PITTSBURGH—NEP announced the launch of ND1, a new mobile television production unit designed and built primarily to support NBC Sports’ coverage of Sunday Night Football, the most-watched U.S. primetime show each of the past three years. ND1 is the latest result of NEP’s Next-Generation Mobile Unit design initiative.
“ND1 is a truly cutting-edge broadcast facility, perfectly matched to support Sunday Night Football, the most-watched and most technically advanced broadcast on TV. NBC Sports and NEP have had a fantastic relationship for nearly 20 years, and the launch of this new mobile unit exemplifies the synergy we have developed as a team over two decades—and continues our legacy of working together to push remote broadcast technology forward,” said Ken Goss, senior vice president of Remote Operations and Production Planning for NBC Sports Group.
ND1 consists of four 53-foot double-expanding trailers with seating for more than 75 operating positions. Boasting a completely 1080p-capable infrastructure and the largest routing switcher available for a mobile production facility in the U.S., ND1 is configured to support a 25 percent increase in production levels into the future. The unit’s 100 percent fiber-optic connectivity supplies all interconnections between the trailers and from the trailers to the stadium venue. EVS XT3 media servers support tapeless, fully digital recording workflows, with extensive embedded audio support for 16 channels. In addition to the Evertz routing switcher, ND1 includes a Grass Valley Kayenne Elite 9 M/E production switcher and Calrec Artemis and Apollo audio consoles.
As a member of NEP’s family of Next-Generation Mobile Units, ND1 represents a completely new approach to design, construction techniques, and materials—resulting in trailers that offer more interior space while taking up a smaller footprint in the compound. In addition, NEP engineers used advanced, computerized stress analysis tools from the aircraft industry to design a trailer that is stronger, stiffer, and 20 percent lighter. The result is greater weight-carrying capacity, reduced maintenance downtime, a better ride for the equipment, and a longer life for both the equipment and the trailer itself.
