Axon Digital Design’s Cerebrum Monitoring and Control system will form the backbone of a new IP-based Outside Broadcast vehicle that is being launched in May by Timeline Television, a major provider of outside broadcast, post production and studio based services to all major UK networks.
The new 32-camera triple-expanding truck will deliver 4K HDR uncompressed broadcasts, using SAM IP infrastructure, a production switcher and multiviewer, Sony 4K cameras and EVS servers – all controlled and monitored by Axon’s Cerebrum platform via a single fully customisable user interface. The vehicle will also feature a range of Axon 4K infrastructure products and hardware panels.
Timeline Television’s decision to install a Cerebrum system in the new vehicle is based on previous good experience with Axon technology. The company already uses Cerebrum in its main UK broadcast centre to control all the equipment in its programme chain. It has also installed Cerebrum across its fleet of OB trucks and flyaway kits, citing functionality and easy-to-use interfaces as the main reasons for its choice.
“The Cerebrum control platform integrates seamlessly with the rest of the solutions we employ and always delivers to the highest standards,” says Daniel McDonnell, Managing Director of Timeline Television. “We have complete confidence that Cerebrum will provide agile and robust control on-board our new 4K IP truck and will support a hassle-free, flexible creative workflow.”
Jan Eveleens, CEO of Axon adds: “Axon systems are so easy to integrate and operate that Timeline Television always includes our equipment every time they launch something new. The reason for this is simple: the people who need to use it every day are happy with the functionality that it delivers and both the time and production costs it saves.”
Many of the broadcast projects delivered by Timeline Television have Cerebrum at their core. Most recently this has included the Dubai World Cup, the US$10m horse race that closed the prestigious Dubai World Cup Carnival on March 25th. Working once again with UK-based Racecourse Media Group (RMG), who undertook the producton of all 20 of the season’s fixtures from Meydan Racecourse, Timeline Television provided all of the technical infrastructure including cameras, horseback reporter cameras, the EVS systems and graphics – all controlled and monitored by Cerebrum.
“Our Meydan Racecourse infrastructure includes a large SAM central hybrid matrix that handles all audio and video routing,” says Daniel McDonnell. “The matrix is controlled by the Axon Cerebrum platform. The operators use both touch screens and hardware panels to perform complexing routing, speeding up the operation. Cerebrum also provides a single interface to control a variety of other broadcast equipment making the whole operation very efficient.”
RMG made the fixture available to over one billion homes in more than 150 territories, with the likes of NBC Sport (US), ESPN South America and Eurosport all taking the race. In addition, the Dubai World Cup was broadcast for the first time live on 580 aeroplanes and a number of cruise ships via the Sport 24 channel.
Jan Eveleens concludes: “Axon takes pride in the fact that leading OB providers like Timeline rely upon our solutions to deliver high quality live broadcasts to audiences worldwide. We’re with them every step of the way – from their next production to their next technology upgrade.”
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About Axon
Headquartered in The Netherlands, and with offices across the world, Axon develops, manufactures and markets high quality broadcast equipment for the conversion, processing and compliance recording of audio and video signals. Products integrate advanced signal processing techniques, innovative engineering and modular flexibility and provide high quality, affordability and reliability within mission-critical broadcast applications. For more information please visit www.axon.tv.
