- OB4HD is latest addition to South African pay-TV provider SuperSport’s fleet of outside broadcast vehicles
- New HD truck was equipped and constructed in England by Sony Professional Solutions Europe
- Flawless communication on board is provided by intercom systems from RTS
The South African pay-TV provider SuperSport has just added a new vehicle, OB4HD, to its fleet of high definition outside broadcast trucks. OB4HD was equipped to be multi-functional by Sony Professional Solutions Europe in Basingstoke and will be used by SuperSport primarily to provide live coverage of sporting events. The truck’s two slide-outs allow the company’s outside broadcast team to work in comfort with state-of-the-art equipment including 29 high-definition cameras. As well as a virtual studio manager, the truck has been fitted with an intercom system from RTS that ensures flawless communication between all members of the crew.
Explaining how his company’s collaboration with the South African pay-TV provider came about, Gerhard Strydom, Manager Broadcast Sales & Marketing with Sony South Africa (Pty) Ltd., said: “We had already successfully shipped to South Africa a number of OB trucks that have served there with distinction, which was doubtless the reason we obtained this latest commission from SuperSport.”
The nerve centre of the high-tech control room is provided by an Advanced Digital Audio Matrix (ADAM) from RTS linked to a variety of RTS keypanels, the models in question being 24 KP-12-CLD, twelve DKP-16-CLD, four KP-32-CLD, three KP-32, one KP-32-CLD and one KP-12. A wireless RTS belt-pack system (three BTR-800 and twelve TR-800), a two-wire intercom system also from RTS (two DSI 2008 and six BP-325) and 69 headsets from the RTS MH series – including the MH-402 model which offers active noise reduction (ANR) – further secure communications within and beyond the high-end vehicle.
The RTS systems installed in the OB4HD were selected according to Strydom also because SuperSport’s existing fleet is equipped with RTS equipment – offering the advantage of facilitating trunking. “All the systems on board the OB4HD wagon deliver outstanding sound quality,” says Strydom.
The feedback from Johan Chandler, the Head of SuperSport’s Outside Broadcast Department, has also been excellent. So much so, in fact, that Sony Professional Solutions Europe is already hard at work on two more outside broadcast vehicles for SuperSport South Africa. These, needless to say, will again feature from RTS.
Equipment list (extract)
40 x RTS MH-300
32 x RTS MCP-90-12
24 x RTS KP-12-CLD
15 x RTS MH-302
12 x RTS DKP-16
12 x RTS TR-800
6 x RTS BP-325
4 x RTS KP-32-CLD
4 x RTS MH-402
3 x RTS KP-32
3 x RTS BTR-800
2 x RTS DSI 2008
1 x RTS ADAM
1 x RTS KP-32-CLD
1 x RTS KP-12
