Outside broadcast has always been a notoriously complex aspect of the television
business, entailing masses of equipment, intricate dovetailing of broadcasting and
communications technologies, not to mention the obvious logistical considerations.
While there are certain aspects of this sector that have not changed much, the
game is very different now from what it used to be in terms of engineering and
operations. Andy Stead explores the latest developments in OB.
Driving from Cape Town to Johannesburg recently I passed two ultra large
SuperSport outside broadcast (OB) units together with tenders also en-route to
Gauteng. One is astounded by the sheer size of these vehicles, their complexity and
their ability to provide massive production facilities on wheels.
Evolution
This reminded me of my first acquaintance with an OB unit. It was around 1974 in
London, where a live performance of the Puccini opera La boheme was being
recorded for the BBC. I had the good fortune of spending time in the production unit
during the performance and was overawed by the ability to cram a full production
control into a mobile unit with a team of experienced operators and engineers
working seamlessly in this confined environment.
OB units (or scanners as they are sometimes called) have been around since the
advent of television. The need to create a “studio’ on wheels was critical but not a
simple matter, particularly in the early days when equipment was far larger and
bulkier than today, and camera line-up, stability of equipment and difficulty in
routing signals back to base were complex to say the least – let alone those clumsy
two-inch recording machines, and a large slow-mo replay disc thrown in.
Nowadays things have changed and a 24-camera double extender van with multiple
recording, replay and graphics is commonplace and as mentioned previously, can
be seen travelling the roads of South Africa providing high-definition coverage of all
kinds of event countrywide.
Their applications vary considerably, as do their size and functionality. While
traditionally when one thinks of OB units one thinks of sport, their usage extends to
live concerts and other major events, including, for instance, the opening of
parliament, political rallies, large functions and the like.
Expansion
In the early days of South African television it was left to the South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and a couple of privately owned OB vans to
provide coverage. However when M-Net commenced operation, cognisant of what
would attract viewers, the picture changed and a concerted thrust saw the
subscription service acquire exclusive rights to the most important sporting events.
This meant the acquisition of OB vehicles – and several of them. SuperSport was up
to the challenge and now boasts an impressive array of vehicles – mostly supplied
and built by Sony – and capable of world class coverage of any event and
comparable to the best in the world.
Johan van Tonder, technical operations manager, Production Services at SuperSport
gives us an insight into the latest developments in OBs.
“Our newest vehicle is OB1, which arrived about a year ago after its assembly in
the United Kingdom,’ he recounts.’ We have five big vans which are all around 27-
camera units and we also have two six-camera units. This would include four “super
slo mo’ cameras and we also make use of an ultra-motion or high-speed camera.
“We use robotic cameras but these are more for commentary purposes than for
action use. A typical rugby game uses between 12 and 16 cameras. This is split
between 12 manned cameras and four small, automated robotic cameras.
“We have had talks on signal distribution and in particular fibre connectivity, but
currently it’s pretty much as usual: SNG microwave and Telkom services. Other
methods are still in research and development at this stage.
“It’s not easy to make changes to the vans as they are fully-equipped, custom-made
vehicles. However there are changes and challenges, and there is new technology
about. For the last international cricket tour in December and in January, we did
some research and development using a 4K camera in HD workflow which is
something new and untested. There is new technology out there that can increase
viewer interest, but the day-to-day technology remains pretty much the same.
“Sony gave us the 4K camera on loan and the software was opened to us to use the
4K, so we looked at its potential usage. For instance a 4K camera would be rigged
to do wicket-to-wicket coverage which could be recorded, and then the Epsio zoom
feature enables zooming in Ultra-HD resolution. Using this tool, the EVS operator is
able to replay an HD sequence acquired from the UHD cameras to provide
additional perspectives and enrich the analysis of key actions.’
4K makes its mark
Thanks to 4K zooming, it is possible to switch from a wide-angle view to a detailed
one, and vice versa, with no loss of quality. A lot of action on the pitch often
happens out of shot, and is then lost to viewers. With the Epsio Zoom, the quality of
the image that 4K zoom offers, enables operators to get closer to the action,
enhancing coverage and adding spectacular effects simultaneously.
“Currently I am not sure 4K is really worth it as domestically the costs are
prohibitive, and the results are not “Wow’, so is it worth it to spend that much
money on it? But then not long ago HD was a bit of a pipe dream.
“However 4K is making things exciting and your typical super-slow camera is going
to disappear as it’s cheaper for me to buy a 4K camera and use it on a lower frame
rate.’
Graphics is outsourced to a third party by SuperSport and Alston Elliot television
sports graphics is used. Alston Elliot provides the computers and operators so it’s a
totally exclusive service.
In the very near future SuperSport hope to replace old technology for new. The
early technology is getting old – first generation HD, so this would mean complete
replacement of both coach and equipment. Some of the early units are in fact eight
to nine years old.
“The most covered sport is soccer,’ says van Tonder.’ We also obviously do rugby
and cricket, but in truth we cover all sport. There is no sport in the country that we
don’t cover. We often work together with SABC OBs on sporting events, particularly
soccer. Sometimes we are the main van and they do the unilateral and vice versa.
We also make use of their vans from time to time if we run out. The SABC vans
also broadcast in HD, but their newest van is five years old. I have three vans built
after 2010 so the technology of our vans is more up to date.’
For its part, SABC OB remains one of the two major players in the sector, boasting
an impressive fleet of large and small OB vehicles. Longtime general manager Nic
Bonthuys went into retirement at the beginning of 2015 and Cosmas Tshabalala now
captains the ship at the OB headquarters on Bunting Road, Auckland Park.
More players in the market
It’s not just the SABC and SuperSport that provide OB services. Several smaller
local companies have their own units, and are extremely active. Among these are
Telemedia, Obeco, EFX, Alfacam and Dimension Television Facilities.
Obeco have a comprehensive range of outside broadcast units including an eight-
camera full HD van with Sony HD Triax Camera Chains, For-A HD Broadcast
switcher, For-A Character Generator and a Grass Valley K2 server and Dyno
Controller – similar to the EVS system. Recording formats are Sony HDCAM, XDCAM
H, or AJA Kipro HDD Recorders.
The second van is an SD van with four cameras and a third van the same as OB2,
currently being used on Urban Brew programme called Dumisa. There is also a full
HD DSNG van with a redundancy system using DVBS4 encoders and 200Watt amps
with a 2m dish.
Dimension Television Facilities (Pty) Ltd (DTF) have an impressive offering of
several vans. Their OB6 is HD with Grass Valley LDK 8000 and 8300 Cameras. They
utilise KU Band, Mpeg4 SN’s for signals to base, and a Pixel Power Clarity 3000 for
Graphics.
DTF cover golf, rugby, soccer, boxing and cycling (Cape Argus and the Cape Epic)
as well as events over our borders. Their challenge is to cater for all the various
recording formats and different codecs.
Alfacam South Africa was formerly known as Alfacam Africa and was an extension
of the European broadcast facility. When its parent company was bought out,
managing director Greg Nefdt and a group of investors decided to buy the name and
the equipment and go it alone. For the past year, it has operated as an independent
entity, with considerable success. Its full-HD, 24-camera unit, OB1, has seen
considerable action both in South Africa and abroad.
Last year saw at least one new entrant in the OB market – One World Media. A
smaller operation geared towards up-and-coming production companies, One World
makes use of modern technology to offer high-end production value regardless of
the lower budgets of their clients. In so doing, they are addressing an ongoing
challenge in this part of the industry. The setting up of OB facilities requires very
high CAPEX and the cost of hiring such facilities for producers is correspondingly
high as well. For the emerging sectors of the production industry, the price of OB
services is generally prohibitive. Several operators, such as Alfacam and One World
Media, have spotted this gap in the market – consisting of up-and-coming producers
who require OB but struggle to scrounge together the funds to pay for it – and are
offering deals that make their services more affordable.
OBs have come a long way since the advent of the first units in the 1930s. 4K
imaging in the future is almost a certainty, as well as fibre optic signal paths among
other technological innovations. The emergence of software-based technologies is
making the creation of high-quality content a relatively cheaper and simpler process
– and not a moment too soon.
With the DTT switchover just around the corner, the demand for content will
increase considerably. Production capacity will have to rise to meet it and this
cannot happen with only the major players offering their high-end, high-premium
services. Increase in quantity, together with maintenance and even improvement of
quality, as well as increasing competition and the lowering of barriers to entry, are
likely to be defining characteristics of the OB sector in the near future.
