CamPac2 Wireless Transmitter and NewsCaster DR1 Receiver Provide Flawless Transmission
BEIJING, CHINA, NOVEMBER 16, 2009 – When China Central Television (CCTV) needed to find a microwave technology supplier for its first ever HD coverage of the Chinese National Day Parade, it turned to Nucomm’s CamPac2 wireless camera transmitter and Newscaster DR1 diversity receiver.
The National Day coverage is a follow-on project from the 2008 Olympic Games where Nucomm provided CCTV with five CamPac2’s and Newscaster DR1’s for CCTV’s HD coverage of the games.
“We were approached by CCTV in March and asked if we could provide more equipment as well as redeploy the existing equipment used during the Olympics to cover the National Day parade,” says Simon Clifford, RF Extreme Director of International Sales. “This is a very important day for the people of China and there was a lot of pressure on CCTV to make sure that the mobile microwave links did not drop out at any time during the live broadcasts. Ultimately, we provided equipment for seven different links for its HD coverage and I am happy to say that the whole event was flawless”.
The National Day of the People’s Republic of China is a public holiday celebrated every year on October 1 to commemorate the Republic’s founding on October 1, 1949. Chinese National Day is celebrated throughout mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau with a variety of government-organized festivities.
The events, which consisted of a military and civilian parade during the day, were followed by a big celebration in Tiananmen Square during the evening.
To cover the parade during the day, two CamPac2 transmitters, along with ‘GoPac2’ five Watt docking amplifier units, were placed in cars that followed President Hu Jintao’s vehicle as he drove along the three-mile parade route. These cars also provided general shots of the large crowds enjoying the festivities. In addition, there were two ‘wire-cam’ systems suspended across Tiananmen Square with a total run of one kilometer each. A helicopter downlink system was also used for live airborne coverage.
During the evening celebration in Tiananmen Square, where there were fireworks, singing and dancing (similar to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics), the two CamPac2 transmitters that were used in the cars during the day were redeployed as regular camera systems for the evening transmission. The helicopter was also utilized for airborne coverage of the evening performance.
Nucomm offers the perfect system for overcoming some of the typical challenges associated with broadcasting such challenging events. Nucomm’s wide-band transmitters and receivers provide maximum flexibility when allocating spectrum, which helped with the frequency co-ordination by the Chinese government.
“The CamPac2 and Newscaster DR feature a technology called ‘twin pedestal modulation’ which allows us to transmit with higher bit rates while maintaining a more robust modulation scheme and that was a key to making the broadcast a success,” adds Clifford. “In addition, the on-screen display, where we overlay the summary of the performance of the microwave system as a table over the picture, is a feature that many broadcasters find extremely helpful. In fact, the Technical Director liked it so much, he asked for it to be fed back to the MCR (Master Control Room) during the rehearsal so that he could see for himself where the limits of the system were.”
“The Nucomm wireless camera system did an excellent job in this important transmission event,” says Mr. Zhang Bao An, Director of the Playout & Transmission Center of CCTV. “Moreover, we have worked with both Nucomm and their Chinese partner Century Sage Scientific Group Ltd (CSS) for the transmission task in the 2008 Olympics which also proved to be very successful. Therefore, it was natural for us to select CSS and Nucomm again for our important National Parade. Added to this, Nucomm sent one of their best experts, Simon Clifford, to Beijing to support this transmission event, which was certainly a plus.”
Intended for wireless camera applications, such as sports coverage and Electronic News Gathering (ENG), the CamPac2 has quickly established itself as a class-leading product in its field following product launch in 2006. With the recent introduction of a full-featured camera control option, the CamPac2 is ready to tackle any application where only wired cameras were used traditionally. Besides remote iris, and RGB gain/pedestal control, every available camera menu feature is fully functional, including red/green tally and accessed by the camera manufacturer’s own remote panel, not a generic one.
“The CamPac2 and Newscaster DR are designed with the user in mind,” says RF Extreme President Stephen Shpock. “In today’s fast-paced broadcast world, there is a need for innovative wireless cameras, especially in light of more and more ENG broadcasts being produced every day. Nucomm adheres to that need. When we designed this system, we knew it needed to be compact and simple for ease of use yet sophisticated enough to handle a wide range of applications including ENG, portable camera mounting, helicopter and UAV links as well as portable, mobile video and data links.”
About Nucomm
Nucomm is a worldwide provider of premier digital and analog video microwave systems (including COFDM and VSB) for the broadcasting industry’s portable and fixed link applications. Offering video microwave transmission equipment for the military, law enforcement, telecom and cable television circuits, Nucomm’s products have helped revolutionize live broadcast coverage of major outdoor events including sports, auto racing, marathons and parades. Nucomm, along with RF Central and Microwave Service Company, forms The Vitec Group RF Extreme, LLC business unit, part of The Vitec Group Broadcast Systems Division. For more information about Nucomm, visit www.nucomm.com.
About The Vitec Group plc
The Vitec Group plc is a global leader in the supply of equipment and services to the broadcast, electronic media, photographic and live events industries, and is rapidly extending its reach into related areas such as government, security and defence. Vitec's many industry-leading product brands have established a formidable reputation for innovation, technical excellence, and superior service and support. The diverse range of brands are united by a common Vitec Group commitment to delivering a world-class customer experience, and a visionary approach to the future. This befits an enterprise which has grown both organically and by acquisition to incorporate over 2000 employees worldwide and achieve a 2008 turnover of almost half a billion dollars. Vitec Group products are distributed in almost 100 countries, through both direct sales and by means of a strong, fully-resourced distribution network. The Vitec Group comprises:
The Videocom Division, which develops, manufactures and distributes high quality manual and robotic camera supports, location lighting, camera and equipment bags, portable power solutions, prompting products, wireless camera links and communication systems used principally by broadcast and live entertainment professionals. Brands include - Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Clear-Com, Litepanels, MSC, Nucomm, OConnor, Petrol, RF Central, Sachtler, TCS (The Camera Store), Vinten and Vinten Radamec. www.vitecgroupbroadcast.com
The Imaging & Staging Division, which designs, manufactures and distributes photographic and video-camera support; lighting, trusses and suspension systems for the professional photography, video, cinematography and live event markets. Brands include - Manfrotto, Gitzo, Kata, Avenger, Litec, IFF, Bogen Imaging, Tomcat and Brilliant Stages. www.vitecgroup.it
The Services Division, a leading provider of professional video and audio rental equipment, and engineering support for major event productions. Brands include – ASG and Bexel. www.bexel.com
More information can be found at www.vitecgroup.com
