| News Stories and Events November Archived News Stories |
| World
Rally Championship Goes Live! A special 90 minute programme 'World Rally Live' on Channel 4 (UK) included live coverage of 'Margam Park 2', the final stage this years Wales Rally GB. The programme was designed to showcase the sort of television coverage that viewers can expect in the future.
For the past two years, BBC Outside Broadcasts has provided Chrysalis with a production villiage at each WRC event where a world feed and various unilateral feeds, including that for Channel 4, are post produced. In the circumstances, it was natural for Chrysalis to entrust the live coverage of WRC stages to BBC Outside Broadcasts, including the on-board camera systems. Unlike other kinds of motor sport, the live coverage of World Rally Championship events presents broadcasters with an unique challenge. For instance a stage can be many kilometres long and pass through difficult, heavily wooded terrain. Live coverage entails getting simultaneous feeds from fixed cameras, wireless cameras, aerial cameras, and on-board POV cameras, with cars spead out at one minute intervals. Whilst various experiments have taken place in the past, it is only recently that developments in digital RF technology have made live coverage of WRC events a reality. For the Wales Rally GB, BBC Outside Broadcasts used two SNG trucks each with a 'clusters' of four fixed cameras at strategic locations, two AS355 helicopters with gyro-stabilised cameras, and thirteen on-board camera systems. Each on-board camera system consists of two remotely switched POV cameras, the output of which is fed directly into a digital transmitter. In turn, the RF signal is fed into a specially designed digital power amplifier with integral patch antenna. The antenna is mounted flush with the roof of the car to avoid effecting the aerodynamics of the car. Using QPSK modulation, the signal is transmitted up to a pressurised aircraft, which orbited the stage at circa 15,000 feet (5,000 metres) Up in the specially equipped aircraft, signals from up to four cars are received simultaneously using a highly sophisticated low-profile energy seaking phased array antenna. The effective gain of this software controlled antenna is equivalent to four independently steered 18dB antennas. To avoid introducing further delay, the aircraft is equipped with four Gigawave 'Rebro' systems to relay the signals back to the ground receive site. For the WalesRally GB, images from the two helicopters, were transmitted direct to the ground receive site at Margam Park,using Gigawave MTV-D transmitter. Signals from both helicopters as well as the four downlinks from the mid-point aircraft were received at the ground receive site using MVL-D receivers, the output of which was fed directly into the BBC Outside Broadcasts OB Truck. Finally, in addition to 13 digital uplinks and six digital downlinks, a Gigawave D-Cam wireless camera system was used at Margam Park to interview drivers at the end of the stage. A total of 20 Gigawave digital microwave links! Commenting on the project , David Kerr, Channel 4's Head of Sport, said in a recent interview:
|
| Moto
GP - A Brilliant Year for Rossi Valentino Rossi ended a brilliant MotoGP season with yet another victory in Valencia, his ninth of the season! Since the season started in Japan, Rossi has taken the chequered flag nine times to end the season with a record breaking 357 Championship points.
Earlier this year Gigawave supplied Dorna with 30 'Mini' transmitters together with 30 specially designed data receivers, which 'piggyback' onto the Mini TX. The data receivers are used to provide Dorna engineers and production personnel with full remote control of the on-board cameras. In addition to Gigawave on-board camera systems, Dorna have been using two MTV-D digital transmitters, with camcorders, for live pitlane and paddock coverage, since the start of this season.These have transformed the way that Dorna have coverered pitlane action and live interviews with riders like Rossi. Dorna have been using backpack mounted MTV-D transmitters with pitlane poles because of their need to record all the footage that is shot by their cameramen. However, with the advent of the D-Cam 'Clip-on', this is no loinger necessary and for the last three events of the season Dorna have been evaluating the D-Cam 'Clip-on' wireless camera system. The cameramen love the 'Clip-on' as it gives them greater freedom and is so light and easy to use. With MotoGP, like other motorsport events, performance and reliability
are the winning combination! |
More News |