ZDF – HD TV Broadcasting Van MP6

Mobile Production for the Highest Demands

  • ZDF
    Customer
  • Outside Broadcasting
    Markets & Industries
  • Mainz, Deutschland
    City

ZDF with its head office in Mainz is Germany's second public television broadcaster, and one of the largest public broadcasters in Europe. 3600 staff are employed in both Mainz and other regional studios throughout Germany. The ZDF fleet has several broadcasting vans, each equipped for the widest range of deployments. ZDF wanted to add a further mobile production unit (MP) to its broadcasting van fleet.

Task:

BFE was tasked with developing and implementing a new 14-camera broadcasting van. Working closely with the ZDF project team, the MP4 and MP5 vehicles already in use were to be redesigned and upgraded. In integrating the technical components, extensive spatial and climatic requirements also had to be taken into consideration.

Solution:

The bodyshell was manufactured by a specialist automotive manufacturer according to the specifications of BFE and ZDF. Four rooms with a total of 14 workstations were constructed with an innovative air conditioning and space concept in a semi-trailer measuring 12.5 meters in length. These rooms were able to meet the highest acoustic requirements. All the technical components were integrated in just ten weeks by BFE engineers and technicians at the headquarters in Mainz.

Twelve Ikegami HDTV cameras and two Sony super slow motion cameras were integrated into MP6. A Snell Kahuna image mixer and a Miranda NVision 8500 router formed the central components of the video technology. The Kaleido Densité and Kaleido X multiviewers were also from Miranda, and the 20", 24" and 42" displays were from Penta. A type mc2 audio mixing desk with 12 Dallis I/O units from Lawo supplemented by an emergency Yamaha DM100 mixer were the main audio components.

Internal communication was handled by a Riedel KDO system with three Artist 128 frames and 55 intercom stations. Two Madi interfaces formed the connection to the audio routers.

Highlights:

  • The semi-trailer has an impressive and innovative air conditioning and space concept

  • Four working rooms with a total of 14 workstations occupy the overall length of 12.5 meters

  • The broadcasting van meets the highest acoustic demands

  • The technical components were integrated in just ten weeks

Technology:

  • Vehicle

    • Triple axle 12.5 m semi-trailer

    • Extending section measures the full length of the vehicle

    • 4 working rooms separated by sliding doors

  • Air conditioning systems

    • Air conditioning with Daikin VRV compressor and 5 ceiling vaporizers

    • Air conditioning system with Bock compressor and 9 special vaporizers

  • Video technology

    • 12 Ikegami cameras with OSI fiber optic cables

    • 2 Sony SSL cameras with Lemosa fiber optic cables

    • Snell Kahuna 4ME image mixer

    • 6 MAZ machines and 4 EVS Slomo machines

    • Digital Miranda NVision video router with 387 inputs and 612 outputs

    • Various Penta 20", 24", and 42" TFT displays

    • 27 multiviewers with 8/16 inputs

    • Glue products from Lynx

    • 4 stage boxes with network CWDM technology

    • LSB control system

    • Guntermann & Drunck KVM system

    • Measuring devices from DK Technology and Tektronix

  • Audio technology

    • Lawo audio mixer MC66 with 8 Dallis I/O units

    • 4 stage boxes with Dallis I/O unit and Lemosa fiber optic cables

    • Audio monitoring with K+H loudspeakers

    • Emergency Yamaha DM1000 audio mixer

    • Various Dolby coders and encoders

    • A&V RUB-1 clock system

    • TC router with 48 inputs and outputs

    • Riedel KDO system with 3 frames and 128 ports

    • 4 x UHF radio duplex unit

    • 2 x Mayah audio codec / 2 x Studer telephone hybrid

    • Eumex telephone system with system telephones and GSM interface

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