audio intercoms
The scale of broadcast centres has placed
greater demands on intercom systems.
standardisation. Its IP offering advantage. In effect it is treating the we do sell an awful lot of six-way
incorporates another telephony OB like a remote studio. There's also four-wire boxes."
technology that was dismissed by the the ability to interface with mobile The idea of one piece of equipment
broadcast sector when it first phones, which would allow reporters being able to connect to whatever else
appeared - DECT (Digital Enhanced in the field to call in and be connected is being used on a production has
Cordless Telecommunications). There
The EBU has
to different areas - such as the MCR or recently been adopted by one of the
is still not total confidence in DECT so newsroom - by pressing different bigger commercial manufacturers.specified the
the Acrobat digital wireless intercom numbers." During Broadcast Video Expo in London
Session
uses the format only at the base level. American manufacturer HM HME, with UK distributor Orbital Sound,
Initiation
Acrobat is not limited in the number Electronics (HME) is still establishing gave the DX121 unit its European
of belt packs that can be connected,
Protocol
itself in Europe and moved into the launch. The model number is a clue
due to Enhanced Channel Agility (ECA),
(SIP) as the
market in 2004 with the DX digital because this base station and belt-pack
which detects available RX and TX mandatory wireless system. Wireless, digital or system is designed to be a one-to-one
space, exploiting all the DECT otherwise, remains the focus for the personal intercom. It links to the main
signalling
frequency and channel spectrum. company but pro audio sales director communications set-up, which could
method for
RTS is also exploring VoIP, John Kowalski says HME is looking at all be a Telex, Riedel or any other talkback
introducing the RVON-16 card for its
bi-
emerging technologies, including IP. "It as well as HME, and gives an individual
ADAM modular intercom system, but
directional
offers benefits that are not comparable a connection tailored to his or her job
is not using SIP. Instead the company's
links.
to wireless systems," he said, "but we and requirements. "In a theatre, for
IP-based products run on a private, do not see a lot of it in theatre, it will example, a stage crew will beDeveloped
proprietary protocol. "We do look at be more for broadcast applications." communicating on the same channel,"
by the IETF
new technologies to see where they Despite the proliferation of wireless said HME sales director John Kowalski.
(Internet
are going," said Adrian Richmond, devices, wired systems have not lost "But the 121 gives the stage manager
sales manager for UK and Ireland. "If
Engineering
their place in intercom. "They are a personal link to the stage manager's
something proves to be an area that
Task Force) &
more reliable in some cases," said position." The product is part of HME's
helps with our products and market published as Adrian Richmond, "but the two go ambition to remove wires from
then we will move into it. Major hand-in-hand. New technology does broadcast, theatre and event comms.
RFC 3261, SIP
broadcasters are setting up large IP not always provide the answer and That goal brings HME and wireless
is an
highways, typically between the sometimes it can bring more intercom in general closer to the whole
broadcast centre and OB sites and
Internet
problems. Two and four-wire systems nebulous topic of spectrum allocation
being able to communicate with the
protocol for
have not been superseded and there in the future, which is causing so much
home base in this way is a great
live
is a place for everything in our concern and downright anger among
During Broadcast Video Expo in London HME,
portfolio." users of radio mics, wireless camerascommuni-
with UK distributor Orbital Sound, gave the
British manufacturer CTP Systems and in-ear monitoring. Kowalski does
DX121 unit its European launch.
cations used
specialises in four-way intercom not see intercom as being in the same
in
systems, along with other necessary situation, largely by association with
establishing
bits of audio kit such as commentary other, more powerful frequency users.
and ending
boxes and microphone amplifiers. The "We're in the 2.4G band along with
voice or company was founded by former OB WiFi operators," he says, "and the
engineer Chris Thorpe, who describes authorities would have a hard time
video calls.
his range of products as simple moving the companies involved in
equipment that is able to connect that. Try telling Cisco it has to move all
easily to other systems. "Our camera its wireless operations! Imagine what
talkback can link to whatever system would happen if Cisco made radio
happens to be around," he said. "And mics..."
14 l ibe l march/april 2009 l www.ibeweb.com
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