TV & RADIO BROADCASTING

In 2015, the TV channel received a complete technical re-equipment, which brought TV5 to a new level of broadcasting. The channel was able to purchase a new professional camera system, modernized studio and broadcast equipment, and modern filming sets and studios. Thanks to this, the image quality has significantly improved – the channel has switched to HD resolution with a 16:9 format. The channel was re-equipped by VisionHOUSE, a leading system integrator.

National record

The main goal of the renewed TV5 is to provide viewers with only high-quality, verified and up-to-date information, to inform the audience about all current events in the country, region and city, to explore and reflect on issues important to Zaporizhzhia residents in politics, culture, sports, etc. . the channel launched new projects – informational, entertainment, and analytical. All this together allows TV5 not only to be the best channel in Zaporizhzhia region, but also to set new goals on a national scale.

One of the most striking   examples of this was the national record set on August 27, 2015, for which TV5 received an award from the Ukrainian Book of Records for the longest morning show. The telethon started on August 26 at 7:00 a.m. and was recorded on August 27 at 9:00 a.m. on TV5. More than 150 people visited the studio during the 26 hours of live broadcast of Morning with TV5. The audience saw musicians and dancers, TV presenters, athletes and doctors, KVN participants, famous Zaporizhzhia residents and national stars. Different cities and countries were in touch with the studio, and viewers saw the broadcasts from different parts of their hometowns.

TV marathon “Morning with TV5 “ was a successful test drive of the new VisionHOUSE project 26  hours of live TV, more than 150 guests in the studio.

“It was an exciting event for us, because VisionHOUSE provided technological modernization of TV5 infrastructure, and this marathon became a kind of test drive for the new project,” said Nikolay Zaluzhny, director of VisionHOUSE. – “On behalf of our entire team, we congratulate our colleagues on a great start!”

During the marathon, the marathon successfully used the region’s exclusive high-resolution video transmission technologies using the Bonding technology of mobile wireless networks from technical partners LiveU.

Technical details 

• mobile scalable studio suspension system
• reduced energy consumption in the studio
• the world’s most successful video mixer Ross Video Carbonite in ASB
• integrated BroadStream Oasys playout
• LiveU cellular bonding system for live broadcasts

Alexander Pulyaev, chief engineer at TV5, comments:
 
“The technical condition of the TV channel at the time of re-equipment had not been updated for more than 10 years with all the ensuing consequences, or rather, the failing consequences, when it was no longer possible to solve the problem by phased modernization, because the new and old equipment were in different “eras” in terms of technological progress.
 
Therefore, when drawing up the terms of reference, it was decided to build technological modules that would allow the TV company to work with quality that meets the requirements of today’s media market. Thus, HD was chosen as the internal format for data transmission from shooting – editing – storage to broadcasting, and the signal transmission system from the TV company to the transmission center would have to provide a signal to analog and digital DVB T2 transmitters simultaneously.
 
In addition to the “classic” technology modules – TLC, video and sound editing equipment, studio and studio hardware, broadcast hardware and office infrastructure – we added completely new positions for file and feed injection, compositing, central media database, system traffic, data transmission systems between the ACS and the server, as well as from the server to the transmission center via fiber optic communication line.
 
To fulfill our tasks, we engaged VisionHOUSE, a company with extensive experience in building television systems that meet modern requirements. The use of equipment from such well-known global brands as SONY, Blackmagic Design, Apple, HP, LG, Samsung, VariZoom, OASYS, Imagine Communications, as well as a skillfully built training system that includes online sessions with the manufacturer, allowed the company to build a completely new TV channel that has a video wall, a modern lighting system for the studio pavilion, a newsroom and an octocopter that works with professional photography equipment.
 
Thanks to the comprehensive, well-thought-out solutions of the VisionHOUSE integrator and the experienced staff of the TV channel, the technological modernization of the TV company has raised the interest of viewers in our product, the crown of which is, of course, a record telethon: 26 hours of live broadcasting, which was the first serious test for the new equipment and the entire team, and confirmed the status of the best TV channel in the region.”

2015

The studio looks like it’s from the future, broadcasting in an on-line non-stop mode, close contact with new media and getting news on the air much faster than others. Bold and innovative ideas brought to life with the help of modern TV technologies.

Work on the project started in early 2013. Even at the stage of the technical assignment, it became clear that the new TV channel was going to be the most unusual in the history of Ukrainian TV in terms of technical design – there were many differences from classic projects for standard TV channels. The integrator’s specialists once again had the opportunity to work on the realization of innovative TV ideas. Needless to say, they did a great job.

“112 Ukraine was conceived as a news channel with a large share of live broadcasts (10 to 16 hours a day). The premises planned for the studio were small, with a low ceiling, so the integrator was faced with the task of organizing dynamic multi-camera HD broadcasting in a minimal space.

A news channel requires that live broadcasts be supported by a large number of video and audio materials, texts, sound, and graphics. And all this should be done quickly, efficiently, dynamically, and with great interactivity.

“The integrator had to implement a format that had not yet been seen in Ukraine.”

Reliability and efficiency

The 112 Ukraine TV channel was built from scratch. From a technical point of view, the final project was significantly influenced by three main components: a balanced budget policy of a small but very ambitious TV channel, the use of advanced developments by leading global brands, and a powerful creative component that includes a large number of live broadcasts and extensive use of the Internet.

In addition to creating modern HD news and entertainment production and broadcasting, VisionHOUSE specialists had to think outside the box more than once to put the customer’s bold ideas into practice – traditionally based on equipment and solutions from world leaders.

• robotic shooting in a variety of locations with high-quality light
• maximum automation of news production
• integrated playout
• a powerful complex in terms of functionality on a small territory

The modern news complex was built on the basis of solutions from Avid Technology, the world’s leading manufacturer of news equipment. The project uses ISIS 5000 distributed access storage, Avid iNEWS newsroom system, news production stations based on Avid NewsCutter, the latest version of the Interplay media content management system, including the first installation of Interplay Sphere in Ukraine, which connects journalists’ workstations to the TV company’s production complex remotely via a web interface. Also, for the first time in our country, 112 Ukraine TV channel used a new solution for creating on-air graphics with 3D effects – Avid Motion Graphics (AMG). Sound editing is performed on Avid Pro Tools stations.

Thus, news production at 112 Ukraine is as automated as possible. When journalists prepare a story, any changes are automatically reflected in the playlist, which minimizes human error. The ability to manage graphics and video materials from a single workstation also makes work much easier.

On-air automation, ingest and playout are implemented on the basis of the popular TV channel in a box technology from Oasys. The uninterrupted operation of broadcasting is ensured by two servers – the main and the backup.

The video path is based on Imagine Communications solutions: SD/HD/3G Platinum 128×128 central video router with full redundancy and Predator II signal monitoring system. All cameras, video mixers and monitors are Sony equipment, including HD XDCAM EX3 TLC cameras. Clear-Com equipment, including the 36-port Eclipse Pico communication matrix, is used for service communications. The digital archive and traffic system are from the Ukrainian company In Media, which developed integration with the Avid news production system and the Oasys playout system.

“The task was to build a news channel. The main distinguishing feature is the high efficiency of news reporting. Thus, the integrator needed  to implement a format that was not yet available in Ukraine,” said Yuriy Ivanov, CTO of 112 Ukraine.

“The concept of integrated playout was chosen deliberately and consciously because we are all moving in this direction. As a contractor, we chose VisionHOUSE because it offered one of the most optimal solutions on the market in terms of both news production and hardware and broadcasting. For a very reasonable price, we have access to the best solutions from world leaders: Sony, Avid Technology, Imagine Communications, Oasys, Clear-Com, Nevion. Competitors’ offers were significantly inferior.

Another big plus is the work of this company’s specialists. They do not just sell equipment, they delve very deeply into the process, they live the project. This approach was very appropriate, as there were a lot of unusual tasks during the installation that required a non-standard approach. And they are just very comfortable to work with. “

A gem of news production

The planning and installation of the studio complex in this project was the most challenging task. The task included a small studio size, low ceilings, a limited budget, and a plan for 10-16 hours of live broadcasting per day.

To realize the entire project and the studio in particular, we found many solutions unique to our country. For example, cameras. A total of 17 of them were installed. Typically, news studios are equipped with 3-5 cameras, while the largest studios in our country have 6-8 cameras. There are 17 of them in the studio, newsroom, and meeting rooms at once, and each of them can go live at any time. In terms of implementation, this is quite difficult.

At this TV channel, the studio is not the only place for filming. The implemented concept includes many unusual locations – for news, reception, thematic programs and newsrooms. All this implies a continuous, seamless transition from one location to another. In other words, live broadcasts and various inclusions of journalists from the street and the studio should instantly replace each other. Therefore, the classical approach to building studios with large studio cameras and operators in this case faces a number of serious problems. And there was no room for bulky cameras and operators at all.

The studio of 112 Ukraine uses Sony BRC-H900 and BRC-Z330 dome robotic cameras with all the necessary additional equipment, such as prompter and lights. Typically, dome cameras are installed permanently and have rather limited view and focus characteristics. Some of the cameras in the studio are mounted on tripods, while others are mounted on special suspensions that allow them to be fixed in several positions. In addition, the cameras are suspended on special rails, and the wiring is designed in such a way that the cameras can move around the room. Only in meeting rooms are dome cameras used in the project, installed in their natural position – rigidly fixed to the ceiling. Any concerns about whether budget robotic cameras would be able to cope with high TV standards, especially HD broadcasting, were allayed during the first tests. And the high quality of the picture shot in the studio was recognized by the entire Ukrainian TV community. Moreover, Sony specialists were pleasantly surprised by the unusual nature of the task for which the cameras of this model range were used.

“They don’t just sell equipment, they go very deep into the process, they live the project .  

The robotic cameras were also used to implement an unusual task for the Ukrainian TV market: broadcasting numerous live stories directly from two newsrooms. At 20 of the 30 journalist seats, the company organized the ability to broadcast live pictures and sound of an Internet story or video chat with interactive studio guests, as well as to overlay a journalist’s voice commentary. Again, the cameras in the newsroom allow the journalist to be filmed. Matrox equipment is used to display Internet video, which allows recording video from a journalist’s PC screen in real time and broadcasting it.

The organization of high-quality lighting at journalists’ workplaces, which are not usually used for filming, is another successfully completed task, the level of which can be assessed by the picture of the 112 Ukraine TV channel. We mainly used lighting equipment from Lowel and Dexel Lighting.

Another nuance: in the design of the studio, a lot of attention was paid to the video wall and broadcasting content on them. Thus, more creativity is introduced into the picture in the studio with guests in the meeting rooms. Panels connected by a thin “seam” form video walls of various shapes and sizes. Moreover, different video walls can broadcast different content. For this purpose, Dexon video processors are used to generate the signal to these video walls. They allow you to generate a video signal, as well as receive and transmit an external signal to the panel, add effects, etc. All content on the video walls is managed from a single computer, which greatly facilitates the work. Thus, not only the material to be broadcasted is generated in the ASB, but also the video presentation of the entire studio is created.

“This is definitely a very interesting project not only in our country but also in the world practice – a lot of filming locations, robotic cameras with a complete absence of classic cameras with operators. In fact, a studio and a newsroom are organized on a very small territory, and all of these are compact and stylish elements of the scenery,” comments Alexander Selyaninov, commercial director of VisionHOUSE. “The installation of 17 robotic cameras, their control system and switching was probably the most difficult thing for us in this project. The unusual nature of the task required a lot of interesting non-trivial solutions from our team.

We also tinkered a lot with the lighting, because the room was low. Therefore, it was a challenge to place the light so that it would move, take up little space, and fully meet the requirements of HD broadcasting.

The result is a powerful complex in terms of functionality on a small territory. Everything is compact and well thought out. We can say that 112 TV channel has the most modern news production in Ukraine today in terms of technical equipment.”

2013

At the end of 2012, the National Television Company of Ukraine (NTCU) built one of the country’s most modern multichannel broadcasting complexes, which is as good as the similar complexes of the country’s largest media groups in terms of its technical capabilities. This project laid a serious foundation for the future development of national state television in Ukraine.

The National Television Company of Ukraine dates back to 1939. Having become a pioneer of Ukrainian television, UA:PBC continues to be one of the leading players in the Ukrainian TV market in modern history. The company currently broadcasts First National TV channel (on satellite, analog and DVB-T2), international satellite channel First Ukraine, as well as a version of Euronews adapted for Ukrainian viewers.

High competition in our country’s television market poses challenges for any Ukrainian TV channel, the solution of which has a huge effect on the further development of the media group. An important place among them is occupied by technical equipment.

The actions planned by the management of the state broadcaster, including a large-scale modernization of the technical component of the channel, not only strengthened the channel’s position in the television space of our country, but also gave a powerful impetus to the development of the TV company in the near future. The results were not long in coming. Back in 2009, First National was consistently ranked 16-17 in the channel rating, with little hope of developing and strengthening its position. Today, the channel is consistently among the top ten, and its ratings among the 18+ audience (all of Ukraine) have more than doubled.

Objectives.

One of these steps was a large-scale modernization of the on-air equipment and archive. The project was entrusted to the system integrator MacHOUSE (now VisionHOUSE), which has extensive experience in building and maintaining similar systems for the largest Ukrainian media groups (Media Group Ukraine, Inter Media Group, 1+1 Media).

The task assigned to the integrator was to design and build a modern media complex that would allow the TV and radio company to develop and expand organically. The complex is planned for 4 channels, but it was necessary to provide for the possibility of expanding to 8 or more channels in the future, as well as to provide for the transition to HD broadcasting in the near future.

In addition, UA:PBC has one of the largest video archives in the country. Such archival media as disks and cassettes make it difficult to access and use the material efficiently. Therefore, the integrator was faced with the task of not only building a modern digital archive that would simply serve the airwaves, but also providing an opportunity to start a large-scale digitization process of the existing cassette archive.

The TV company’s management took the issue of reliability, functionality, and quality very seriously, so all components responsible for broadcasting TV channels and storing video materials were fully reserved.

One of the requirements of the NCCU was to build the project on the basis of equipment and software solutions from world leaders in their field, that is, the level of functionality and quality should be the highest on the market.

Tight integration of all components and maximum automation of broadcasting allows the leading state TV channel to broadcast steadily and efficiently with a large number of different content.

Several separate modern complexes were implemented as part of one project:

• two broadcasting rooms, each serving two TV channels (separate streams are formed for broadcasting of the First National TV channel on the satellite and in the DVB-T2 network FIRST T2, as well as FIRST Ukraine and Euronews);
• built and equipped hardware engineering rooms, a server room – a data processing center (DPC) and a central digital archive.

All components responsible for broadcasting are fully redundant, which guarantees uninterrupted operation of the broadcast.

The complex is currently broadcasting in SD, but is fully prepared to switch to HD in the future. For example, the London Olympics, Eurovision Song Contest, and Sochi Olympics were recorded in high definition, and the material was sent to the archive in HD, even though it was broadcast in standard SD.

Technologies

Based on the customer’s wishes, the complexes are built on the basis of the best equipment from the world’s leading brands:

• SD / HD / 3G central video router Platinum 128×256 with full redundancy;
• 6 terrestrial SD / HD servers of the latest generation Nexio NX3801 and Nexio Farad disk array;
• IconMaster air remotes;
• Predator II signal distribution and monitoring system and JVC LCD panels;
• ORAD 3Dplay 3D graphics with 6 inputs;
• automation of the D-Series broadcasting complex v.5;
• архів Front Porch Digital DIVArchive;
• Oracle StorageTek SL3000 tape library;
• a media transcoding system based on Telestream FlipFactory;
• Invenio Media Asset Management (MAM) system for archiving, searching, content management, etc.

Most of the components already have many years of positive experience in use on the country’s largest TV channels. The exception was the Invenio MAM system, which was installed for the first time in Ukraine. This solution performs automatic archiving and restoration of the required high and low resolution video materials for broadcast, and also allows you to administer the required disk space on the complex’s servers.

Functionality of the media resource management system for working with the archive:

• search for materials;
• description and logging of materials;
• creating projects, editing video materials;
• import of materials;
• activation of work processes (archiving, restoring, deleting, renaming, etc.);
• work with thesauri;
• work with low-resolution materials;
• support for various formats;
• the ability to integrate with various databases.

Oleksandr Selyaninov, commercial director of VisionHOUSE:

“The newly built complex involves a large number of different professional equipment and components, world-class software, which had to be made as compatible as possible. This project is characterized by a very high degree of integration between all components, and all processes in preparation for broadcasting or during broadcasting are automated as much as possible, as they were supplied by one manufacturer – Harris Broadcast (Imagine Communications).

We have gained extensive experience in building broadcast automation and installing such multichannel broadcasting systems, when several TV channels broadcast from one site.

One of the most difficult tasks in this project was the implementation of the MAM system and its integration with the digital archive. This was the first installation of the Invenio MAM system in Ukraine, and it was a rather laborious process of optimization for a specific customer, its tasks and workflows. I would like to express my gratitude to the staff of the National Television Company of Ukraine, with whom we have done this work together.”

The practice of implementing a digital archive at the National Television Company of Ukraine is also interesting. In terms of its scale, this is the largest installed library in terms of television archives.

Technical details

D-Series automation controls all devices in the broadcast control room. They have the highest possible degree of integration with each other, as they were supplied by the same manufacturer (Harris, now called Imagine Communications). All these factors minimize the occurrence of errors due to equipment incompatibility or human error. The system manages many processes in the process of preparing for broadcasting or during broadcasting.

Broadcast automation is integrated with the DIVArchive archive from Front Porch Digital. One example of the integrated operation of the systems: if the material is not available on the broadcast server but is in the archive, it is automatically pulled from the archive, fed to the broadcast server and played. Also, in the future, it is planned to add integration with the newsroom, production and other production complexes of the TV channel.

The project provides for the possibility of future development of the National Television Company of Ukraine. Initially, the task was to build a large tape library that would support expansion. There are 8 expansion cabinets and 2 robots that can replace each other. The library was built with a high degree of redundancy, and its expansion potential is impressive – its capacity can be increased dozens or even hundreds of times, depending on the future needs of the National Television Company of Ukraine.

In the process of implementing the digital archive and the MAM system, the integrator, together with the specialists of the National Television Company of Ukraine, carried out laborious work to ensure that the description of the material to be archived in the future met the requirements they have now (before that, it was partly described on paper and partly distributed among old databases). Now the material can be easily found and used.

Thus, close integration of all components and maximum automation of broadcasting allows the leading state TV channel to broadcast steadily and efficiently with a large amount of diverse content. The construction of the digital archive and the implementation of the MAM system allowed us to start a large-scale process of digitizing this archive. The process will take years, but a solid and reliable foundation has already been laid.

Oleksandr Bondarenko, chief technologist of the National Television Company of Ukraine, comments:

“To implement this project, the integrator company offered time-tested components, convenient, reliable, supplied by leading global manufacturers, with many years of positive experience in use on Ukrainian TV channels. For example, D-Series automation and the Front Porch archive have already proven themselves at Inter Media Group and 1+1 Media. Nexio’s broadcast servers are the most widespread in Ukraine. Platinum video routers are currently installed in 8 installations in our country. Most of the other components are the same.

Last but not least, we conducted many trainings on how to work with all components of the system (automation, servers, etc.). The trainings were conducted by experts from the integrator and key vendors such as Harris Broadcast, Front Porch Design, Oracle, and Orad.

From the very first days of the project, we quickly formed a group of engineers who, from the beginning of the installation to the launch, studied, worked, set up and are now maintaining this equipment. During the project, we had to both learn and test new equipment and work in the old control rooms, because no one canceled the main work. We were very pleased that even after the training, the integrator’s specialists continued the practice of testing the technological path of the broadcasting complex in absentia together with our specialists, both during the setup and launch of the equipment and its operation directly on the air, when all the nuances and features were revealed. “

2012

On December 1, 2011, Tonis, a Ukrainian TV channel, went on air in a new format, changing its brand, corporate identity, broadcasting standard (HD) and concept, and began producing its own HD television content. To maintain coverage and reach the entire audience, most of whom do not have the technical capability to receive HD video, Tonis also generates a signal for the analog network and in SD (standard definition) format.

“The system integrator was faced with the task of building a TV channel with a completely new infrastructure within a limited budget and in a very short period of time (two months),” said Yuriy Boychuk, technical director of Tonis TV channel. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t use any of the old equipment because of the high requirements for HD solutions. We had to replace everything – monitors, processing, even video cables. The channel works with a large amount of in-house content – about 5 hours a day.

The installation was completed on time as stipulated in the contract. All the work was done at a very high level. All the issues that arose in the course of the work were resolved through joint efforts.

Thanks to the introduction of the new infrastructure, the picture has changed, first of all. It is a pity that not all viewers can appreciate the quality at the moment. The channel creates two programs for viewers: in HD for Volya Cable HD subscribers and in SD (satellite, analog broadcasting, digital terrestrial broadcasting) for everyone else. “

HD TV channel with new infrastructure in two months. 

“All the work was done at a very high level.”

“We were faced with the task of building (practically from scratch) a TV channel in HD format,” said Alexander Selyaninov, Commercial Director of VisionHOUSE. “The project consists of an on-air part, a studio with ASB, news production and production. The challenge was to build the first HD channel in Ukraine in a short time, and to do so without interrupting Tonis’ broadcasting. We offered the best solution in terms of functionality and quality based on proven and world-renowned Avid, Nevion, Harris and Sony technologies, and through competent design we achieved the optimal cost of the project.

The on-air part of the project includes Harris Nexio NX3801 SD/HD servers and Harris ADC automation. The news production and production facilities are based on the Avid ISIS 5000 distributed storage system and MediaComposer and NewsCutter editing stations.

The studio is equipped with Sony studio cameras. ASB uses a Ross Carbonite video mixer. Ingest and transcoding are provided by Telestream Pipeline and FlipFactory solutions. Optics – Nevion, monitoring – Harris Predator II. Video and audio processing is carried out by Harris and Nevion sync sets. The central matrix is Harris Platinum, with on-air graphics provided by Harris Inscriber. Service connection – ClearCom Median.”

2011

As part of the Football TV channel expansion project, the integrator was tasked with preparing a project for broadcasting football matches in HD. The solution had to be flexible, reliable, and scalable, and the development and implementation of the project had to be completed within a very tight deadline.

In preparation for the broadcast of the European Football Championship EURO 2012 in 2011, as part of the Football TV channel expansion project, the integrator was tasked with preparing a project for broadcasting football matches in HD. The solution had to be flexible, reliable and scalable, and the development and implementation of the project had to be completed within a very tight timeframe. In addition, the new solution had to integrate into the existing environment (TRK Ukraine broadcasting complex in Kyiv) and provide redundancy of content playback, graphics and channel branding.

“We are satisfied with the solution because we have retained the existing technology, we have not created third-party solutions, and all components are identical and interchangeable.”

А. Khlaponin, technical director of Ukraina shopping mall

In the course of the new project, the Football TV channel’s capacities were expanded: two new Nexio AMP 3801 servers, an additional SBOD disk array, Inscriber G7 on-air graphics systems, and Icon Master on-air switcher were added. Pebble Beach automation was modernized to provide redundant titling and channel branding, as well as to create more licenses.

“The key feature of this project is the fact that we did not build a new technology, did not add components from other manufacturers, but expanded the existing one, inserted internal components, such as matrix I/O boards, multiviewers, etc. This kind of work would not have been possible if the future development of the entire technological complex had not been properly planned from the very beginning,” comments Andrey Khlaponin, CTO of TRK Ukraine. “Since server space is limited, TRK Ukraine engineers, together with the integrator’s engineers, had to replace all the outdated workstations that took up four times more space than the new ones. Another challenge that had to be solved was to upgrade the automation system. At the moment, Ukraine Media Group broadcasts four TV channels, and it was important to modernize without stopping broadcasting, which our specialists successfully managed. We are satisfied with the solution because the existing technology remained, we did not use third-party solutions, and all components are identical and interchangeable. The staff has experience working with such equipment. “

The integrator was tasked with modernizing TRK Ukraine’s broadcasting complex in a short time:

1. broadcasting of an additional channel in HD format (with mirror redundancy of all elements of the path);
2. broadcasting of two additional channels in SD format (with redundancy of key elements of the path).

To solve these problems, it was necessary to modernize the terrestrial router by adding additional inputs/outputs, multiviewers, and crossover cards. It was also necessary to increase the amount of disk space of the broadcast system, add the required number of playback ports, additional broadcast consoles, frame format converters, etc.

All manipulations were carried out on a working system (four TV channels were on the air, and it was impossible to stop their work). Despite the complexity of the project, the tasks were completed ahead of schedule.

2011

In 2008, the First National TV Channel’s technical fleet was replenished with two modern stations: a two-camera SNG machine with the ability to expand to four cameras for broadcasting on the basis of a Mercedes Sprinter, and the first station in Ukraine based on a Ford Expedition SUV for shooting news, including in hard-to-reach places. 

Tasks: “live” news

“The most important task we face is to promptly collect, process and publish information,” says Valeriy Vergelesov, deputy head of the technical support complex of the Novosti TV channel of the First National TV Channel. “If a viewer is offered a choice between live or recorded news, 95% will choose live news. After all, it is much more interesting – a person empathizes, being a real witness to what is happening. To maximize coverage of the territory, you need to show what is happening directly from the scene whenever possible. Therefore, we were tasked with building two mobile TV stations with the ability to beam up to the satellite and broadcast live.”

Ford is a reporter, and Mercedes is a correspondent who studies the material in more detail and does more time and work.

“The company has a fairly large fleet of PTCs (four), but there is not a single satellite station,” added Ruslan Tkachenko, chief producer of the NTCU information service. “Therefore, we have to either cooperate with other companies or be tied to our cable network, which, although quite developed, always “chains” the machine to a certain point where we can work. If an event takes place far from our location, it is very uncomfortable to work. We are deprived of the basic ability to respond quickly to any events, and to present the event competently, not to mention promptly include it in the news. In addition, in the Ukrainian market, First National has exceptional opportunities for live broadcasts of many important state events: Independence Day celebrations, public events on May 9, the anniversary of the Holodomor, etc. Broadcasts and live events are our brand. So satellite stations are an urgent issue for us, and satellite stations that can operate in news mode are simply an urgent need.” Thus, the need for two types of PTS was identified: one for sports and news broadcasts and the other for live news broadcasts. The systems should have different priorities: the first one should be fault-tolerant and, therefore, 100% reserved for all major functional blocks, the second one should be mobile and be able to deliver a journalist to the most inaccessible places.

The solution: a mobile office and an all-terrain reporter

Efficiency and compactness are important for news vehicles, because a long, bulky, heavy machine is slow to get to a point, can block traffic and get stuck in the city. A small, lightweight car can go anywhere. At the same time, the vehicle must be powerful enough to transport people and equipment. As a result, two solutions were selected in August 2007: a mobile TV station based on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter 515 CDI for broadcasting and a mobile TV station based on a Ford Expedition 4×4 XLT for live news broadcasts.

• Ukraine’s first off-road DSNG PTS for shooting in hard-to-reach places
• ergonomics
• a fully equipped commentary desk
• energy independence of both machines
• PTCs are ready to work without an escort vehicle
• DSNG stations are thought out to the smallest detail

The project is characterized by carefully thought-out solutions. The stations are designed primarily to solve news-related tasks, so it was necessary to maximize compatibility with the digital news complex of the First National TV Channel. The Ford station uses an Ikegami DNS-33W camera that uses Editcam tapeless shooting technology, the same as the one used in the journalistic complex. The Avid Xpress Pro nonlinear editing stations with Mojo SDI that came with the first and second machines support Editcam drives and operate in the same environment as the newsroom. In other words, the footage recorded on hard disks can be used at editing stations in the PTS and/or in the newsroom.

Thus, the work in both PTCs is compatible with the future newsroom at the hardware level, at the software level, at the level of file encodings and camera work. Journalists, cameramen and engineers working in news can easily work on PTCs with the same editing stations without the need to retrain. All kinds of program graphics, design style – all of this can be easily cloned without any additional time costs. It is also possible to change the number of Editcam cameras in accordance with the current specific task and work with the number that is needed.

Mercedes has a Swe-Dish DriveAway 150 KM satellite dish, while Ford has a lightweight Drive Away 120 KM dish. Both dishes have the ability to automatically point to a satellite with GPS fixation. In the machine intended for broadcasting, transmitters and modulator encoders in the satellite part, as well as video and audio paths are reserved. RossVideo Synergy 100 is used as the main video console, and the bypass is implemented on a Network Electronics (now Nevion) matrix switcher. A Makie was used as the main console in the sound path, and an Alesis in a rack-mounted version was used as a backup. All the important points of both the video and audio paths are routed to matrix switches, which serves as another layer of protection. The clock generator is based on IQ modular solutions from Snell & Wilcox, and this unit is also reserved.

“A poorly prepared broadcast on one of the commercial channels means simply no broadcast, while the announced, announced and unavailable broadcast of a state event is a challenge to Ukraine’s authority, a reason for gossip, a national problem. We cannot afford any non-technological solutions,” said Ruslan Tkachenko.

Conversion, signal distribution, time-shift correction, and synchronization of external signals are implemented on Snell & Wilcox and RossVideo solutions. In the smaller machine, the routing takes place on a Network Electronics router. No special effects are required for information inclusions, the main task is to combine several signals in a clean transition, if necessary, or to feed the source that came through this router to the program.

Both machines are completely energy-independent – their own built-in generators (not remote, but built-in, operating from the vehicle’s common fuel tank) allow them to work in the field (literally). Of course, when working in a settlement, it is possible to power up from the city’s network. In the event of problems with power supply from the city, thanks to the presence of UPS, the station will switch to an autonomous power supply from the generator without interruption.

The ergonomic organization of workplaces is very important for mobile systems. Mercedes has three workstations for a sound engineer, a director, and an engineer. In the same compartment, there is a table on which the installation station with all communications is located. In addition, the passenger seat next to the driver has an additional soundproof workstation with the ability to read and comment on events. “Commercial channels never have such tasks as we do,” says Ruslan Tkachenko. “No one has to show, for example, the Yalta summit in the Livadia Palace, and such events require a commentary seat. We received a car with a commentary seat next to the driver with the ability to connect a microphone and control the signal on the driver’s LCD information display. The car will mostly be operated in a different mode, but knowing that such a situation is possible, we anticipate it. Even if it happens once a year, it should be done comfortably and efficiently. The place is soundproofed, and you can comment on events or read there.”

The SNG project based on Ford Expedition was implemented for the first time in Ukraine, and almost entirely by the integrator, including coaching, internal design of the vehicle and all other work except for the electrical and satellite parts. To ensure work in hard-to-reach places, we analyzed vehicles with all-wheel drive and a sufficiently high ground clearance – the task was to build a station based on an SUV. The choice fell on the Ford Expedition, which provides sufficient working space. In other cars, it is impossible to place equipment, make comfortable workplaces and still maintain stability. Of course, this is a non-standard vehicle – it has an increased cargo capacity and a number of options for optimal use of space.

The cameras can be connected to the analog and digital SDI inputs on the machine. If the cameras are connected via SDI, it is possible to use embedded audio, so that both audio and video can be transmitted over a single coaxial cable. Ford can work with four external sources: two digital SDI and two analog signals.

“We assumed that one camera would be enough on a Ford SUV because it can go everywhere, and more will be used to shoot in hard-to-reach places and operational situations where there is no time to deploy multiple cameras, although two cameras can be connected if necessary,” says Valeriy Vergelesov.

Mercedes currently has two cameras with the possibility of expanding to four in the future so that the station can provide high-quality coverage of official events and other events. In order to conduct full-fledged broadcasts of official events with the participation of members of the Government, the Verkhovna Rada, and the President, we must quickly get to the scene and ensure the highest quality of all technological elements.

“Mercedes is a full-fledged satellite PTS for small broadcasts and simple conferences,” Ruslan Tkachenko comments. “Now there are two cameras, but there is a possibility of expanding to four cameras. This is a mobile correspondent center with the ability to conduct briefings, editing and live broadcasts.

Ford will drive up any mountain, drive on any sidewalk in the city and still provide power. It is designed specifically for filming, editing, and live broadcasting. The TLC camera, which is included with the machine, can be included in the satellite station path. That is, a driver, a satellite engineer, a cameraman, and a journalist get into the car, go on a business trip to the scene, shoot, transfer, edit, and record a large amount of video material, and then immediately use this camera. The cameras are compatible with those provided in the new Ikegami Editcam information system. Mercedes broadcasts and conducts teleconferences, while Ford shoots news and makes live broadcasts. Ford is a reporter, and Mercedes is a correspondent who studies the material in more detail, does more long and hard work.”

“In the Ukrainian television market, First National has exceptional opportunities for live broadcasts of important events,” comments Ruslan Tkachenko, chief producer of the National Television Company of Ukraine’s information service. “And these are events of national importance: Independence Day, parades, May 9, the anniversary of the Holodomor, etc. Broadcasts and live events are our brand. So satellite stations are an urgent issue for us, and satellite stations that can work in news mode are simply an urgent need.

The integrator completed the task in full. The Mercedes-based station has a very ergonomic workspace and is designed to be compatible with the future newsroom. In Ukraine, no one has ever built a satellite station on the basis of a jeep, we have only seen such solutions at exhibitions. But it’s one thing to have an exhibition, and quite another to perceive a machine from the point of view of an operator. But it’s one thing to have an exhibition, and quite another to perceive a machine from the point of view of an operator. When you work at night, you need a light to shine at this point, and here you need to put journalistic notes … All these “little things” are discovered in the course of direct work with the machine.

The integrator’s specialists were very attentive to our wishes, provided for all the little things, put shelves, extension cords, etc. where necessary. We are very pleased with the result.”

“There has never been a jeep-based SNG in Ukraine before, so this was the first such solution,” said Valeriy Vergelesov. “Naturally, we expected that, as often happens with the first pancake, there would be some inconsistencies, inconsistencies, but to my surprise, we did not have any significant problems. All the wishes we discussed were taken into account almost immediately, and we were offered high-quality equipment for ascending to the satellite, as well as the receiving and transmitting parts. We coordinated the location of the equipment in the machine and the arrangement of functional elements.

According to our request, the integrator made a special structure on the roof to cover the dish from possible branches and stones, to protect it from wind and dirt – the dish should be open in any case, but its side is protected. All wishes were met, down to the smallest detail: additional elements, drawers for documentation, etc. After all, the main task is an unaccompanied car, so we had to take into account all the nuances.

The machines are built with a view to future development, which is already inherent in them, and we just need to add additional equipment. In order to easily integrate the PTS with the TV company’s news complex in the future, space was provided for future camera channels. The Ford-based station will be able to connect two cameras with triaxial adapters, which means that when we have additional cameras, we will immediately install them in the car without modifying anything. It is also possible to connect additional VCRs.

Both machines were delivered within the contractual timeframe. It was a fruitful collaboration. “

2008