News Stories and Events
from around the world:

April 2005
Retour à Rome en direct avec Maurice Olivari
Training for Bahrain TV Engineers
Thrilling Win for Rossi in Jerez
Gigawave Training for Yemen TV Engineers
Gigawave Joins British GT Championship
A Good Start to the 2005 Flat Season

Archived News Stories 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005

Archived News Stories 2004
Jan - Dec 2004

Archived News Stories 2003
Jan - Dec 2003

Archived News Stories 2002
Jan - Dec 2002

Retour à Rome en direct avec Maurice Olivari
TF1 broadcast a live 2-Way with Maurice OLIVARI from the centre of Saint Peter's Square in Rome on the announcement of the death of Pope John Paul II. Using a D-Cam 'Clip-on', it is believed that they were the only news network to broadcast live from Saint Peter's Square.

To view a recording of the live 2-way interview with Maurice OLIVARI in Rome:
Click Here

After comparing all of the leading digital wireless camera systems, TF1 choase the D-Cam 'Clip-on' as it was the only system that was able to provde live coverage of St. Peter's Square from the roof of their Vatican Bureau. On the day Pope John Paul II died, TF1 engineers were certain that they had made the right decision.

The above pictures were taken during a test last year in Rome. As one can see from the centre picture the receiver is located on a rooftop 500 metres away from St. Peters Square. From this location it was possible to cover 75% of the Square without break up.
St. Peter's Square, Rome - April 2005

Shanghai Motor Show
TWS Asia supplied two D-Cam 'Clip-on' systems for the Shanghai Motor Car Show. The digital wireless cameras were used to transmit live images from one of the stands to a number of video walls around the exhibition.

Both systems were mounted on Steadicam rigs, and a Sachtler L5 stand was used to raise the receive antennas above the raised vehicles in the middle of the exhibition hall.

TWS Asia hired the equipment through Hiller Pharma as per last year's Beijing Motor Show.
Shanghai, China - April 2005

Training for Bahrain TV Engineers
Three engineers from the Bahrain Radio & TV Corporation recently attended a training course at the Gigawave Technical Centre to complete a formal training course on the D-Cam 'Clip-on' and the MVL-D2

The factory training follows their purchase of two MVL-D2 portable microwave links and two D-Cam Clip-On digital wireless camera systems at the end of last year.

The equipment was manufactured and delivered to Bahrain TV in less than 4 weeks after the GGC Summit Conference was moved from Abu Dhabi to Manama (Bahrain) at short notice. This last minute change followed the death of Abu Dhabi's ruler, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

With no time for formal training before the GCC Conference Regional Sales Manager,Trevor Vizard, flew out to Bahrain, at no cost to the customer, to give Bahrain TV engineers some basic operational assistance. However, with the GGC Summit Conference out of the way three engineers flew to London to undergo the full in-house training course.

Having had the opportunity to use the equipment prior to visiting the Gigawave Technical Centre, Bahrain Radio and Television Corp. Engineers were able to get the most out of the training course.
Gigawave Technical Centre - April 2005

Thrilling Win for Rossi in Jerez
World champion Valentino Rossi beat Sete Gibernau into second place on a thrilling final lap of the Spanish MotoGP Grand Prix in Jerez. Gibernau had led for 24 of the 27 laps before a fierce duel between the pair in the closing stages.

This image of race winner Valentino Rossi being interviewed with a D-Cam 'Clip-on' before the race says it all.

A total of nine Gigawave wireless camera systems were in use at Jerez!

With two laps to go, Rossi took the lead, but then an error allowed the Spaniard to retake the lead, to the delight of the home crowd. Rossi strained as much as he could to regain the lead, and on the penultimate corner the pair drew so close that Gibernau was forced off the track, letting Rossi through to win.

It was an impressive start to the 2005 MotoGP season for Gigawave with a total of nine D-Cam and D-Cam 'Clip-on' wireless camera systems in use by various broadcasters in the pit lane and paddock. According to Gigawave Special Projects engineer, Ashley Jackson,

"Not only was this the first time that every wireless camera in the pit lane and paddock was a digital system - every wireless camera was a Gigawave D-Cam or D-Cam 'Clip-on' system"

In addition to the two D-Cam systems used by MotoGP rights holder, Dorna, seven D-Cam 'Clip-on' systems were used by RTE, RTI Mediaset, and the BBC.

As this was the first race of the season, Dorna were also testing a new digital downlink, supplied by Gigawave, alongside last season's analogue system. During the test, Ashley Jackson told the helicopter pilot to fly away from the circuit. Even at 15Kms from the circuit, images from the gyro-stabilised camera were still perfect.

Jerez, Spain - April 2005

Gigawave Training for Yemen TV Engineers
Two engineers from Yemen Radio and Television recently attended a training course at the Gigawave Technical Centre as part of a contract between MCI Studio Hamburg and Yemen TV to supply a new digital OB Truck.

The specification for the new OB Truck included two Gigawave D-Cam wireless camera systems (with camera control) and two MVL-D2 digital Point to Point systems. Yemen TV will use the new OB Truck for many types of events including the countries National Day celebrations, as well as sporting events and other outside broadcasts.

The two Yemen TV engineers, Mr. Mohammed Al Galal and Mr. Othman Al Shamiri were accompanied by MCI Studio Hamburg engineer Mr. Tammo Steinmetz. A translator, fluent in Arabic, German, and English, was also on hand to ensure that the detailed theory, operational and maintenance training was fully understood by all parties.

Yemen TV engineers already have experience of Gigawave analogue wireless camera systems having purchased a G-Cam several years ago for coverage of the country's 10th anniversary of independence. Yemen TV also has a helicopter downlink and a number of analogue PTV point to point links.

During his visit to Gigawave , one of the Yemen TV engineers, Mr. Mohammed Al Galal has cause to celebrate. He received the news that he had also become the proud father of a baby boy

Gigawave Technical Centre - April 2005

Gigawave Joins British GT Championship
As part of their digital on-board camera development programme Gigawave engineers are using this year's 'British GT Championship' to test the system under actual race conditions. The first race of the 2005 season was at Donington Park.

Gigawave are planning to enter two Ferrari 360 cars in the GT3 Class of the 2005 British GT Championship. Both cars are race prepared by Ferrari specialists, Damax, who are based in Brackley. Both cars also carry a digital on-board camera system as standard.

Images from each of the on-board camera systems are received in an OB Truck, which is normally parked in a central location, relative to the circuit. The OB Truck is equipped with a large pump-up mast, on which is mounted the receive antennas and RF 'Head' units for the 'Diversity' receive system. Inside the truck the images from both cars are recorded for later evaluation

Next month, the Gigawave/Damax team head off to Magny Cours, home of the French Formula One Grand Prix for the second race of the season.
Donington, England - April 2005

A Good Start to the 2005 Flat Season
Gigawave's diversity receiver system made a good start to this year's Flat Season at Doncaster, with winning images from all three of the big races, the 'Doncaster Mile, the 'Spring Mile', and the showpiece 'Lincoln Heritage Handicap'

Doncaster is considered to be a difficult venue in terms of getting high quality live images from tracking vehicles. However, using a Gigawave 'Diversity' receiver it was possible to follow the leaders around the whole of the course using 16QAM modulation, with a video setting of 4:2:2.

Like the 5:1 favourite, 'Stream of Gold', who romped home to and easy win in the Lincoln Heritage Handicap signals from the digital transmitter romped in to provide the host broadcaster with winning images of the race leaders.
Doncaster, England - April 2005

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