LIMA, OHIO—At WLIO, we seek to provide the most in-depth ENG coverage possible. In order to give our west central Ohio audience a never-before-seen point of view for our stories, we made the decision to upgrade to an HD microwave transmitter to escape the limitations of fiber-connected cameras.
We went shopping at the 2015 NAB show and happened upon the Integrated Microwave Technologies (IMT) booth. After spotting the microLite HD transmitter and speaking with the representative, we knew instantly we had to have these wireless wonders and ended up purchasing two microLite 6.4 GHz models.
FREEWHEELING
For the last 40 to 50 years of television, the camera has always been tied to a bulky and heavy cable that required several people to move around and operate. With the wireless microLite HD transmitter, our videographers are handed a camera with the unit on top and given the creative license to go wherever they feel they can get the best picture.
WLIO uses microLite system to cover county fairs. Much of our field reporting involves recurring events, such as county fairs and parades. Imagine you are in the middle of a county fair and you’re trying to do a television show. The biggest problem we would often have before purchasing the microLite was the limitations of running cable; the farthest we could go was 100 or 200 feet. In addition, we also had to deal with the nightmare of navigating through the crowd to get the shots. With the microLite, we supply our shooters with cameras to roam the fairgrounds; one videographer was able to go 1,200 feet from where we were located. We couldn’t see him, and we could just barely communicate with him on our intercom packs, but he was sending back beautiful footage of the fairgrounds.
In another scenario, we put one of our anchors up on a swing ride to interview one of the park officials. The results we achieved using the microLite for this application were simply amazing. In the past when we used fiber, we could never even think of going to these places.
EASY SET-UP
The ease of use of the microLite cannot be understated. The unit mounts effortlessly in place of the battery pack and the battery pack is then connected to the microLite itself, making it self-contained. It is extremely versatile and lightweight, and requires only one person to operate. To connect the microLite to the camera, all we need is an 8-inch HDSDI/ embedded cable with 90-degree BNC fittings.
Now that we are completely wireless, the possibilities are endless. The microLite has provided a cost-effective solution that has let us not only simplify workflow, but take our viewers where we have never been able to go before to tell a story.
Fred Vobbe is a 47-year veteran in broadcasting and has won numerous awards in the broadcasting and electronics field. He has been with WLIO Television since 1985. He can be contacted atfvobbe@wlio.com.
For more information, please visitwww.imt-broadcast.comor call 908-852-3700.
