In Broadcast - July 2016 - 30


30

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 6 - Issue 7 | July 2016

InStudio

Sony Builds Seven OB
Trucks For Racing NSW
Racing NSW recently unveiled the vehicles for their in-house OB facilities and vehicles
that give greater control over the quality and capabilities of their broadcasts...

R

acing NSW is a statutory body
created for the purposes of
controlling, supervising, regulating
and promoting the NSW thoroughbred
horse racing industry. In the past, race
meeting broadcasts were provided via
external operators contracted to the
NSW thoroughbred race clubs, but a
tender was issued to build six OB vans -
one Metro and five Country - and a grip
truck that could provide OB facilities
for coverage of thoroughbred horse
racing events in NSW with the winning
tender going to Sony Australia.
Racing NSW Manager - Special
Projects Graeme Hinton explains: "The
tender document was very specific and
bidders were very much evaluated on
their experience as it pertained to the
scope of this project. All bidders had to
show real life examples of their work
on other outside broadcast facilities
as well as client testimonials and
references. There was also a great
deal of emphasis placed on technical
expertise and experience. With this
in mind Sony Australia was ultimately
successful as they have an outstanding
track record for providing outside
broadcast solutions in Australia and
internationally. They have also proven
themselves to be a key supplier of
industry-standard live production
equipment including cameras and
switchers, and have a long history of
producing innovative broadcast system
design using Sony and third party
technologies."
Race Coverage
The new trucks are used for covering
horse racing events across NSW with
the Metro truck used for race coverage
of Sydney metropolitan racing events

Sony camera and Fujinon box lens

at
Randwick,
Rosehill,
Canterbury and Warwick
Farm, while the Country vans
are distributed regionally
throughout NSW to cover
provincial and country race
meetings. All of the trucks
are used for the dual purpose
of
on-course
broadcast,
delivery of broadcast quality
production to SKY Racing
and to provide video footage
to stewards for in-race and post-race
judicial reviews.
Sony is unique not only in Australia
but the entire Southern Hemisphere as
a company able to provide a total OB
facility solution completely in-house.
No other supplier or integrator is able
to provide the unique combination of
products and services that includes
the high-quality broadcast equipment
manufacture of cameras, switchers
and monitors, full systems design,
installation, commissioning, training
and integration and coach-build
facilities.
Hinton says: "The coach build
capabilities of Sony, are particularly
impressive. As a result of their
understanding of broadcast product
development and integration they are
able to design and construct a mobile
solution perfectly suited for television
outside broadcasts."

OB trucks go racing

server and replay area, camera CCU
and technical area and an integrated
clamshell external walkway awning
system.
Sony Professional Solutions Asia
Pacific Solutions Proposals Manager
Tom Garvan explains: "The clamshell
arrangement platform and awning
maximises the operational space
available by eliminating internal
hallways and walk-throughs, and the
built-in solid awning provides weatherresistant access for production staff
to the key operational areas. This
design as a whole allows for fast, easy
deployment and pack-up of the facility
at a much lower price point than
conventional expanding side facilities."
The array of equipment includes 12
Sony HDC-2400 camera chains, a Sony
PDW-680 RF camcorder and Vislink
wireless link, Sony MVS-6530 Vision
Switcher, Fujinon ZA22x7.6BERD
lenses, Fujinon HA42x9.7BERD lenses,
Fujinon XA55x9.5BESM and Fujinon
Metro & Country OBs
The 16-camera Metro van was based XA77x9.5BESM box lenses, Vinten
on a Volvo FE series cab-chassis that and Miller camera supports, Imagine
was 12.5 metres long and 2.4 metres Communications Platinum MX router
wide with operational areas that and multi-viewer, Sony PVM-A170
included a two-tier video production OLED professional monitors for CCU
area, an audio production area, a and technical monitoring, Soundcraft
Vi4 digital audio mixer, MADI
Monitoring operations
audio transport, RTS Telex
Zeus-III intercom, Tait UHF
communications and a Sony
HawkEye Officiating Review
System (ORS) for stewards'
replays.
The Country OB vans are
provided by Racing NSW
for regional and provincial
race meeting coverage. Each
Country van is based on a

Clamshell opening Metro OB truck

Mercedes Benz Sprinter LWB van and
includes an all-in-one operational area
that integrates six Sony HSC-100R
camera chains, Fujinon ZA22x7.6BERD
lenses with servo control units and
Fujinon HA42x9.7BERD lenses with
stabiliser and servo control units,
six Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio
recorders, a Sony MVS-3000A vision
switcher, a Yamaha QL1 digital audio
mixer, RTS Telex Zeus III-LE Intercom
and Miller camera supports.
The Grip truck is based on an Isuzu
cab-chassis and integrates equipment
storage facilities, rack and shelves,
task lighting and power for equipment
charging and a hydraulic tail lift.
State-Of-The-Art
Hinton concludes: "We are very
pleased with all of the new Sony
trucks as the high-quality images
they produce create a professional
HD product for broadcast. The Sony
HDC-2400 cameras together with the
HawkEye ORS system allow stewards
to efficiently review race footage in
native HD quality with an easy to use
intuitive multi-screen interface.
"The Sony cameras provided also
allow for seamless integration with the
existing triax cabling infrastructure
installed at the racing venues
and enable conversion to a fibre
infrastructure in the future.
"Finally the coach itself has
automated systems for power and
air conditioning management, with a
touch screen interface showing full
status and control of these systems.
All in all we have seven of the highest
quality state-of-the-art OB trucks now
at our disposal and the results we get
from them are truly excellent."
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