www.psneurope.com
May 2013 l 39
broadcastfeature
HD6 JOINS NETWORKED BETAMOBIL FLEET
THE ‘SUPER truck’ is well established in outside broadcast work. These massive articulated monsters accommodate audio, video control and production control areas, bringing studio facilities to a location. A different approach has been taken by German OB operator Betamobil, which runs a fleet of small to large trucks that can be linked together to handle big productions when required. The latest addition is HD6, a six-
camera unit that also features a Riedel Artist digital matrix intercom connected to a MediorNet media network. The communications system features an Artist 64 mainframe with 12 1000 Series control panels, all of which can be expanded up to 1024 x 1024 non-blocking ports. All this can be integrated to other OB vehicles or broadcast facilities over a fibre link. “We believe that the future of mobile productions lies within flexible set-up scenarios that can be adapted to the needed application,” says Thomas Busch, chief executive of Betamobil. “Riedel’s real-time networks, such as MediorNet and Artist, enable us to realise incredibly flexible set-ups that can be quickly reconfigured.”
The big intercom companies currently
straddle both digital/IP and analogue line systems of either two- or four-wire. Some smaller suppliers are firmly in the latter camp, including Prospect Electronics, Anchor Audio, Sonifex and CTP Systems. CTP updated its Talkback24 system last year, partly in response to what founder Chris Thorpe describes as continuing strong sales for four-wire boxes. “And not an IP address in sight,” he says. “There’s no point in my trying to compete with Riedel, Clear-Com or any of the other big companies because they’ve got lots of design engineers. But having said that the digitally controlled analogue Talkback24 has found a nice niche market among operators of smaller studios and OB trucks, where people just want to be able to plug in a jack and hear audio come out.” Anchor Audio also takes the analogue
route but with only two channels for its wired systems. The PortaCom is a two-wire party line based on standard microphone cables supporting a full duplex two-channel network. “An advantage of this approach is that many studios, theatres and stadiums already have installed microphone cables which can be used to operate the PortaCom product without additional installation cost,” explains director of marketing Colton Jacobs, who adds that sales of the PortaCom increased by 17% from 2011 to 2012.
Two MediorNet modular
mainframes, fitted with MN-HDP-6 cards are used for video distribution and signal processing. The video cards provide two inputs and outputs, in addition to two assignable connections with full conversion features. “With this truck we have realised a
very efficient just-enough concept without sacrificing production quality at all,” comments Busch. “It’s just a very efficient set-up based on the MediorNet network approach. This allows us to adjust quickly to the needs of a specific production. By our approach we don’t have to always carry the expensive overhead for the few productions where we utilise 100% of a big truck’s capacity. If we need more cameras, editing, or audio resources, we just add it to the MediorNet network by adding another small truck or external gear. This flexibility allows us to cover more productions and to be more competitive.”
Jacobs says Anchor’s dealers are
reporting a shift away from installed, base- station-style intercoms to the standalone, portable systems. “That trend is happening because of the cost of the installed system as well as the professional staff required to operate the sophisticated equipment,” he explains. “Budget constraints in the broadcast market are causing the users to select low-cost solutions.” Tecpro also produces two-wire
systems. Mike Reay, product manager for the brand at Canford, says sales of this form of intercom “trundle on despite the current financial situation – long may it last!” Tecpro is sold into a variety of markets, including theatres, conference venues, live performance and the low end of broadcast. “Our customers want a system that is easy to operate, reliable and affordable,” Reay says. “They rarely want more than four independent circuits, so there is not much call for a matrix.” Modern technology still grabs the headlines and will push on how intercom systems are designed and used but financial expediency and user friendliness looks like keeping more basic techniques in the frame for some time to come.n
www.anchoraudio.com www.asl-inter.com www.clearcom.com www.ctpsystems.co.uk www.delec.de www.riedel.net www.rtsintercoms.com www.trilogycomms.com
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