• Consider your vision mixed
  • Gimme camera two
  • I can hear you
  • Slowly now, part I
  • Slowly now, part II
  • Open your eyes
  • That's some rack
  • Made in Australia
  • Not quite live from Lord's
  • Slow mo
  • You call that an OB van?
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Inside an outside broadcast van

Consider your vision mixed

Last week we decamped to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers expo at Darling Harbour for an afternoon so that we could have a look at the latest outside broadcast vans — the trucks that are responsible for bringing us sporting events, like horse racing.

This wall of LCD monitors carries all the vision being captured by the cameras hooked up to the outside broadcast (OB) van, as well as other sources that might be needed for the broadcast, such as graphics and slow motion replays. One screen will also carry what's currently going to air. Appropriate camera, vision and graphic sources are chosen via the video switcher board seen on the bottom right.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

Gimme camera two

With a full view of all the possible vision, the director sits high and mighty on his throne, deigning what shall be broadcast.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

I can hear you

Sitting in a room located behind the director is the audio technician who, via the mixer seen here, can choose appropriate audio sources, marry up sound to vision and fine tune settings.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

Slowly now, part I

Located behind the audio guys are the people responsible for the slow motion replays.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

Slowly now, part II

Here the small wall of monitors is tied into a tape-less slow motion device made by EVS.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

Open your eyes

The operators sitting at the back of the van can tweak the settings on individual cameras, including iris and exposure, leaving the cameramen the task of pointing and shooting.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

That's some rack

Beyond the bountiful quantities of storage required to store and playback footage captured by the cameras, an OB van's servers need to pack a lot of processing brawn because graphics and the like all need to be rendered in real time.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

Made in Australia

Sony had two broadcast vans on display, a mini and a midi version (the inside of which we've just breezed through). Both vans are about to be delivered to TVN and are valued between AU$3 million and AU$5 million each. The structural elements of the van's rear cabin are made in Newcastle, while the fitment of all electrical gear, as well as bench tops and doors, occur at one of Sony's Sydney offices.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

Not quite live from Lord's

To showcase its range of broadcast cameras, Sony set up a fake cricket scene replete with ladies enjoying a spot of high tea.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

Slow mo

For the show, Sony hooked up one of its super slow motion cameras to an OLED viewfinder that's bigger than the, recently launched in Australia, XEL-1.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

You call that an OB van?

Larger events require more cameras and, therefore, more people to control and direct. Global Television brought along one of its three semi-trailer OB units. Able to handle up to 24 HD cameras and featuring 62 square metres of space, an outfit like this costs between AU$10 million and AU$15 million depending on the equipment within.

Photo by: Derek Fung/CNET

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