Posts Tagged ‘HD installations’
Gearhouse Broadcast pass I’m a Celebrity Trial to Return to Jungle for Series Ten!
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010Gearhouse Broadcast is back in the Australian jungle this month after again winning the contract to provide ITV with broadcast equipment and technical expertise for hit reality TV show ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!
And with the popularity of the series showing no signs of waning and new areas of the jungle being added to the show, Gearhouse Broadcast’s technical team has been called upon to come up with ever more complex broadcast equipment solutions to ensure none of the action is missed by its millions of viewers back home. (more…)
Gearhouse Broadcast to deliver Systems Integration Solutions at Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
International Systems Integrator, Gearhouse Broadcast and associate company AV Tech have been awarded the contract to expand the existing broadcast services at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre in Doha, Qatar.
The Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre complex is owned and operated by the Qatar Tennis Federation and governed by the Qatar National Olympic Committee.
As the preferred supplier to the Qatar National Olympic Committee, Gearhouse Broadcast and AV Tech have previously completed a number of broadcast cabling and audio visual contracts at various sports arenas including; the Aspire Tower and Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre, Qatar Sports Club, Al Arabi Sports Club, Al Khor Sports Club, Al Wakrah Sports Club and the Al Saad Sports Club.
The Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre complex consists of 2 indoor training and practice courts with a 130 seating capacity, 14 outdoor training and practice courts, 2 competition courts with a capacity of 600 people on each and a Centre Court with a capacity of 4,250 spectators.
The Gearhouse Broadcast’s previous project at the complex included installing a broadcast infrastructure which covered every area of the club including the field areas, commentator rooms, the stand areas, press rooms and practice courts.
The new installation will consist of installing wall boxes in 2 new courts, upgrading the existing TV rooms SD system to HD, fibre linking all wall boxes and removing the existing TV room equipment, making them safe during building works then reinstalling them in a new complex when building work has been completed.
To complete the installation Gearhouse Broadcast will be providing a crew of 3 Riggers/Wiremen and a Project Manager/Engineer.
Eamonn Dowdall, Managing Director at Gearhouse Broadcast said, “We are highly skilled in the provision of broadcast infrastructure installations, and in particular, the area of venue cabling having carried out numerous installations in the region previously at prestigious arenas such as the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, the Aspire Tower and the previous installation at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre.”
“This installation will be challenging because we need to remove all the existing cables and re-terminate them during the re-install. Meticulous planning and flexibility will also be required to deal with the changing client requirements.”
Gearhouse Broadcast provides Systems Integration, Project Solutions, Broadcast Equipment Sales and Rental. With an HQ in the UK the company has regional offices in Doha and Dubai.
Gearhouse Broadcast Heading For IBC Amsterdam Industry Showcase Event
Friday, July 30th, 2010
International broadcast solutions specialist Gearhouse Broadcast will be showcasing some of their latest work for clients around the globe at the IBC (International Broadcast Convention) in Amsterdam next month.
IBC is the premier annual event for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of entertainment and news content worldwide.
It brings together the leading broadcast companies, brands and investors under one roof at the RAI Centre in Amsterdam, attracting almost 50,000 attendees from more than 140 countries.
As well as exhibiting the latest cutting-edge technology in the rapidly evolving electronic media industry, IBC features a series of conference events led by leading figures within the broadcasting industry and a wealth of networking opportunities.
This year, Gearhouse Broadcast will be represented by its System Integration and Broadcast Sales Divisions.
Visitors to the Gearhouse Broadcast stand, situated at 10.C41, will be able to learn all about the latest broadcast systems integration projects the company has been involved in for international clients such as Al Jazeera and South African broadcaster M-NET.
The Systems Integration Division has carried out HD installations for studios, outside broadcast facilities and venues across the globe, and has a wealth of experience in providing solutions for studios and outside broadcast facilities covering everything from transmission and automation, tapeless workflow, master control rooms and broadcast cabling.
Over recent years Systems Integration has completed numerous HD outside broadcast (OB) truck builds for the UK and international markets.
As the UK’s leading international reseller of professional broadcast equipment, our Broadcast Sales Division specialise in sourcing and selling both new and used broadcast equipment.
Gearhouse’s extensive stock list of used broadcast equipment covers SD and HD camera channels, SD and HD camcorders, camera accessories, camera lenses, VTRs, monitors, vision mixers, audio video test equipment and audio video measurement equipment.
We are authorised dealers for a number of leading manufactures including Sony, Evertz, Harris, Snell, JVC and Tektronix, and to mark the occasion will be offering ex-World Cup kit broadcast equipment at very special IBC rates.
This year’s IBC is an excellent time to visit us at stand 10.C41 to discuss your next broadcast project or acquiring broadcast equipment at very competitive prices.
To register for FREE log on to www.ibc.org/registration and enter Gearhouse Broadcast’s password 10138.
Gearhouse Provides Broadcast Solutions for World Cup
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
THE football World Cup is often described as the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’, and once again Gearhouse Broadcast is right at the heart of it as the finest players around the globe descend on South Africa this summer.
With a worldwide TV audience of billions, Gearhouse Broadcast is being used by seven major multinational broadcasters to supply both project solutions and equipment.
As well as the Technical Operation Centres (TOC’s), Gearhouse Broadcast is also providing location services such as the systems integration and building of studios and facilities at the international broadcast center for individual rights-holding broadcasters can produce their own style and flavour of transmission back to their home countries.
HBS – Host Broadcast Services
As a service provider to HBS, Gearhouse Broadcast’s Project Solutions team built and installed the Technical Operation Centres at each of the ten stadiums. Gearhouse also supplied engineering staff for each of the Technical Operation Centres.
ESPN America
We have designed and installed a very large 1200 m2 facility for ESPN. This facility is made up of three production galleries each with its own audio mixer, a central logging and ingest area, an on-air EVS area, Avid edit suites, a transmission area and a remote large studio overlooking Soccer City. There is also a large central production office with various audio, video and communications facilities installed on desks as required. The whole facility is virtually tapeless with a central EVS server for Ingest and logging which is connected to an Avid Unity server to allow transfer of files between Avids, Ingest and on-air EVS machines. We also have three Lawo MC56 audio desks connected together via four cores that allow total flexibility between all the control rooms for transfer of audio signals for the various 5.1 mixes being done. The communications with Bristol and all the remote sites in South Africa is being handled by a large Telex Adam system with 270 ports which include 64 RVON ports.
Univision
Gearhouse Broadcast has supplied broadcast equipment, communication facilities, two control rooms, studio and crew at the IBC in Johannesburg. This facility also has a large EVS and FCP server system making it an almost tapeless facility as well. We have also supplied a remote three camera studio facility that is connected to the IBC via a 3rd party supplied fibre and data connections.
ITV
Gearhouse have supplied one HD outside broadcast (OB) facility for all of ITV’s pitch-side presentations. The units will supply 2 way interview and presentation facilities pre and post match, together with pitch-side reporter facilities during the match. The OB facility is a small four camera unit that has been built out of our fly away rigs and installed into a small vehicle that travels around the country. Gearhouse have also supplied crew including Engineer, Sound and Cameramen for the facility.
ESPN BRAZIL
Gearhouse Broadcast have designed and installed an IBC facility that includes a production control room, studio facility, 12 x ENG kits, EVS servers and integrated Avid editing and storage servers. This facility is on air around 14 hours per day showing matches and background stories that are edited in the four edit suits on site.
TYC Sports AND TE LE FE Argentina
Designed and installed the IBC facilities for these Argentinean broadcasters in the IBC in Johannesburg, South Africa. This includes monitoring, distribution, production galleries and studio facilities. Torneos y Competencias S.A. was responsible for hiring the equipment and Torneos y Competencias ARG is in charge of the production of DirecTV Latin America, Fox Sports, TELEFE, Canal 7 and TyC Sports.
The tournament has kicked off a surge of activity in the broadcast services sector with huge demands placed on manufacturers and broadcast solutions companies, like Gearhouse Broadcast, to provide the most-up-to date equipment and technology.
Gearhouse have made significant investments in Canon HD lenses, Sennheiser Microphones, Sony HD Monitors and Sony HD Cameras and Camcorders. In addition to these they have invested in Pro-Bel HD/SD Routers, Tektronix Test Equipment, Evertz VIP Multi Viewers, Harris distribution and glue products and from EVS they have purchased 14 XT2 Servers to add to an inventory of 32 EVS’s to service the demands for this product at the World Cup.
It’s not just Gearhouse Broadcast’s equipment that is in demand – the sheer logistics of the operation around the whole tournament means that the technical infrastructure behind the scenes has to be spot on, and Gearhouse Broadcast’s Project Solution and Systems Integration expertise had a major part to play.
Gearhouse had over 70 people on the ground putting in 2650 man hours in the weeks leading up to the event. Once all the equipment was shipped to South Africa, they had just 16 days to build and run system checks before kick-off.
“This has been one of the largest and most challenging projects we have undertaken due to its scale and the complexity of the logistics involved. Because of the amount of kit and the distance involved, we started preparing for the World Cup 12 months ago and it has been a very complex process” says Kevin Moorhouse, Gearhouse Broadcast’s Chief Operating Officer.
“The size of the country means that our planning and logistics needed to be extremely well organised so that everything was there and in place with plenty of time prior to the start of the tournament. We’ve got a six-person team just handling logistics from a large warehouse in Johannesburg from which all equipment and materials will be prepared and distributed and a small satellite workshop for our service engineers”.
“Whereas in other countries we would normally be able to source new equipment if we needed it overnight, in South Africa, we had to be more prepared. We’ve had to bring extra equipment with us because there is no source of broadcast equipment available in the country. If we needed another VTR, I would have to fly one in, so our planning had to be so much better”
“Our goal was to supply cost effective broadcast solutions for all our individual rights-holding broadcasters. The choice of our equipment suppliers for these high profile live sports events is always a carefully considered decision, we choose the most reliable technology on the market every single time”, said Kevin.
Gearhouse Broadcast Chosen to Serve up Broadcast Solutions at Qatar Tennis Centre
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010A reputation for precision and flexibility helped Gearhouse Broadcast secure the contract to expand existing broadcast services at the prestigious Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre in Doha, Qatar, with associates AV Tech.
The Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre complex is owned and operated by the Qatar Tennis Federation and governed by the Qatar National Olympic Committee, who made Gearhouse Broadcast, which has offices in both Doha and Dubai, and AV Tech preferred providers after the success of a number of previous joint projects.
These have included broadcast cabling and audio visual solutions contracts at the Khalifa and various other national sports arenas including; the Aspire Tower and Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, Qatar Sports Club, Al Arabi Sports Club, Al Khor Sports Club, Al Wakrah Sports Club and the Al Saad Sports Club.
Systems integration project management
Eamonn Dowdall, Managing Director at Gearhouse Broadcast, said: “We are highly skilled in the provision of broadcast infrastructure installations, and in particular, the area of venue cabling having carried out numerous installations in the region previously at prestigious arenas such as the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, the Aspire Tower and the previous installation at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre.
“This installation will be challenging because we need to remove all the existing cables and re-terminate them during the re-install. Meticulous planning and flexibility will also be required to deal with the changing client requirements.”
http://www.gearhousebroadcast.com/uk/project-solutions/cable–distribution/
The Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre complex consists of a Centre Court with a capacity of 4,250 spectators, two competition courts with a capacity of 600 people on each, two indoor training and practice courts with a 130 seating capacity plus14 outdoor training and practice courts..
Gearhouse Broadcast’s previous project at the complex included installing a broadcast infrastructure that covered every area of the club, including the field areas, commentator rooms, the stand areas, press rooms and practice courts.
HD upgrade
The new installation will consist of installing wall boxes in two new courts, upgrading the existing TV rooms systems from SD to HD, fibre linking all wall boxes as well as removing the existing TV room equipment, making it safe during building works and then reinstalling it in a new complex.
To complete the installation, Gearhouse Broadcast will be providing a crew of three Riggers/Wiremen and a Project Manager/Engineer.
South African Broadcaster M-NET Turn To Gearhouse Broadcast For New HD Integrated Truck
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010When South African broadcaster M-NET needed an HD outside broadcast truck quickly and on budget they looked no further than UK system integration specialists Gearhouse Broadcast.
In the past Gearhouse Broadcast had supplied M-NET with multi-camera flyaway solutions and, based on the service they received on that occasion, they looked to Gearhouse Broadcast again to provide this large, custom-built multi-format trailer.
Andre Venter, Head M-Net Broadcast Services Africa, said: “We were looking for a solution to our outside broadcast requirement and as Gearhouse Broadcast supplied us with three flyaways in the past, which were delivered on time and to budget, we turned to them to assist us with a highly specified, time sensitive requirement for a 28 camera HD OB vehicle.
The vehicle was again delivered to South Africa well within the specified time frame and budget.”
Building to outside broadcast performance specifications
The outside broadcast trailer integrated by Gearhouse Broadcast is a triple expanding High Definition outside broadcast unit that caters for 28 HD cameras and up to three versions of 5.1 Dolby surround sound.
The unit’s lateral production area is large, spacious and air-conditioned, with three tiers of desks, which seat up to 12 production staff.
The front desk houses a 4ME vision mixer and space for 84 monitors. The second desk provides 16 monitors and comprehensive communications, while the third desk provides 32 monitors and comprehensive comms and monitoring facilities.
The third expand provides room for a second desk in the VTR area to provide space for up to 11 operators and a co-coordinator. The unit is wired for up to 12 EVS/ 14VTR.
In the vision area there is control for up to 28 cameras by seven operators, plus an engineering test position. The vision router is 576 x 576 and the audio router is 256 x 256 AES and analogue.
The unit is engineered with a large in/out capability to make it ideal for major events and is also fully air conditioned to maintain a comfortable operating environment even in ambient temperatures of 45 C°.
Take a 360° tour of a Gearhouse built OB truck.
OB truck systems integration services
“We were able to accommodate M-NET’s requirement for an OB truck within a tight deadline and to their exacting specification,” said Eamonn Dowdall, Managing Director at Gearhouse Broadcast.
“The selection of kit being used for this installation demonstrates that Gearhouse Broadcast can tailor the design to a specific market and budget according to individual customer’s needs.
“I believe Gearhouse Broadcast was selected for this project because of our proven and demonstrable experience in the provision of HD outside broadcast installations. We have delivered many previous high profile HD outside broadcast units in the UK and Europe.”
Gearhouse Broadcast Help Pinewood Studios Put The Zing In Kid’s Favourite ZingZillas
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010PINEWOOD Studios, home to some of Britain’s most iconic films and television series continues to be an integral part of the nation’s broadcast industry.
As one of Europe’s leading providers of broadcast equipment sales, rentals, project solutions and systems integration, Gearhouse Broadcast is proud of the excellent working relationship it has built up with Pinewood in recent years, and to have supplied the cutting edge technology used to realise some of the most popular shows currently appearing on British television screens.
And Gearhouse recently helped Pinewood break new ground by providing tapeless HD format and broadcasting solutions for the production of CBeebies’ latest hit for early years children, ZingZillas, the first time this technology has been employed at the studios.
HD Format Broadcast
The HD format is an important part of the show’s appeal, which is both strongly visual and musical as it follows primate friends Zak, Tang, Panzee and Drum through their colourful jungle home in their quest put together a daily performance, The Big Zing, inspired by a range of visiting musicians and singers.
Over the past few years Gearhouse has delivered an exhaustive range of audio and video equipment, including cameras and camcorders, both standard and high definition upgrade (SD and HD), MCR hubs, VTRs and infrastructure solutions to Pinewood.
The kit supplied is all specifically tailored to the needs of Pinewood-produced hit series such as the BBC’s ‘Would I Lie to You’, Channel 4’s ‘The IT Crowd’ and Sky 1’s flagship HD sports panel quiz ‘A League of Their Own’, presented by multi-award winning comic actor and writer James Corden of Gavin and Stacey fame.
HD Kit technical support
Gearhouse’s engineers and technicians have established a close working relationship with their colleagues at the studios over the years, ensuring their technical support is available on demand and any additional equipment requirements can be quickly and seamlessly met.
Simon Honey, Head of TV Studio Operations at The Pinewood Studios Group says: “Gearhouse Broadcast always provide a professional all round package with exceptional customer service, through a dedicated knowledgeable rental team, dependable hands on technical support, and reliable state of the art equipment – at a competitive price.
“With a proven track record in delivering project solutions, we collaboratively provided a seamless HD tapeless workflow for the CBeebies production ‘Zingzillas’, and the results speak for themselves on screen.”
Build of India’s First HD OB Van
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010When India’s state broadcaster Doordarshan decided it was time to commission their very first custom-built, high definition (HD) outside broadcast van they turned to Gearhouse Broadcast to deliver the solution.
The newly built van is part of a major investment programme in HD technology by Doordarshan and much of the system building and integration work was carried out at Gearhouse Broadcast’s Watford headquarters.
Following an initial brief from Doordarshan and project managers Agiv (India) Pvt. Ltd, a TATA chassis was shipped to the UK to be adapted by coach-building specialists JS Fraser of Oxford before Gearhouse Broadcast’s team of specialist technicians and engineers got to work. The van was fitted with specialist equipment to meet Doordarshan’s requirements, including: four Ikegami cameras (expandable to six if needed), Canon box lenses, a multi-format Snell Kahuna vision mixer, Marshall/Barco monitors and a Harris Router.
Ten weeks later the van was ready to be shipped back to India for testing and final adjustments, carried out in partnership with a team of engineers from Doordarshan’s parent organisation Prasar Bharati, and it is now fully operational, providing news and sports outside broadcasts.
The arrival of the country’s first HD outside broadcast truck was quite an event and marked by an official visit from Ms Ambika Soni, the Honourable Minister for Information and Broadcasting in the Indian Government.An order for a second van is testament to Gearhouse Broadcast’s expertise and specialist system integration skills, and Managing Director Eamonn Dowdall says: “I believe we were selected for our proven and demonstrable track record in the provision of high definition outside broadcast instillations.”“We have delivered many previous high profile HD outside broadcast units in the UK and Europe and now Doordarshan’s high definition van raises the bar for standards in Indian broadcasting and sets a benchmark for other to follow.”