Solution Makes Field Deployment Quick and Easy
FALLS CHURCH, VA, DECEMBER 2, 2014—When Dawnbreaker Communications, a full-service, high-definition satellite communications company, needed to help its production crews cover live sports, political events, news and corporate broadcasts from its KU band satellite truck, it chose to rely on Studio Technologies,manufacturer of high-quality audio, video and fiber-optic solutions, and its Live-Link™ Mini Remote Camera Interface System.
Working with a multitude of high-profile news and sports networks, including NBC and ESPN, to provide coverage of professional and college football, basketball, lacrosse and baseball games, Gil Miller-Muro, president and owner of Dawnbreaker Communications, often finds himself needing to set up live HD shots in a variety of venues that can be as much as 1,000 feet away from the truck. With this distance requirement, it’s difficult to deploy copper cabling for logistical and technical reasons, so a fiber optic interconnect can be the right choice. A long-time supporter of Studio Technologies, having worked with the company’s IFB equipment during his time at Fox News and CBS, Miller-Muro turned to Studio Technologies’ Live-Link Mini as an integrated connectivity solution between the truck and the camera position.
“I do a lot of work in sports stadiums, and the connectivity between the camera and the truck can be an issue, specifically with regards to the availability of analog audio lines to send intercom and IFB down, as sports venues often offer limited amounts of audio lines and carrying thousands of feet of additional cables ends up weighing the crew down,” says Miller-Muro. “The first time that I used the Live-Link Mini, I was working a Baltimore Ravens game and placed the unit inside the stadium. The OB truck was parked quite a fair distance from the camera position on the field, so there was a limited amount of connectivity options. With the Live-Link Mini, I was able to use one fiber connection to successfully route all the audio, video, IFB and intercoms from the camera to the truck. The clarity was amazing, and it was so simple to set-up and use.”
Studio Technologies’ Live-Link Mini Remote Camera Interface System is a lightweight camera end unit with a choice of two truck end, rack-mount units, depending on application needs. And, in the near future, a portable version of the truck end unit will also be available. The system offers one 3G-/HD-/SD-SDI path in each direction, integrated party-line and 4-wire intercom support, line-level and powered talent cueing (IFB) and is fully compatible with SMPTE standards. The units interconnect through one single-mode fiber for quick and reliable field deployment.
Additionally, Miller-Muro says that the device’s backup battery mount is an added bonus when working long hours in the field. “It’s great, because in the event that we lose power, or a crew member accidentally kicks the extension cord out of the outlet, which happens frequently, the Live-Link Mini’s backup battery option assures that we can continue to operate smoothly and are never in danger of losing the shot.”
Miller-Muro adds that the Live-Link Mini’s straightforward operation, ease of setup and lightweight make it an asset for field operations and its impressive operability keeps his clients comfortable. “For my business, I need to make sure I’m presenting a professional product and putting my best foot forward with my clients,” he adds. “I don’t want to do anything to make them feel nervous. Calling up a producer and asking them to use their cell phones for comms because there is limited copper for a particular job is not something that makes networks feel comfortable. With the Live-Link Mini, the audio quality is pristine, the price point is competitive, and the unit itself is simple to deploy and operate.”
About Studio Technologies, Inc.
Studio Technologies, Inc. provides tailored, high-performance video, audio and fiber optic products for the professional audio and broadcast markets. The company was founded in 1978 with a commitment to design and manufacture dependable, individualized solutions for broadcast studio, stadium and corporate environments. Known for “designing for the way professionals work,” the company is recognized as an industry leader that has never wavered from its individualized design pledge. Product categories include fiber-optic transport, broadcast support, mobile broadcast, intercom and IFB, announcer consoles, and loudspeaker monitor control systems. For more information, please visit the Studio Technologies website at www.studio-tech.com or call 847.676.9177.
