8 TVBEurope News
Viasat doubles capacity with Platinum continuity
By Fergal Ringrose
AS PARTof an increase in capabilities of its Riga broadcast centre in Latvia, direct-to-home satellite and Pay TV operator Viasat, part of Modern Times Group (MTG) has installed a 512x1024 Platinum IP3 router from Harris Broadcast. The new router, supplied and installed by Latvian distributor Tilts Integration, expands the capabilities of Viasat’s existing Harris Broadcast Platinum router. The Platinum IP3 will massively increase signal capacity and resilience through redundant crosspoints. Together, the two routers will support more than 1,500 outputs to accommodate future expansion.
IP3 move doubles capacity without taking the old router offline
“Our existing Harris Broadcast
router has given us excellent service, and the new Platinum IP3 is the latest generation of the same reliable technology,” said Magnus Lindholm, head of Platform Development at MTG. “As well as continuity, it meant we could expand our facilities to more than double the capacity without
taking the old router offline for a moment — in a facility as big as ours that is like replacing the engine in a car while driving at full speed along a freeway.” “No one expects a router to just be a simple switch anymore,” said Mathias Eckert, vice president, sales and services, Europe & Africa for Harris Broadcast. “Users count on them to handle multiple signal types and levels, and add functionality such as timing and clocking, format conversion and multiview monitoring. The Platinum IP3 was developed in direct response to requests from users seeking reliable, futureproofed integrated routing capabilities.”
www.harrisbroadcast.com
TV3 and Riverside TV choose live Quicklink
By Fergal Ringrose
RIVERSIDE TELEVISION on an independent production for TV3 Ireland has successfully used Quicklink’s Merlin Backpack Encoder to film live sequences for Neville’s Doorstep Challenge. The show, based around a surprise home makeover by Neville Knott for an unsuspecting TV3 viewer, was made possible by the Merlin backpack. Not having to rely on a large
satellite van and lots of equipment, the crew at Riverside TV had the element of surprise by turning up at a house live on air with nothing but the Merlin backpack and six 3G SIM cards. The Merlin achieved 4MB of
BlackTrax lights up at Eurovision Song Contest By Fergal Ringrose
CAST GROUP’S 6D live tracking solution, BlackTrax, made its big show debut at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö last month. This was the first high-profile demonstration of creative and practical potential for the realtime automation of
lighting and video content. Working in conjunction with Martin Kuhn of Switzerland’s Moodbox, CAST deployed BlackTrax for two major performances at the event – the opening act of the semi final, ‘Urban Orchestra’, and the return to the Eurovision stage of 2012’s winner, Loreen.
During the performance by Urban Orchestra, BlackTrax was used to track BMX riders and rollerbladers onstage
live transmissions, even from remote locations. Cyril O’Regan, managing
director of Riverside TV said, “the show was a massive success and everyone is extremely pleased with the performance of the equipment on the 3G network in Ireland. We were able to achieve a consistently high quality live transmission as well as having a real element of surprise.” Pete Watling of Quicklink added
“our latest bonding technology, high gain antennae system and Continuous Video Technology (CVT) optimise the performance of the Merlin encoder and it is always great to hear from another satisfied customer.”
www.quicklink.tv
Technical director Ola Melzig said, “thanks to BlackTrax, we were able to do things that no one has ever done before – it took the show to a new level. With over 1,200 lighting fixtures and almost 30 of the largest, brightest video projectors in the world, we clearly don’t make equipment decisions casually. The precise target information that BlackTrax provided was perfect for the acts it was used on.” During the performance by Urban Orchestra, BlackTrax was used to track BMX riders and rollerbladers onstage, enabling effects to be projected on the floor at their exact position, without any lag or drift of the effect from the performer. Dancers, meanwhile, performed in line with pre- programmed effects and therefore were required to be in exactly the right position at the right time for effects to follow them accurately. At times this proved tricky to
pull off, but thanks to BlackTrax, the skaters and riders (with the infrared emitter LEDs of the BTBeacon attached to their helmets) had the freedom to time their stunts as they wished and land wherever they wanted or needed to, without having to worry about cues and positioning. Lighting designer Fredrik
Jönsson said, “BlackTrax provided us with this very cool effect with Loreen where we tracked flying dancers in realtime with floor lights. The only way of doing this without BlackTrax would have been with extra followspots, which we could not have in that position since they would have been seen by the cameras.”
www.blacktrax.ca
www.tvbeurope.com June2013
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