Winner of post & network production facilities
Submitted by
AZCAR
Runners-up:
Adtext, The Mill
Submitted by Softel
Golf Channel
Submitted by Solid State Logic
Today, for the sports entertainment world, customer demand is for HD. With the commissioning of Thunder, its fifth HD truck, Dome Productions wanted to select the proper mix of equipment to yield the greatest functionality, while keeping the vehicle's gross weight under control. To achieve the right mix, Thunder used fiber optics to not only carry multiple signals on a single cable but also to reduce the weight. Dome worked with AZCAR, a leader in HD broadcast system integration and production, because it brought complementary management, experience and engineering expertise to the project.
With a 3-D eye to the future, Dome invested in the technologies that could take it to 1080p60, the format necessary for live stereoscopic 3-D productions when its clients see the need. This included the installation of an Evertz EQX 3Gb/s router and a cable infrastructure capable of handling the bandwidth and return loss characteristics of a 4.25GHz signal parameter. Ten switchable Sony HDC-1500R cameras allow for addressing the flexibility that sports and entertainment venue operations require. Sixteen channels provided by an EVS XT[2] LSM server complement Sony HDCAM and Sony SR high-bandwidth digital video recorders. Sound is managed with numerous Dolby E and surround encoder/decoder products, with surround mixing on a Calrec Sigma mixing deck with Bluefin, a 320-channel processor system capable of 8 × 5.1 surround, stereo or mono audio groups. The Grass Valley Kalypso HD 4M/E production switcher, Abekas Dveous/MX dual-channel DVE and Chyron HyperX2 SD/HD graphics CG make up video production. Audio support equipment includes an RTS Adam intercom, Wohler AMP2 audio monitors, Ward Beck AMS8-1AM monitors, Crown CTs-4200 amplifiers and JBL speakers.
The 53ft trailer features a 41ft by 5ft expando section that provides room for the three-deck production center and the 25ft-long transmission and video support area. Thunder's first production, for MLB, aired May 12, 2009.
