hitherto difficult shooting venues. Its physical footprint allows HD2 to park street-side, in loading bays, and in small rural locations, where articulated vehicles would not be welcome or admissible. The unit is perfectly geared for rapid response, discreet or even long-term park up projects. The dispensations and permissions involved by bringing large vehicles to a venue are very time consuming and hinder reactive news and rapid response OB’s. Whether it’s a village church or a shopping precinct where you need facilities, this unit can easily access tight areas with no difficulty.

HD 2 seats 4 in production, while 2 vision engineers and a VT/ EVS operator are housed in the rear. The unit carries 8x Sony HD cameras and a flexible combination of VTR’s depending on the job; common configurations carry 2x EVS machines, 2x HDCAM and a Realtime Final Cut Pro ingest system, for your non-linear edit package. The unit is set up with this configuration for its current weekly contracts, and also houses a VizRT graphics system. The second generation of kit, which uses the new powerful, but more importantly compact, HD mainframe vision processing, draws less power and allows the unit to run on 2x 32 amp supplies. Adequate power is available from many venues, or can be fitted easily to the consumer units when arranged. Alternatively, Televideo can provide one of our trailer-mounted generators, from the compact and silent Fischer Panda, to larger trailers and truck-mounted units, should lighting be required.

HD2 is the seventh OB unit in the Televideo fleet. We can now offer outside broadcast vehicles of any size or specification, ranging from our larger pump-out units, HD1 and Unit 4, to smaller trucks such as the exciting HD2, which offers customers a medium sized OB, using cutting edge HD technology, but within the cost and space effective form of a smaller OB unit.

HD2 credits to date:

Weekly events:

• Liverpool Reserves: Live 5 Camera Football (LFCTV/Setanta)
• Elite League Ice Hockey: As live 6 camera OB with Studio (Sky Sports)
• Superleague Netball: As live 7 camera OB with Studio (Sky Sports)
• Premier League Superfeed: World feed Presentation of Live Flagship Weekend Matches and unilateral interview feeds truck (Premier League Productions)

Others Events:

• European Pool Masters Championship: As live 5 Camera OB with Studio (Sky Sports)
• Advanced Angioplasty Cardiac Surgery: 18 vision feeds from 3 operating theatres, fed via satellite to training centres and conference venues (Cordis)

For more detailed information on HD2 please see the full specification on HD2 OB Page Here