Mobile TV stations by A&T Trade company

By Nikolay Bunarev, Victor Rlimkin, Oleg Mikhaylevskiy

Review contents:

I want OB van Mini mobile television stations by “AudioVideo Technologies” Company “Veresk” Mobile television stations by “Figaro” company “Pultex” mobile multi-camera station Mobile multi-camera TV station by “Era” company is a new series of finished decisions Mobile TV stations by A&T Trade company Mobile television stations by Elvia (Czech Republic) Mobile television stations by I.S.P.A.-Engineering Mobile television station of JC-Sport manufacture Proline multi camera mobile station Mobile television station by Protec company Digital mobile TV stations of Qualitron manufacture Mobile television station of Sat-Comm manufacture If you can not afford mobile television station (instead of afterword)

Digital seven-camera MTS with satellite Swedish 150Km Driveaway receiving-transmitting station

Mobile TV station was designed and built for Lider-TV channel (Baku, Azerbaydjan) by A&T Trade (Moscow, Russia) and Wahberg&Selin (Sweden) and Distefora Protec (Germany) companies jointly.

Protec company was responsible for afterequipping Mercedes Sprinter 416D 4×4 vehicle with self-contained power supply system based on Panda diesel generator of 10 kW, conditioning and heating systems, mechanic devices of body stabilization, and also body noise-thermo-isolation and installment of Swedish 150 Km satellite antenna station. Mounting and adjustment of electronic satellite communication equipment was made by Wahlberg & Selin company. Development of equipment commutation scheme and its installment was made by personnel of Broadcast department of A&T Trade company at Wahlberg & Selin factory in Sweden.

Taking into consideration MTS’s configuration differing greatly from standard one and unique technical filling, the companies finished works on design and construction undertime.

MTS allows conduct shooting, video edit and direct broadcasting of video programs through satellite or relay station.

Lider-TV station is designed for operating with seven video cameras, five of which employ triaxial camera channels and two — multiwire. DVCAM is a main format of video record. Additionally, at customer’s option, there is installed Sony UVW-1800 video tape recorder of Betacam SP format. DSR-1500 video tape recorders operate in three-post linear edit system under control of PVE-500 controller by Sony. Video effects are provided with 16-input DFS-700 mixer, logotype and titling are realized with the help of PC-based titling system and Akula VTM board by Candela company. Visual control of video signal sources is realized with the help of 9" and 14" Sony CRT-monitors; instrumental control is performed by TVM-675 control-measuring equipment by Videotel company; video signal commutation is provided by component 8×8 matrix and component 12×1 commutator by Leitch company; format transformation and signal distribution is realized by Kudos module system by Snell&Wilcox company; service communication is performed by Drake 16-channel matrix.

MTS’s outer connections panel allows switching main and additional sources od sound and video signals as well as relay station.

Director working area contains: main Soundcraft B100 16-channel audio mixer, additional 6-channel audio mixer and radio microphone systems by Shure company manufacture, 2-channel sound processor by LA Audio company, mini disc recorder and control active audio tape recorders by Sony, Kramer audio distribution amplifier and hand commutation panel by Percon company manufacture.

Lider-TV station on a base of Mercedes Sprinter 416D

Vehicle’s roof employs full-motorized receiving-transmitting Swedish 150Km Driveaway satellite antenna with a system of automatic satellite pointing. High-quality equipment and system of digital signal compressing forming a part of satellite station are placed in special transport cases that make the station capable of quick demounting out of MTS and being used as a part of Swedish 150Km Flyaway mobile satellite station.

Now, A&T Trade company has projected MTSs practically for all range of application: from two- to 16-camera configuration, on the basis of formats from DV to IMX and with multi-channel (Dolby Digital 5.1) sound processing.

There are any variants of vehicles: Mercedes Vito 110CDI — for one- or two-camera MTSs, Ford Transit or Mercedes Sprinter 413CDI — for stations with 3…4 cameras, Mercedes Vario 815D — for five/six camera stations, Mercedes Actros 2540 or Volvo FH12 with sliding walls — for 8…12-camera MTSs.

Working places of video producer and audio producer (on the right)

DVCAM mobile shooting station

DVCAM mobile shooting station allows shootings, video record and edit of:

• sports competitions;
• concerts;
• public events;
• stagings and others.

Video channel of the station is designed in digital SDI (270 Mbit/s) standard, which provides high quality of video signal, easy servicing, and reliability. Sony DFS-700P with digital/component board of input splitting is used as video mixer. Digital SD-7588V video matrix by Kramer company widens greatly features of the station. Video signal transformation and distribution equipment bases on modules of IQ line by Snell & Wilcox company manufacture.

Station is completed with four Sony DSR-370P video cameras with digital signal processing providing high horizontal quality and equipped with automatic adjustment systems. The station employs camera channels of new Sony CCU-D50P model that allows operating with DSR-370P and DSR-570P video cameras at maximum cable length of 150m and with DXC-D35P camera head together with CA-537P or CA-D50 camera adapters at maximum cable length of 300m. Cameras are connected with camera channels by multiwire cable (CCZ-A).

Video record is done onto two digital edit Sony DSR-1500P video tape recorders of DVCAM format. Sources for record come independently onto each video tape recorder from digital video matrix. Edit of video materials is possible at switching outer controller. In case additional record of each camera is necessary one may use cameras’ tape recorders.

DVCAM mobile gathering complex

The station may receive one outer non-synchronous video signal of PAL or SECAM standard. Outer input employs cable corrector for compensation of coaxial cable to up to 300 m. The station is capable of adjusting character generator via YUV and KEY inputs.

Mobile station allows on-air broadcasting with the use of relay or satellite mobile stations. The station employs three signal types at its output: composite, component and SDI, which allows its operating with any types of stations.

Visual control is provided by LC monitors with swinging front panel by Wohler company manufacture. Such display devices allowed reducing weight and power consumption of the mobile station. Technical control is ensured by digital Videotek VTM-100D oscillograph — vector display with data screening at LC monitor. Signal injection from any source onto oscillograph comes from one of digital video matrix’s outputs.

Service communication employs basic MS-232 station by Clear-Com company. Camera channels are connected with communication system via IF4-B-4 four-cable interface. Outer communication line may be switched via universal AC-10H interface that allows switching both two- and four-cable communication lines. The station is also capable of communication with director’s assistant, commentator, microphone operator or editor via remote communication blocks.

Mobile shooting station employs analog sound channel. Mackie 1402 VLZ PRO is used as sound mixer. Distribution of sound program onto record and outer receivers is provided by Kramer VM-1110 distribution amplifier. All sound signals come through commutation panel, which allows quick modifying of connections scheme, for instance, commutating channels of video tape recorders. DBX 1066 compressor-limiter is used for sound processing. Active SMS-1P Sony monitors are used as sound control displays.

All equipment is placed in three transport cases with Pro Light International shock absorbers, which allows organizing three working areas for video director, sound producer, and video engineer. Two cable tails with standard XLR and BNC joints are used for commutation between cases. Commutation is done through panels of outer connections at backside of cases. During transportation, studio 5" view finders, optics control sets, operators’ contact fittings, sound monitors and cables are stored in four sliding boxes located in cases. For comfortable transportation the cases are installed onto platforms with 100mm in diameter wheels and equipped with four hands each.

Technical case contains network power supply distributor with antijamming filter. Each distributor’s input is protected by safety lock and equipped with ON indicator lamp. Total power consumption of mobile shooting station makes less than 1kW.

A&T Trade Broadcast